Review: Prezzo, St David’s Centre, Cardiff – Christmas, Comfort, And Joy

Christmas dining can feel like theatre – forced, hollow, over-spiced. But Prezzo Italian in St David’s Centre leans into something different: flavour, generosity, the loud kind of celebration where no one pretends to be delicate. This year, they’ve built a limited-edition festive menu packed with comforting classics, indulgent Italian riffs and just enough holiday magic to make you forget the cold outside.

We arrived as a party of three and were greeted by Michael Mitialik, the kind of manager who remembers faces – always a good sign. Patricia, our server, moved with that calm, attentive confidence that says, Relax. You’re in good hands.

The starters set the tone: Calamari (£9.25), crisp and plentiful, and Oven-Baked Creamy Mushrooms (£8.75), bubbling in cacio e pepe sauce, begging for torn focaccia. Honest food. The kind you can trust.

Prezzo’s Christmas menu is a big, boisterous thing – 2 courses from £22.95 or 3 from £27.95, with drink packages from bubbles to bottles, and a £35 bottomless option offering two hours of cocktails, beer and prosecco. They’re not whispering “festive”; they’re shouting it across the table.

Our mains were unapologetically hearty: the rich Spaghetti Carbonara (£16.95); a Pepperoni Pizza (£16.25) big enough to humble anyone (thank you, take-home box); and the standout Tuscan Beef & Mash (£19.95), slow-braised featherblade with mash and tenderstem broccoli – deep, comforting, restorative. We added Pigs in Blankets, because restraint has no place in December.

Only one of us managed dessert, but the Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake (£7.95) – a banoffee-esque indulgence – was the sweet, sticky finale the night deserved.

Prezzo’s wider Christmas offerings go big: Christmas Carbonara, Christmas Calzone, Christmas Pizza – loaded with turkey, brie, stuffing, cranberry ketchup, the whole mad, wonderful seasonal toolbox.

The vibe? Warm. Open kitchen humming. Portions generous. Prices fair. Staff who actually seem to enjoy being there.

Prezzo isn’t aiming for quiet sophistication. It’s aiming for connection – for tables full of people laughing, eating, clinking glasses under twinkling lights. The kind of December night that sticks.