Berkshire

<p>Like many walked past Caldesi in Campagna will defi get along one to recommend is the Blackbird in Bagnor near Newbury it’s just lovely newly refurbed with lovely new owners get along while it’s still off the radar 👍</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theblackbird.co.uk" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.theblackbird.co.uk</a></p>


<p>I&#8217;ve walked past Caldesi many times and always stop to look at the menu. Thank you for sharing the interior snaps. It&#8217;s gorgeous &#8211; I want my house to look like that! &#8211; the exposed brickwork fireplace and flock wallpaper is actually what I am aiming for in our living room 😊</p>


<aside class="post-aside"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-12028 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-ext_Fotor.jpg" alt="Stunning white rendered double fronted Victorian house in Bray Berkshire – home to Caldesi in Campagna" width="1000" height="749" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-ext_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-ext_Fotor-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-ext_Fotor-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-ext_Fotor-668x500.jpg 668w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></aside>
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<aside class="post-aside"><strong>THE LOCATION</strong></aside>
<aside class="post-aside">Bray! Do I need to say more? It would be rude not to. But the mere mention of this pretty Berkshire village tells you we&#8217;re in the company of gastronomic greatness. It’s impossible to have a bad meal here. It’s home to the Roux brothers’ <a href="https://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/">Waterside Inn</a> and Heston Blumenthal&#8217;s  <a href="http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/">The Fat Duck</a> –  two of the five restaurants in the UK with three Michelin stars. Heston made it a hat trick when he threw open the doors of 15-century hunting lodge turned gastropub, the <a href="http://www.hindsheadbray.com/">Hind’s Head</a> and later, <a href="http://www.thecrownatbray.com/">The Crown</a>.</aside>
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<aside class="post-aside">But definitely not forgetting the Italian stallion – Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi’s <a href="http://caldesi.com/caldesi-in-campagna/">Caldesi in Campagna</a> (that’s Caldesi <em>in the country</em>, just in case you’re not fluent *cough* in Italian like me). The couple opened the first Caldesi restaurant <a href="http://caldesi.com/caffe-caldesi/">Caffe Caldesi</a> in Marylebone in 2002, followed by their cookery school, <a href="http://caldesi.com/la-cucina-caldesi/">La Cucina Caldesi</a> and their Bray venture 10 years ago. The restaurant is tucked away down Old Mill Lane, a quiet treelined road, away from the centre of Bray. It is here, you discover the Georgian splendour of Caldesi in Campagna – and having  recently undergone a<em> huuuuge </em>refurbishment, the whole place is looking  fab-u-lous. </aside>
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<div id="attachment_12027" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12027" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12027 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Bar_Fotor.jpg" alt="tan leather banquette and exposed brick wall in the new bar area at Caldesi in Campagna" width="1000" height="749" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Bar_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Bar_Fotor-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Bar_Fotor-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Bar_Fotor-668x500.jpg 668w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12027" class="wp-caption-text">Take a perch in the new bar area and realaaaax</p></div>
<p><strong>THE VIBE</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_12031" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12031" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12031 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-dining-room_Fotor.jpg" alt="Stylish dark blue wall and eclectic gallery artwork showcasing the memory boxes created by Katie Caldesi at the Bray Restaurant in Berkshire – Caldesi in Campaga" width="1000" height="749" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-dining-room_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-dining-room_Fotor-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-dining-room_Fotor-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-dining-room_Fotor-668x500.jpg 668w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12031" class="wp-caption-text">Going to the dark side… love a moody wall</p></div>
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<p>I&#8217;m just going to put it out there. I really liked this restaurant – the exterior is grand but not ostentatious. Swing open the door and the dim lighting pulls you in to perch at the bar or settle in for a leisurely meal. It feels homely yet special. The hospitality, the warmth, the passion for food, love for family – it&#8217;s all very Italian, and that&#8217;s the vibe you get at Caldesi&#8217;s.</p>
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<div id="attachment_12029" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12029" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12029 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Middle-room_Fotor.jpg" alt="Stunning linen wallpaper, exposed brick fireplace and ornate mantel artwork at Caldesi in Campagna in Bray Berkshire" width="1000" height="749" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Middle-room_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Middle-room_Fotor-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Middle-room_Fotor-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Middle-room_Fotor-668x500.jpg 668w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12029" class="wp-caption-text">Intimate dining and secret liaisons with tiramisu</p></div>
<p>There have been a few significant changes during its makeover. A bar area has been created. The lush tan, button-backed banquettes make the perfect spot for a cocktail or beer and a light snack whether you are just passing or enjoying pre-dinner drinks. The restaurant dining room is split into three zones – each has a slightly different feel. The front is a light, bright, people-watching haven. The middle is darker, cosier  – if you were having a secret affair (is there any other kind?) this would be the spot. At the back you have the buzzy conservatory. Perfect for parties, but I imagine a raucous atmosphere on a Saturday night.</p>
<div id="attachment_12060" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12060" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12060 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-memory-boxes_Fotor.jpg" alt="martini glass with tiramasu and a dipping biscuit" width="1000" height="679" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-memory-boxes_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-memory-boxes_Fotor-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-memory-boxes_Fotor-768x521.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-memory-boxes_Fotor-720x489.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12060" class="wp-caption-text">Like old skool Insta, each square is full of memories</p></div>
<p>It&#8217;s really stylish – the muted coffee and cream interiors have gone, and now dreamy dark blue walls, super-expensive linen wallpaper and eclectic artworks and knick knacks take this place from restaurant to Tuscan home. I love the memory boxes on the walls created by Katie. Each tells a different story: One has Giancarlo&#8217;s <em>Cavaliere</em> – like an MBE it was awarded by the Italian Government for his work in promoting Italian food abroad, others have have family spoons, sieves and religious crosses displayed.</p>
<p><strong>SCOFF/QUAFF</strong></p>
<p>The menu, mostly Tuscan, is an absolute beaut with typical Italian flair – simple but exquisite dishes including slow cooked calamari with tomato, garlic and chilli sauce; sea bass ravioli, and pan fried calf&#8217;s liver with garlic and sage. Come to Mama! The a la carte is classic Italian with antipasti, pasta, fish, meat and side choices. There’s also an excellent set lunch menu, two courses £22 or three courses for £26.50 – which is pretty reasonable for the quality of the cooking.</p>
<div id="attachment_12057" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12057" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12057 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Cladesi-cheese-starter_Fotor.jpg" alt="cheese starts with green and yellow corvette and basil at Caldesi in Campagna Bray Berkshire " width="1000" height="667" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Cladesi-cheese-starter_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Cladesi-cheese-starter_Fotor-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Cladesi-cheese-starter_Fotor-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Cladesi-cheese-starter_Fotor-720x480.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12057" class="wp-caption-text">When cheesey is life choice</p></div>
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<p>I went for the slow-cooked South West calamari, tomato, garlic and chilli sauce, toasted garlic bread. the sauce was rich, the squid was soft rather than rubbery, with a hunk of homebred bread to mop up. Yum. I couldn&#8217;t resist sticking my gilded fork in to Mr MS&#8217;s Grana padano cheese soufflé, tomato concise’ and basil oil. Now if there&#8217;s a dish that tastes like Tuscan sunshine, this is it. OMG. It is heaven on a plate.</p>
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<div id="attachment_12056" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12056" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12056 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-main-wild-boar-and-polenta_Fotor.jpg" alt="wild boar ragu and polenta dish at Caldesi in Campagna Bray Berkshire" width="1000" height="654" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-main-wild-boar-and-polenta_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-main-wild-boar-and-polenta_Fotor-300x196.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-main-wild-boar-and-polenta_Fotor-768x502.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-main-wild-boar-and-polenta_Fotor-720x471.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12056" class="wp-caption-text">No hogging the wild boar… pfnar</p></div>
<p>My main of pan-fried veal wallet with pecorino cheese and porcini mushrooms sauce was so good I just couldn’t bring myself to share (or take a pic in focus). But OH was hogging his wild boar and polenta (sooo selfish), but at least we got a decent pic of it. Staggeringly simple, but impeccable ingredients and utterly delicious. This really is top class cooking. Not many restaurants have the confidence to plate up dishes like these. But that’s the beauty of Italian cooking – very few ingredients but all impeccable quality and cooked to perfection.</p>
<div id="attachment_12054" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12054" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12054 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-tiramasu_Fotor-e1510083052224.jpg" alt="martini glass of tiramisu" width="1000" height="698" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-tiramasu_Fotor-e1510083052224.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-tiramasu_Fotor-e1510083052224-300x209.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-tiramasu_Fotor-e1510083052224-768x536.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-tiramasu_Fotor-e1510083052224-716x500.jpg 716w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12054" class="wp-caption-text">Ahh… Giancarlo&#8217;s infamous tiramisu, come to Mama</p></div>
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<p>Not that we really had room for much more, but we couldn&#8217;t leave without trying Giancarlo&#8217;s tiramisu with Vin Santo. We decided to share. Big mistake. HUGE! It was the right side of sweet for me so I was tempted to arm wrestle for the other half. Creamy, a little boozy and light. It was perfection. Tiramisu can be a bit claggy and heavy handed on the alcohol (god, is there really such a thing? Yes there is), but the Vin Santo makes this dish.</p>
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<p><strong>KID-FRIENDLY?</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_12059" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12059" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12059 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Mr-Muddy_Fotor.jpg" alt="Lunch at the newly refurbished Caldesi in Campagna Bray Berkshire" width="1000" height="712" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Mr-Muddy_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Mr-Muddy_Fotor-300x214.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Mr-Muddy_Fotor-768x547.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-Mr-Muddy_Fotor-702x500.jpg 702w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12059" class="wp-caption-text">Mr MS, just about grow up enough to eat here</p></div>
<p>I think older children would absolutely be welcomed with open arms. There&#8217;s lots of things on the menu my kids would eat. That said, I&#8217;m not sure I would splash the cash to feed my boys a fancy meal they might not appreciate (miserable old bag that I am) – but it deserves to be appreciated. So ditch the ankle biters and enjoy an intimate dinner date with the other half, girlie get togethers or get the gang out for a special occasion. They are experts in extended gatherings, so big family dos, anniversaries, 40th birthdays etc. they take in their stride.</p>
<p><strong>THE MUDDY VERDICT:</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_12055" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12055" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-12055 size-full" src="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-details_Fotor.jpg" alt="A stack of cook books on the shelf in Caldesi in Campagna written by Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi" width="1000" height="684" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-details_Fotor.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-details_Fotor-300x205.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-details_Fotor-768x525.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/11/Caldesi-details_Fotor-720x492.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><p id="caption-attachment-12055" class="wp-caption-text">Try this at home… Giancarlo and Katie Calder&#8217;s latest cookbook, <em>Tuscany</em></p></div>
<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Couples dining a deux, girlie get togethers, business lunches and special occasions – this is Michelin quality, destination dining. Say hello to Tuscany on Thames.</p>
<p><strong>Not for:</strong> Anyone looking for casual, inexpensive dining, There’s no getting around it, the menu is expensive. Although the set lunch is good value. The quality of the cooking however cannot be denied.</p>
<p><strong>The damage:</strong>  The bar menu starts at £2.50 for sale fave beans to £12.50 for a steak salad. The a la carte menu: antipasti from £12.50; pasta from £14.50; Fish from £26.50 and Meat courses start at £26.50. Martini or aperol spritz £8.50 a glass with bottles of wine starting at £20..</p>
<p><em>Caldesi in Campagna, Old Mill Lane, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2BG. </em><em>Tel: 01628 788500. <a href="http://caldesi.com/caldesi-in-campagna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">caldesi.com/caldesi-in-campagna</a></em></p>
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Italians do it better

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