THE concept of eating inside a restaurant was one we had all taken for granted prior to the pandemic, so it's incredibly refreshing to enjoy that simple pleasure once more.
This week has seen restaurants and pubs reopen their doors so people can dine indoors.
It has come as a big relief to the hospitality industry, which for the past month has had to contend with some particularly miserable weather curtailing their days, in case their guests and pint glasses get showered with hailstones and plates of chips blow away in the wind.
And Chester city centre, let's not forget, has some extremely pleasant places to enjoy a hearty meal indoors.
Over the past decade, the number of eateries in the city has swelled, and after a boom and bust of chain restaurants gracing the city with their presence before disappearing when the going got tough, the streets now have an appealingly indie flavour to them.
The Standard was kindly invited to sample a taster spring menu at the soft relaunch of one such independent restaurant this week – Da Noi, on Bridge Street, which officially reopens today (May 20).
Da Noi Ristorante, Chester. Picture: Carlo Cerutti
Da Noi Ristorante, which first opened in 2018 by husband and wife team, chef Valentina Aviotti and Fabrizio Gobbato, soon attracted acclaim for their Italian cuisine from the Michelin inspectors. As a result, the restaurant has been listed on the Michelin Guide for two years in a row.
Chef Valentina Aviotti and Fabrizio Gobbato. Picture: Carlo Cerutti
And with such dishes as 'arancini neri di baccala' – salted cod black arancini with asparagus mayonnaise and battered sage leaves – and risotto featuring PDO Carnaroli rice, courgettes, PDO burrata and caviar – it's not hard to see why.
Chef Valentina's new spring menu has been carefully curated to bring out the best Italian cuisine has to offer, transporting customers to her hometown of Turin.
And each dish has a recommended wine to complement the taste experience.
From the Da Noi spring menu taster evening: Risotto with PDO carnaroli rice, courgettes, PDO burrata and caviar.
Among the most distinctive of the wine selection is the Ruche DOCG 'Na Vota' – Cantine Sant'Agata, a delightful red which upon hitting the tastebuds instantly conjures up a feeling of being transported to resting by a roaring fire in a cosy, oak cabin – and the sensation doesn't outstay its welcome.
As with all indoor venues, seating is still restricted as per current Covid-safety regulations, meaning Da Noi's seating capacity is currently limited, and as such, the restaurant is heavily booked for its first two weeks of reopening.
From the Da Noi spring menu taster evening: Ravioli ripieni di Mortadella; Mortadella filled ravioli, PDO pecrorino sauce, pistachios.
Speaking before the restaurant reopened, Valentina said: “The pandemic has made it incredibly difficult for restaurants to survive, as a small, family-owned business we have been closed for much of the past year.
"Thankfully we adapted to provide our ‘Da Noi at Home’ takeaway offering, as well as our outdoor weekend pop up ‘In Strada’ which literally translates to ‘in the street’ where we have been cooking up a storm outside our restaurant on Bridge Street.
“Da Noi means ‘at our home’ in English, which sums up exactly how we want our customers to feel. We combine locally-sourced, seasonal produce such as meat from David Joinson’s butchers and veg from Francis Thomas with selected imported ingredients that have ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ status, such as PDO Gorgonzola ‘Igor’ and PDO ‘Carnaroli’ rice from Piemonte.
From the Da Noi spring menu taster evening: Peperone 'BC' in bufala; buffalo mozzarella stuffed with roasted peppers and traditional Piedmont anchovies sauce.
“Our customers have been so supportive and we can’t wait to welcome them back to dine with us. We’re busy giving the interior of the restaurant a new look and I’ve been working hard in the kitchen developing dishes for the new menu."
For more information about Da Noi, visit https://www.danoichester.co.uk/
From the Da Noi spring menu taster evening: Arancini neri di baccala; salted cod black arancini, asparagus mayonnaise, battered sage leaves.
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