Renoir Café, Modena

Renoir Café

Rb found us this wine bar-restaurant Renoir Café last year and we've been there together a few times since but I never got round to bring the Hub there. Until last Saturday. We were the first and only clients for lunch which was great as the kids could move around and not bother anybody.

The restaurant serves Modenese cuisine with a modern twist which is what we like about it. It is housed in a renovated old place with high ceilings and decorated in a style that the French would call "branché". Kind of cool what. With LCD screens on the wall (painted orange and purple), line-ups of booze, designer lighting and a nice bar.

Gnocco Tigelle & Mixed Cured Meat

Hand-made Tagliatelle with Ragu Sauce

They have a nice menu with both fish and meat and especially little salads that are a little more interesting than the usual insalata mista in the region. I've a tendre as a matter of fact for their Grilled Squid Salad and Curry Chicken in Parmesan Basket Salad. However, the last time I had the former they changed the recipe by using olives and I found the taste overwhelming and quite unpleasant, very much preferred the way they did the dish before - just simple with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. The squid was nicely cooked, chewy but not rubbery and sliced to the right size for the mouth.

Prawn and Raw Artichoke Salad

Grilled Squid Salad

I've tried 2 of their Angus Beef dishes thus far : Tagliata with Rocket Salad and the Millefeuille of Filet, Porcini Mushrooms and Potato. Since we like to eat our beef nicely-grilled on the outside and rare on the inside, we much prefer the Tagliata to the Millefeuille. Though you have to give them credit for trying to make a classic dish more interesting by serving them in layers one on top of the other.

Millefeuille of Angus Beef-Porcini-Potato

Angus Beef Tagliata

Hub ordered a red wine from Sicily to go with his meal but didn't like it. They kindly offered to change it and he ended up with a Chianti which wasn't too bad. Prices are reasonable though when you're 5 like us, you usually never eat for less than 120 euros (dessert excluded). I often think of what I could eat in Singapore for that amount.

Renoir Café

Via Pietro Giardini, 1296

41100 Modena

Tel : +39 059 512314