Of all the places we eat, Pizza Express is the one we seem to go back to. They do good deals on food so you can get a decent amount, feel full and not feel like you’ve eaten too much.
Today we made a trip to the Banstead branch having heard rumours of a new menu – and yep, it’s there.
Firstly, the Piccolo menu has been redesigned. You have more choice of food, plus you can now do a create your own. H is still set in her ways so stuck with her favourite cheese and tomato – BUT – we spotted you no longer get a drink thrown in with the meal, it’s now a separate charged item. Fortunately we had her water, but that’s a bit annoying, but I guess brings it into line with the rest of the deals and menu.
I’d noticed all the pizzas now have a calorific value on the app which is really helpful (click on the ‘cal’ icon on each menu item when you view it on the menu) and that there’s also now an Android version of the app (as in the past I’ve had to bring my iPod or iPad out with me to be able to pay the menu via PayPal at the end) which I hadn’t noticed, so I decided to try their new 300 calorie Leggera Superfood Salad.
It costs £10.95 but is included on the deals which I was pleased about – and is a really generous plate of mozzarella, butternut squash, beetroot, spinach and more – while I don’t feel full it definitely was filling – a few more vegetables and it’d probably be perfect. The balsamic dressing was nice and sweet too. Here’s the blurb “Packed with some of our favourite superfoods, our fresh new salad is nutritious and lower in calories. Baby spinach and seasonal mixed leaves, roasted butternut squash, beetroot, light baby mozzarella, avocado, pine kernels, cucumber, lentils and fresh basil finished with balsamic syrup. At under 300 calories it is even suitable for anyone who is on the 5:2 diet.”
We also ordered a diet coke, and because my salad was lower in calories I went for dough balls (quite high in calories though), but figured as I’ve spent the afternoon walking around I’ve got some leeway.
We had a choice of two deals – 25% off our mains or 3 for £12.95 – we opted for the latter but mainly as we fancied a dessert – although I was a bit disappointed their low-calorie option wasn’t included in the deal (as that would be a good sales point!).
In total the bill plus tip was £40 – so our overall spend has crept up a bit more. I think next time it’ll be tap water to help keep costs down, and I’m sad (but understand) with the kids drinks – I’d much rather do away with the bambinoccino at the end than a drink at the start. Still, overall we were happy and you can’t beat paying with PayPal on the app, even if I feel guilty every time I do it, like we’re leaving the restaurant without paying!