Pizza Express, McArthur Glen, York

10:43am Saturday 30th August 2008

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AN out-of-town shopping centre would not be my usual dining out destination. And I wasn’t tempted to go back after we were left waiting at the entrance of the Designer Outlet’s fledgling Pizza Express for far too long on our first visit.

We were ignored, it seems, because the restaurant was about to close.

However, I decided to try again with my dining partners in tow, and we enjoyed a much warmer welcome by a young team of friendly staff.

We were shown to a table close to the open-plan kitchen, where we could watch the pizza bases being made.

Having passed the other food hall outlets en route to Pizza Express at McArthur Glen, our stomachs were rumbling, so we went straight for the starters.

Carol chose the Ramiro al Forno (£4.95) – a sweet ramiro pepper, stuffed and baked with mozzarella and creamy goat’s cheese. The addition of breadcrumbs made the filling quite dry, but the deliciously sweet balsamic syrup proved to be the perfect accompaniment.

Terry had the Antipasto (£4.95), a varied selection of cured Italian meats served with baked ciabatta. It was a good-sized, tasty portion, artfully presented with a scattering of fresh rocket, and served with rustica tomatoes and shaved grana padano. No complaints there.

I chose the dough balls with garlic butter (£2.30), hoping these would be a hit with my 19-month-old son, Miles, who happily ate most of them.

It was only after our meal that I spotted the children’s menu, which included dough balls, along with a good choice of mains and desserts. Definitely one to bear in mind, and Pizza Express has to be commended for its family focus.

I was tempted by the new Romana pizzas, with their thinner, bigger and crispier base. However, I chose to make up my own pizza with torn chicken, ham and mushroom toppings, and in my deliberation, forgot about the Romana.

Having sacrificed most of my starter to Miles, I was looking forward to tucking in.

The tomato base was rich, akin to a thick passata which would have worked well as a pasta sauce.

However, it was the overriding flavour, as the overgenerous portion swamped the toppings and the pizza base had almost disintegrated in the centre.

It was a real letdown, and I’ve had tastier, crispier pizzas from supermarkets at a fraction of the cost.

Judging from past experiences at Pizza Express, I was sure this must have been a one-off, until I watched a chef ladling similarly large quantities of tomato sauce on other bases which I suspect faced the same fate as mine.

Terry went for the Prosciutto e Funghi (£7.95). Straight from the oven, the spirals of pasta were baked with prosciutto cotto ham and mushrooms in a deliciously creamy gruyere and parmesan sauce.

Finished with mozzarella, it had a lovely crisp topping with the gruyere holding its own.

I had a forkful and had to resist going back for more. Miles also developed a strong liking for it, and we all declared it the best dish of the day.

Carol went for the Grand Chicken Cæsar salad (£8.30) – a dish she readily orders wherever she goes, so it had a lot to live up to. It came in a wide-rimmed dish adorned with baked dough sticks around the edge.

The cos lettuce was fresh and crisp, with a smattering of large croutons in a Caesar dressing infused with juices from the anchovies.

Carol had expected strips of chicken (enough to make up a breast) – something she recently enjoyed at a rival Italian chain. Instead, the torn chicken pieces were small and just like the bite-sized morsels on my pizza.

The other main ingredients were in fairly short supply. However, the flavours worked well together and, on the whole, she enjoyed it. We all agreed the dough sticks were tasty but unnecessary, and probably there to ensure diners went away full.

We all plumped for a dessert – with Carol choosing the Caffè Reale (£3.25), which came with baby figs, drizzled with a cinnamon and white wine-spiced syrup, with a dollop of mascarpone and served with a standard coffee of your choice. Interesting, but not a huge hit.

Carol chose the Mocha (£2.30 when ordered on its own) – another firm favourite, but this time it more than met her expectations. The milk chocolate was rich while the espresso was strong, giving the essential caffeine kick. Carol pronounced it the best Mocha she’d had.

I had the cheesecake (£4.35), which was made the traditional way with baked cream cheese and sour cream on a crumbly base served on a fruit coulis.

Carol and I couldn’t agree on whether the coulis was blackberry or raspberry, but it was lovely and sweet regardless, and set the somewhat dry cheesecake off beautifully.

From the other temptations, Terry chose the Banoffee Pie (£4.35). If it wasn’t for the scoop of creamy soft vanilla ice-cream, the thick base would have made the dish too dry.

The final bill topped £65 including drinks – a large glass of red Zinfandel Puglia wine (£5.45), a Sicilian lemonade (£2.05), and Peroni Gran Riserva (£3.65). It was what you might expect from an Italian chain restaurant, but next time I’d prefer more relaxing surroundings away from the hustle and bustle of shoppers and excited children just feet away.

•Pizza Express, McArthur Glen, York. Tel: 01904 678683.

•Nadia Jefferson-Brown visited on August 19.