Rayleigh's Oldest Italian Restaurant

Our Menu

La Romantica is renowned for its warm welcome and reasonably priced a la carte menu & mid-week set menu.
Traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings served every Sunday.

SOMETHING TO GET YOU STARTED
SNACKS
Marinated Olives
£4.95

A selection of citrus and herb marinated olives

Classic Garlic Bread
£5.50

Freshly baked pizza bread with garlic

Garlic Bread & Mozzarella
£6.50

Freshly baked pizza bread with garlic and mozzrella

Garlic Bread & Chilli
£6.50

Freshly baked pizza bread with garlic and chilli

Artisan Bread & Oils
£4.95

Warm bread with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic

Goat’s Cheese Pizza Bread
£7.50

Baked pizza bread topped with goat’s cheese, red onion marmalade and aged balsamic glaze

Pesto and Mozzarella Bread
£7.50

Toasted pizza bread with basil pesto and melted mozzarella

FRESH PRODUCE FOR FRESH TASTE
STARTERS
Soup of the Day
£6.95

Freshly prepared homemade soup served with crusty bread

Antipasto Selection
£11.95

A curated selection of cured meats, marinated artichokes, olives, mozzarella and fresh bread

Classic Bruschetta
£8.50

Diced vine tomatoes, basil and garlic on toasted bread, finished with rocket and Parmesan

Crispy Calamari
£8.95

Lightly fried squid in a crisp coating, served with garlic aioli and lemon

King Prawns with Chorizo
£14.95

Pan-fried king prawns, smoked chorizo, roasted peppers and rocket

Sticky Malaysian Chicken
£10.50

Crispy chicken strips in a spicy sriracha, ginger and coriander glaze, served with blue cheese mayonnaise

Chicken Liver & Marsala Pâté
£7.95

Homemade pâté with toasted bread and red onion marmalade

Ragù Arancini
£7.95

Crispy risotto balls filled with rich ragù and mozzarella, served with tomato and basil sauce

Tuscan Sausage Arancini
£8.95

Risotto balls filled with Tuscan sausage, baby spinach, mozzarella and chilli, served with a n'duja mayonnaise

Mozzarella Sticks
£8.95

Golden fried mozzarella with spicy tomato ketchup

Spiced Pork & Veal Meatballs
£9.95

Slow-cooked meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, finished with rocket and Parmesan, served with fresh bread

Crab & Prawn Tian
£12.95

Cromer crab and Atlantic prawns bound with spring onion and light mayonnaise

Caprese with Parma Ham
£9.95

Vine tomatoes, mozzarella and Parma ham with rocket and basil oil

Baked Garlic Mushrooms
£8.95

Button mushrooms in garlic, cheddar and cream, baked and served with fresh bread

Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Salad
£8.95

Watercress, ripe pear, toasted walnuts and blue cheese with honey and mustard dressing

King Prawn Cocktail
£12.95

Cold water king prawns with sriracha mayonnaise, crisp salad and lemon

Homemade Burrata
£9.95

Creamy burrata, heirloom vine tomatoes, basil pesto and extra virgin olive oil

all mains served with mixed vegetables and potatoes
MAIN COURSES
Chicken Romantica
£24.95

Pan-roasted chicken breast with button mushrooms, Dolcelatte, tender prawns and a delicate white wine cream sauce

Chicken Tarragon
£22.95

Seared chicken breast with wild mushrooms, fresh tarragon, and a subtle garlic and white wine sauce

Chicken Parma Ham
£24.95

Tender chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham, served on a bed of basil pesto gnocchi

Chicken Milanese
£19.95

Crisp breadcrumb-coated chicken breast, served with spaghetti in a rich tomato sugo

Roasted Rump of Lamb
£28.95

Succulent rump of lamb with a port and rosemary jus

Pork Fillet Marsala
£18.95

Pan-fried pork fillet with wild mushrooms, Marsala, and a smooth cream sauce

Pork Stroganoff
£19.95

Sautéed strips of pork fillet with mushrooms, roasted peppers, tomato, cream, and smoked paprika

Veal Cutlet
£28.95

Pan-fried veal cutlet with rosemary, capers, garlic, and a lemon butter sauce

Veal T-Bone
£32.95

Pan-fried veal T-bone with wild mushrooms and a Marsala reduction

Fillet Rossini
£35.95

9oz fillet steak on a toasted crouton, topped with house pâté and finished with a rich Madeira sauce

Fillet Medallion
£34.95

Pan-fried fillet medallions with wild mushrooms and tarragon cream

Fillet or Sirloin Steak
£33.95/£29.95

Peppercorn Sauce: Shallots, green peppercorns, brandy, finished with cream

Fillet or Sirloin Steak
£33.95/£29.95

Port & Blue Cheese Sauce: Port reduction with Dolcelatte and thyme

Fillet or Sirloin Steak
£33.95/£29.95

Diane Sauce: Button mushrooms, shallots, red wine, French mustard, and cream

TOP QUALITY ARBORIO RICE & LOCALLY SOURCED FISH
FISH & RICE
Fillet of Salmon
26.95

Fillet of Salmon

Monkfish
£29.95

Pan-fried monkfish with a spicy nduja cream, roasted peppers, and finished with a drizzle of basil oil

Sea Bass
£26.95

Pan-fried sea bass fillets with a garlic, tomato, chilli, and olive sauce

King Prawn & Lobster Bisque Risotto
£22.95

King prawns, lobster bisque, saffron, cherry tomatoes and basil

Chicken & Wild Mushroom Risotto
£15.95

Roast chicken, wild mushrooms, white wine cream, parmesan

Spinach & Gorgonzola Risotto
£14.95

Wilted baby spinach, Gorgonzola dolce, parmesan, finished with toasted walnuts

all our pizzas are hand-stretched & stone baked
PIZZE
Margherita
£12.95

Tomato sauce and mozzarella

Pepperoni Special
£13.95

Tomato sauce, pepperoni, chilli, mozzarella

Carne Mista
£16.95

Tomato sauce, Parma ham, chorizo, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella

N’Duja & Honey
£15.95

Tomato sauce, pepperoni, n'duja, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, chilli honey drizzle, finished with rocket

Four Cheese
£15.95

Garlic butter base, mascarpone, dolcelatte, mozzarella, Grana Padano

Artichoke & Prosciutto
£14.95

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, marinated artichokes, Parma ham, rocket, shaved Parmesan

Pesto & Goat’s Cheese
£14.95

Basil pesto base, mozzarella, creamy goat’s cheese, caramelised onions, toasted pine nuts

Chicken & Truffle
£16.95

White base, mozzarella, pan-roasted chicken, artichokes, roasted peppers, rocket, finished with truffle oil

Meatball
£15.95

Tomato sauce, spicy meatballs, red onion, chilli, mozzarella, finished with rocket and Parmesan

Crab & Mascarpone
£16.95

Mascarpone base, fresh crab, cherry tomatoes, capers, anchovies, mozzarella

Meatball, Burrata & N‘duja Calzone
£17.95

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy meatballs, n’duja and burrata

Chorizo & CHicken Calzone
£16.95

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, chorizo, chicken, roasted peppers, chilli

Calzone Kiev
£15.95

Garlic butter base, mozzarella, chicken, spinach, mushrooms

GLUTEN-FREE PASTA AVAILABLE
PASTE
Spaghetti Bolognese
£3.95

Spaghetti, slow-braised beef ragù, red wine, rich tomato jus

Tagliatelle Carbonara
£14.95

Tagliatelle, smoked pancetta, free-range egg yolk, aged parmesan, cracked black pepper

Tagliatelle Marinara
£18.95

Tagliatelle, seasonal shellfish & fish, white wine, garlic, slow-roasted tomato sugo

Penne Chicken & Chorizo
£15.95

Penne, roast chicken, Iberico chorizo, fire-roasted peppers, garlic, chilli & vine tomato

Spaghetti Meatballs
£15.95

Spaghetti, spiced beef meatballs, slow-simmered San Marzano tomato sauce

Tagliatelle Monkfish
£21.95

Tagliatelle, pan-roasted monkfish tail, lobster bisque velouté, cherry tomatoes, peppery rocket

Spaghetti Crab & King Prawns
£23.95

Spaghetti, hand-picked Cromer crab, king prawns, garlic, chilli, light shellfish cream

Penne Pancetta & Pesto
£15.95

Penne, crisp pancetta, basil pesto, creamy burrata

Baked Penne Chicken & Gorgonzola
£15.95

Baked penne, roast chicken, wild mushrooms, tarragon, Gorgonzola dolce cream

Lasagne
£14.95

Layers of our very own ragu and fresh pasta topped with mozzarella

Gnocchi Ragù
£14.95

Potato gnocchi, slow-braised beef ragù, woodland mushrooms, chilli, vine tomato

Gnocchi, Fennel Sausage & Pesto
£15.95

Potato gnocchi, Italian fennel sausage, basil pesto, wilted spinach, light cream

Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli
£14.95

Handmade ravioli, whipped ricotta, baby spinach, tomato cream

Braised Beef Shin Ravioli
£16.95

Handmade ravioli, red wine–braised beef shin, sage, slow-roasted tomato sauce

Scallop & Prawn Ravioli
£21.95

Handmade ravioli, scallop & prawn filling, white wine, roasted garlic cream, lobster bisque emulsion

Porcini & Taleggio Ravioli
£15.95

Wild mushroom, garlic cream, thyme and aged Parmesan ravioli

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