Amore

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

Located in a dull corner of the Merchant City, Amore briskly caters for workers and shoppers by day and is a good choice for families and work nights out with its generous space and cheerful informality. The central round booth is particularly handy for groups, though you may need to book, but otherwise the trattoria-style décor is a bit tired, with faded mismatched furniture around wooden tables. The wood-stone oven is a major focus, producing crisp, but still moist pizzas with various toppings. The rest of the menu is extensive but mostly sticks to staples with a few twists – but portions are absolutely huge so no complaints about value. A starter of mussels in a chunky tomato sauce could feed you for a day, let alone followed by the massive house speciality, penne del femio, with a good proportion of spicy Italian sausage in a ragu bulked out with plenty of vegetables. The bruschetta starter is a clash of fridge-cold tomatoes heaped on warm bread, but the oozing texture of the toffee pudding dessert makes up for it.

• High point: Watching the chef deftly prepare the pizza
• Low point: Service can be slow