2eat4under20: Caprini Restaurant, Waterloo (Italian)

Total food bill £19.00 (including £1.10 service charge)

2eat4under20 rating: 1.5 out of 3 stars
Mr Frenchy's rating: 1.5 out of 3 stars

What we ate:
2eat4under2o Spaghetti Carbonara
Mr Frenchy Fettucine Romano

What we drank:
Water (Mr Frenchy was still recovering from the rather heavy night out in Paris!) :)

Having spent a lovely weekend in Paris celebrating a dear friend's 30th, Mr Frenchy and I arrived back in London around 8.30pm. Although we had been served some food on the Eurostar, the tiddly portions and the absence of hot food made us feel rather under-fulfilled. So we decided to grab a quick bite before heading back to our countryside pad from Waterloo.

After a quick search on the mobile on places close to Waterloo Station, I came across Caprini. Conveniently located just opposite Waterloo station on Waterloo Road , we did not have to drag our suitcases and tired-selves too far to arrive there.

On entering the restaurant, there was a slight hesitation in my mind - as it seemed to be very empty (my mother once told me, never eat in an empty restaurant - queue if you have to!). There was only one customer in the restaurant, an old gentleman dining by the window, who looked as comfortable as if he was dining in his own front room with his paper and a plate full of pasta. He must have been a regular, maybe he has been taking his sunday dinner here for as long as the restuarnant has been open.... and so my imagination ran away with itself. On another table directly in front of the entrance, there was a waitress having her dinner - a large plate full of pasta and veggies which looked freshly cooked and delicious. And with that, my hesitation quickly disappeared and we took a table in the corner by the staircase.

Our waiter came over as soon as we sat down to provide us with the menu and advise on the Weekend set menu (3 course available for c.£15 per head, I think?). We had a quick glance at the set menu but decided that a hearty bowl of pasta each would be just the thing we needed to refuel us before heading home after a long weekend away.

I chose the Spaghetti Carbonara as I craved its creamy silky comfort. Mr Frenchy was also feeling partial to some comfy creamy bowl of pasta, so chose the Fettucine Romano which has ham (insead of bacon in my carbonara) and did not include the egg which gives Carbonara its extra think texture.

The food arrived very promptely upon ordering - it can't have been more than 10mins, as we ordered and chatted for a few mins then I popped to the ladies (on the second floor which was a bit of a climb!), and by the time I returned, my food was ready waiting for me on the table. A welcome promptness for us, as we were keen to eat and get the train back home.

My Spaghetti Carbonara was just what I needed. Creamy, tasty, comforting, and filling. It was not the best I have tasted (Mr Frenchy's homemade Carbonara is the one to beat!) but I was very happy with my dish. Carbonara can be tricky to get right, with many being too salty or too bland. But this one was seasoned just right. Mr Frenchy's Fettucine Romano also got the thumbs up. It had plenty of ham and just enough cream to cover the pasta but not drown it. With plenty of black pepper and parmasan cheese grated on top, we both finished the plates clean in no time.

Overall, it is a good little place for a quick bite before catching a train from Waterloo. No fuss, good tasty pasta, in and out in no time. Maybe we will pop back in another time to try other menu items - we do like a good Pollo Milanese.