Bricco Café

As I've become more acquainted with the up-and-coming Times Square district of the SIP, I've learned there are some great new restaurants, and some, I am better off without. One of the former has worked its way into my normal rotation, and it is delivering mouth-wateringly authentic Italian food. That place is Bricco Cafe. Recently we were "persuaded" (read: forced) by my girlfriend to go on a shopping excursion to Times Square, giving us a perfect reason to pay them yet another visit.

Located on the first floor of the Jiu Guang Department Store on Wangdun Rd., Bricco has a distinctive open-air feel due to its lack of walls. The open kitchen is meticulously organized, and completely spotless. There is a complete lack of chinglish throughout the place. The menu is impressive. There's a broad range of pizzas, pastas, calzones, salads, coffees, and desserts on offer. Having tried the pizzas and the lasagna (both amazing), I decided to go with something new, the Tortellini Ricotta e Barbabietola claiming, "luscious ricotta and beetroot ravioli with butter, sage, spinach, and parmesan cheese". Wow. If there's one kind of ricotta I like, it is luscious ricotta. We also ordered a Margherita Pizza, as old habits die hard.

The Tortellini arrived first, piping hot, and garnished with a bit of basil. This dish truly lives up to the name, with firm pasta filled with bright purple beetroot and ricotta filling that is loaded with flavor. It is quite possibly the best known application of beets in the world today. You'll have to try it to understand.

Next up was the Margherita. Crispy thin crust, zesty tomato sauce, slightly browned cheese, and a bit of basil made for the best pizza I've had in Suzhou, and it didn't last long. We destroyed it. Saving just enough room for the Tiramisu they delivered next, which was, in a word, amazing.

If you're on a budget but still want to fill up, try their set menu, which at only 58rmb, is an incredible deal for a multi-course Italian meal. Parking is a breeze (on the street or in the nearby parking garage), access is easy, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Top notch, authentic, Italian food, at reasonable prices, in Suzhou? The future is now, and I like what the future has to offer.

Souce:moresuzhou