Eat My Words: We review Pastability on Cartergate, Newark

It was the first carbonara I had since I became vegetarian seven years ago and it took me from a hungry day to a deliciously sunny one.

Pastability on Cartergate, Newark, which reopened its doors in May, fulfilled all my pasta, cheese and mushrooms cravings of the day and I would go back without debate.

After changing owners and being closed for a while, we all thought that the restaurant would stay closed. But it is definitely up and running, specialising in Italian food and also serving English-inspired breakfasts, and it is worth a try.

As the sun was shining when we visited, we opted to sit outside. We ordered the garlic sauteed spinach on toast, the smoked salmon and mushrooms spaghetti with parmesan cheese and the vegetarian carbonara.

Due to the heat, I considered ordering more refreshing meals, but you can never but ever go wrong with pasta, be it 20 degrees, 30 degrees or 40 degrees and this meal was the proof.

My starter - the garlic sauteed spinach - included smoked pancetta, but I asked if it could be removed and they automatically said yes. I appreciated this as some restaurants don’t like to change their menu, or adapt dishes.

The combination of the mushrooms with spinach and garlic was so flavourful, perfectly combined with the crunch of the toast. Maybe the smoked pancetta would have added to the brilliant combination of flavours but I will let that one be for you to try and decide for yourself.

Next, we got our mains and my partner Cam said: “This chef knows his cheese and his mushrooms.”

I will start by talking about the one that was my ultimate favourite — the carbonara. The normal version has smoked pancetta, but the restaurant offers a vegetarian version of it.

To replace the pancetta, I was asked if I wanted mushrooms, and as a mushroom girl, I had to say yes.

I have not eaten carbonara since I became vegetarian about seven years ago and trust me, I have missed it. I don’t often find a vegetarian option to it when I go for a meal, or maybe I’ve not looked enough, but this one was the right place and right time.

It was incredible - it was super rich and creamy and the mushrooms were perfect. I can’t recommend it enough.

Going to a restaurant and knowing you have options or that the chef is willing to adapt their beloved menu for dietary requirements is great, because you still get to try all the different places and foods but with a little twist to the real deal.

Another amazing meal was the smoked salmon one which also had mushrooms. This is not me complaining, by the way - as the mushroom girl, I was delighted!

How great is it when you are eating fish and it just falls in little thin slices? When you put it in your mouth and it sort of just melts, to me that tastes fresh and like quality.

Spaghetti isn’t usually the type of pasta I go for, but I might have changed my mind and will start giving it a go more often.

Be it the perfectly seasoned taste of the salmon, the parmesan, the mushrooms or simply the combination of all ingredients and flavours, it was a beautiful dish.

Despite being full, we somehow found the space to try two of the most popular desserts — the newly added affogato and the French toast.

Despite being both an ice cream and a coffee lover, I had never tried affogato which sounds like a crime, and maybe it was, because I feel I’ve changed my ways.

For those who just like me didn’t know what an affogato is, it is a single espresso shot poured over a gelato scoop. I chose pistachio as my flavour of ice cream, and it was topped with whipped cream and crumbled Oreo.

It had it all, the warmth and intense taste of coffee, but also the refreshing pistachio ice cream - a combo made in heaven.

To end the meal, we also tried the French toast with a variety of berries and maple syrup on the side as well as cookies ice cream.

It was smooth but also full of flavour, one of those deserts just despite being full you just want to keep eating because of how nice and soft it seems to be.

At the end of the meal, I felt like I could roll down a hill. I was very full but was also very happy. My stomach and heart were full.

Having the chance to sit outside and enjoy a sunny day adds a lot of value to a place in my opinion. I was able to see people enjoying their day up and down Cartergate and still enjoy a great meal with great company.

The staff were very friendly, always checking if we needed anything else, and they even explained to me what to do with my affogato — probably after seeing the confused look on my face — so it is nice to go to a place where not only the decoration is light and welcoming, but so are the staff.

Out of five:

Food: The food was delicious, the flavours were rich and the amount of mushrooms on each dish made me very happy. I enjoyed the number of options on the menu, it has a bit for everyone and they were willing to adapt for dietary requirements. ****

Drinks: We ordered a water and a San Pellegrino lemon flavour. We ordered simple drinks but there were a variety of options. ***

Decor: It was simple but the amount of natural light was quite nice. Having wooden tables outside is definitely a bonus, especially when the sun shines. ***

Staff: The staff were friendly and the chef Taka was very kind and wanted to make sure that everything was great and that we were happy. *****

Price: The total price of the meal including drinks, starters and main meals was £26.75 which I thought was a very good price. The chef very kindly gave us our desserts for free as he knew we were reviewing the restaurant, but I would have happily paid £5.80 for my affogato on a special occasion.

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