Comments: Given the previous negative review and the fact that the charming Mariano has mysteriously left the business, my wife and I were apprehensive that the restaurant might have deteriorated.  Far from it!  The food and service were up to the usual standard and we had the impression that the portions were bigger than before.
We chose the 3-course Specials Menu (available Tuesday - Thursday evenings) which is great value at £16.95. 

Italian bread sticks and bread for dipping in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar kept us going while waiting for the first course. This was penne with a tomato and chilli sauce, very tasty and not too spicy.  The main course was a beautiful cod fillet served with a sauce and good selection of vegetables, nicely cooked and presented. Dessert was a delicious almond gateau. The deal included coffee (with chocolates) and a bottle of excellent rosé wine. Complimentary limoncello was brought with the bill but that was perhaps because I mentioned it was a special occasion.

The restaurant was busy and service was a little slow but, as we wanted a leisurely evening, that suited us perfectly. If one had called in en route to somewhere, it might have seemed frustratingly slow.

In conclusion, it was an excellent evening and remarkable value at £33.90.  Obviously a similar meal will cost a good deal more at the weekend as the special menu is not available then.

EDITOR COMMENT 31.10.09: The restaurant has now ceased trading - a great pity!

Review 10:  Mariano's; Date visited: 08.08.09; Review submitted by Annie Rhodes

Comments: Whilst travelling through Usk, we stopped in the hope of finding a nice Italian meal, with plenty of pasta, good wine and excellent service. At Mariano's, disappointingly, we found one out of three. Although the restaurant was less than half full, the waiter seemed to be struggling and appeared to be very stressed - he tried hard to be attentive; however his efforts failed to disguise the strange menu and the limited skills in the kitchen.
The menu was very wide, so for simplicity, we chose from the Specials Menu - our mistake. The first course of raw courgettes and tomato, swimming in hot water and completely covered in parmesan cheese was just about edible. The main course of gnocchi, with a very small portion of cooked vegetable and (again!) completely smothered in parmesan cheese was no better. My partner was more fortunate in his choice - a nice piece of fish, but, bizarrely, no pasta, potatoes, rice or similar to go with it!! For dessert we both had a few very small but tasty pieces of fruit accompanied by a sickly sweet cream (not so tasty). On the plus side, the bottle of red wine included with the meal was very pleasant and much appreciated.
Overall there's a lot of room for improvement in the design of the menu: simplifying the main menu (which presumably would make life in the kitchen easier?), getting the balance and portion sizes right and planning the Specials Menu to ensure diners can't make my mistake of selecting two dishes smothered in parmesan cheese would all help.
The decor at Mariano's is certainly interesting and the wine a pleasant surprise - getting the menu right would be a great leap forward and would put Mariano's on the map.

EDITOR COMMENT: TASTE OF ITALY NOW OPERATES AT THIS ADDRESS.

Review 9:  La Cantina; Date visited: 08.08.09; Review submitted by Jenny and Di

Comments: We had dinner at La Cantina, Saturday 8 August, 2009, and I can honestly say that this was a meal to far surpass any meal that I have had anywhere in a long long time. Have just returned from a holiday in London and the Lake District and I can rate La Cantina on a level with Rules in London, which has to be one of the very best in London. Superb service, superb food, delightful ambience and Jeff, Charles and Chef, take a bow ~ you deserve to do so well. Thank you, Jenny and Di.

Review 8:  The Olway Inn; Date visited: 19.05.09; Review submitted by Kim Craik

Comments: Having booked our staff Christmas do here the previous year and having had a wonderful time with excellent food and entertainment, we again booked the restaurant for a family function. We were delighted with the service and food yet again. A couple of rooms were also booked for my relatives and they were pristine, welcoming and extremely comfortable. Many thanks to Nicola and Matt for their impeccable attention to detail and warm welcome. Would recommend you to anyone.

Review 7:  Mariano's; Date visited: 06.11.08;
Review submitted by Howard Duckett

Comments: We were given a very warm and friendly greeting by both Mariano and Gareth. It was obvious that, since we were there last, the restaurant had recently undergone a complete refurbishment which had been done very tastefully. The background music and general ambiance and the waft of the scent from the other meals made you feel as if you were in Italy. Mariano certainly knows his wines and was able to give a detailed knowledge of each wine. Bread sticks and olives and fresh bread were readily available whilst we chose from an extensive menu. At the point of ordering Mariano gave an excellent description of the options; he also said that if we wanted less or more garlic or less or more tomato in the dishes, then the Chef would oblige. The starters were excellent, perhaps if anything slightly on the small size, but absolutely packed with flavour and fragrance. We were given plenty of time to finish these before the plates were taken and again there was a decent time delay before the main course arrived. In true Italian style nothing was hurried. The main course was exquisite; the fish was cooked to perfection, as was the veal. Again if anything, the portions were slightly small, but punched larger than their size with flavour. There was an excellent choice for a sweet which was excellently presented when brought to the table. The meals as far as taste and quality are concerned are stunning and for that alone this restaurant is well worth a visit. Mariano is attentive throughout the evening. My only slight concern was perhaps the over-attentiveness of the under-waiter who kept asking if everything was ok too many times. This restaurant deserves every success and we will certainly keep up our patronage.

Comments: This was the first time my wife and I have visited this recently re-opened restaurant (formerly Gemelli's).  It advertises itself as offering Sicilian and traditional Italian cuisine and retains the up-market style initiated by Gemelli's two years ago.  The decor is elegant, the lighting and ambience are pleasant and great attention to detail has obviously been paid.  Mariano is charming, attentive and clearly well focused on giving his customers a good experience.  The 4 waiters are all boys (looked about 14 or 15!) and are efficient, willing and eager; however, they appeared a bit nervous and tend to move too quickly.  With a bit more experience I'm sure they will relax and look more comfortable.

The menu choice is excellent and there is a large selection of Italian wines, albeit mostly rather expensive.  Whilst waiting for the first course, we were given typical Italian bread sticks, black olives and crusty bread.  The starters and main dishes were delivered promptly, elegantly presented, hot, very appetising and of sufficient quantity.  I particularly enjoyed my starter of mussels in a rich tomato and garlic sauce.  The choice of desserts from a chilled cabinet which one gets up to browse all looked delicious and the two we tried were superb.

The only minor complaint we had was that the limoncello was not served chilled, as it always is in Italy.  When I mentioned this to Mariano, he graciously waived the cost of these.  Incidentally the measure was rather small.

All in all it was an extremely pleasant dining experience and we will definitely return!  Prices are on the high side but not unreasonable for an establishment of this style and quality.  If one wants something a bit special in a classy setting, this is the place to go in Usk.  Given that Alfonso's and The Bush House have both closed, Mariano's should do well and certainly deserves to do so.  Highly recommended!

This time for a starter we had fried monkfish with a spicy Thai sauce followed by fillet steak in a pepper sauce.  As usual, the meat was extremely tender and delicious, though a larger portion would have been very welcome.  However a substantial dish of sauté potatoes and onions ensured we didn't go hungry!  A home-made apple pie finished off another very enjoyable meal.  As always, we had a 1 litre bottle of red house wine which is very drinkable.

The only criticism was the price: £71.45 was not cheap by any means.  However, we couldn't fault the meal at all!

EDITOR COMMENT: ALFONSO'S HAS SINCE CEASED TRADING - A REAL PITY!

Review 4:  The Royal Hotel; Date visited: 26.09.06; Review submitted by Mandy

Comments: An excellent restaurant with high class food on offer.  We went there for a 30th birthday party as a group of 6. The food all came out at the same time and boiling hot.  I have also been out there for Sunday dinner which beats most restaurants by far. Even carvery restaurants could not supply food to this level of excellence.  You must definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed. Well done, Tony, keep up the good work.

NB  The 3-course £10 menu is unfortunately no longer available; some of the dishes on the à la carte menu are rather expensive.

Review 2:  The Three Salmons; Date visited: 08.09.06; Review submitted by The Website Editor

Comments: The hotel's restaurant is one of the most elegant places to dine in Usk (my wife and I avoid bar meals there as it's often smoky). As always, the choice of sophisticated dishes was wide and 6 main fish courses were available. I chose a guineafowl and bacon terrine to start with and this was very tasty and substantial. I followed this with pork medallions accompanied by rösti and a very rich Madeira-based sauce and cranberries; the dish was well cooked and delicious. A good selection of properly cooked vegetables was provided.

We chose an Argentinian Merlot rosé wine, and, though this was one of the cheaper wines on offer, it was simply superb. We were too full to want a dessert, so contented ourselves with cappuccino and one VSOP brandy. The service (mainly by the Spanish head waiter) was attentive and amusing.

The meal and service could not be faulted. However, the total bill came to £71, which frankly is too expensive. It seems to us that all main courses have increased by £2 or £3 since we were there earlier in the year.

EDITOR COMMENT: GEMELLI'S HAS SINCE CEASED TRADING. MARIANO'S NOW OPERATES AT THIS ADDRESS.