Proove Restaurant, Centertainment, Sheffield

Why do they come up with these names? Centretainment is a word you will not find in any dictionary however what you will find when you discover this entertainment complex in Sheffield is this authentic Italian restaurant.

You would never find a proper Italian restaurant on a complex such as this in Italy - usually they would be located in the town centre and the place would be packed with locals in the know.

There are 2 well known Italian restaurant chains within a few yards of Proove, so why would you go here as opposed to them? One word - authenticity. The majority of the staff at Proove are Italian including the chefs who cook your food. The pizzas are cooked in a wood burning oven in an open kitchen and the food is just like you would get at the best pizza restaurant in Siena let alone Sheffield.

This is their second restaurant in the city with one planned for Leeds.

It's a big open space but it soon fills up. Our server comes from Sicily, I show her a photo of Palermo and the ice is broken. She tells me she is flying back home the following week for a break, I am tempted to pack my case. The menu is not that big - salads, street food, antipasti and pizzas are the main staples.

The Dough Balls we shared as a starter were fluffy like small clouds, light and devilishly tasty, they were a perfect introduction to what lay ahead. The Garlic Bread was a tad cold in the centre but apart from that it was fine.

Pizzas are cooked the Neapolitan way with a crisp black spotted crust with the centre of the base soft and not crispy. Our pizzas arrive and they are a visual delight.

My Americana Pizza priced at £9.90 was superb value - hot pepperoni, roasted peppers, Fior di Latte mozzarella and D.O.P tomatoes on a pizza that was hotter than an Italian summer's day in Naples.

My sister's Verdure Pizza priced at £9.20 was ideal for vegetarians. It didn't look boring and was described as "one of the best pizzas I have tasted".

We are sat by the side of the open kitchen, it is pure theatre as the 3 chefs weave their way around each other just like the crazy car drivers do in Naples - unless you are driving around a roundabout then you just drive around it in the wrong direction as I once witnessed!

The kitchen staff although rushed off their feet take time out to bring your pizza to your table if your server is busy - they all "muck in" so to speak. The service is attentive, the atmosphere buzzing and the food excellent.

The dessert menu is not extensive - it never is in Italy. My Chocolate Brownie was hot, gooey and full of calories - the ice cream on the side was perfect.

We liked this place, it felt like you had been to Italy - until you come outside and the rain is lashing down and Siena is now Sheffield.

Proove Restaurant, Centretainment, Unit 4, Sheffield S9 2EP
Telephone 0114 399 5447
www.proove.co.uk