Cattivo means ‘Bad Boys’ in Italian – and recently opened its doors at the Old Kennels on the edge of Cirencester Park.
We kicked-off our evening with a couple of delicious cocktails. The drinks menu was extensive, but we quickly made our minds up. I opted for a Roots + Seeds gin and tonic and my partner picked a spicy margarita.
The ambience was spot on with dining available inside and out. We opted for indoors as we soaked up the Italian atmosphere led by effervescent pizza-master Francesco, Jack, his junior commis chef, and front of house staff Franky and Phoebe.
Refreshed and ready for food, we spent our time looking at a plethora of pizza options. My partner’s mother was born in Italy, so the bar of expectation was raised higher than an Olympic pole vaulter. Cattivo more than cleared the bar, according to the Italian side of the table.
I chose the Cattivo Ragazzo – The Spicy Bad Boy. It was beyond sublime and ticked all the pizza boxes with a side-dressing of hot honey, the perfect accompaniment to the san marzano tomato, fior di latte, n’duja and basil pesto. All this sat perfectly on a sumptuous sourdough base.
We certainly felt full to the brim, but a dessert was a must to round off our evening. Rightly so, Italian ice cream is lauded as the best in the world, but despite the temptation, we plumped for tiramisu. The portions were more than generous so we politely asked if we could take the leftovers home and they more than obliged.
Cattivo gets a big thumbs up and I wholeheartedly recommend you make a visit.
As the Italians would say – ”Buona Cattivo!”
Cattivo is the brainchild of old school friends Toby Baggott and Sam Lawson-King – the same team behind Roots + Seeds and previously The Scenic Supper. But they’ve enlisted help from Mike Robinson, champion of sustainable wild food and game and the man behind restaurants like the Harwood Arms in Fulham, London, The Woodsman in Stratford-upon-Avon and The Elder in Bath.
All Cattivo Pizzas cost from £14 – £17 with all orders taken at the counter. No bookings or phone orders.
Paid carpark available – first hour free, no registration needed.
Cattivo Pizza, The Old Kennels, Cirencester Park, Cirencester, GL7 1UR
