The Fat Italian Crosby

The OG of three Fat Italians (the others are in Burscough and Ormskirk), this family-run restaurant has been around since 2008 and serves meaty mains, pasta classics and pizza favourites, with various set menu special deals and even an early-doors happy hour.

The pizza dough is made in house daily and the lasagne is so popular, the kitchen has been using the same recipe for 30 years. Pasta dishes include Norma, with aubergine, traditional spaghetti carbonara relying on eggs and Parmesan not cream, and meatballs “like Mamma used to make!”. Pizzas range from the capricciosa, with ham and mushrooms, to the spicy pepperoni with mozzarella. If you fancy something a little lighter on the carbs, check out the mains, where the likes of pan-roasted duck breast comes with sweet potato fondant, buttered spinach and a red wine and blackberry jus or pollo Roma teams chicken with roasted courgette, garlic, onion and red peppers and a tomato herb ragu. Funghi fans might favour the pork tomahawk set on spinach mash and served with creamy paprika and mushroom sauce, or the vegetarian mushroom stroganoff accompanied by savoury rice. If steak is up your street, there’s surf’n’turf with king prawns cooked in garlic butter, or prime fillet with peppercorn sauce, classic Diane sauce of cream, brandy, mushrooms, onions and French mustard, or rich red wine sauce.

Sweet treats include a selection of Italian pastries and various gelato-base puds, including After Eight or Dime Bar sundaes, affogato with hazelnut liqueur alongside your espresso shot to pour over, and a vegan amaretto crunch. Finish with a sambuca or limoncello, and get a cab home.

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