Eating in Blackpool

Alessandro and Aydan at Caffé Latino Blackpool

Tart at Caffé Latino Blackpool

Caffé Latino
Corner of General Street and Banks Street.
Previously occupied by "The Cuddly Cod" fish and chip "restaurant" and take away. Why is it that fish and chip shops compete to invent the naffest names? Anyway the Cuddly Cod burnt down some time ago and closed down. Which was cause and which was effect we don't know. We never ate there, and would probably have avoided it because of its location. Now transformed into an impressively clean though small Italian café.

Excellent Fresh Pasta Pizza & Other Italian Dishes
Caffé Latino serves excellent pizza and pasta dishes, together with a few other Italian specialities. Most days there are a few "specials", which do sell out. The pizzas are freshly and individually made, and cooked in a pizza oven. Thin crust is the norm, but we heard someone ask for, and get a thick crust pizza. We have tried the pizzas, and they are delicious. The pasta dishes are also very well prepared and excellent. Some days there is home made pasta on offer.

You Won't Believe the Prices!
The prices are all givaways. Currently a 12" pizza margherita is only £2.99, and the dearest pizza is only £3.90, eat in or take away. The pasta dishes are similarly priced. Don't let the low prices deceive you, the food is excellent. Just writing this is making me drool for some pasta e fagioli (Dean Martin made it rhyme in the song Amore).

Aydan & Alessandro
Caffé Latino is owned and run by Aydan who is Turkish & Alessandro who is Italian. They are working 15 hours per day, 7 days per week to make their venture pay, and to repay the bank loan. They are both very energetic and charming, Aydan waves her hands about while speaking making her look very Italian.

Desserts
Every day there are a few different desserts. On our first visit we tried the tiramisu, which was very good, and properly made with sponge finger biscuits and mascarpone cheeese, just like we make at home. On our second visit, I was disappointed to hear that there was no taramisu left, so decided to try the cheesecake, it was even better than the tiramisu, and also made with mascarpone. It was probably the best cheesecake I have ever tasted, and I will rather chauvinistically expect Jane to add it to her repertoire. We happened to mention that Jane likes fruit tart, and the last time we dined there, hey presto, a fruit tart made with crème patissier.

Clean Kitchen
The take-away section doubles as the kitchen, which is completely walled in stainless steel, and on full view. It's always good to be able to see where your food is prepared and cooked.

Visit Soon
We can only urge to to visit this excellent eatery soon. Don't be put off by its location, don't be influenced by the Evening Gazette's mean and miserly comments about the difficulty and extra cost of parking. It's worth getting a parking ticket to eat here. If Caffé Latino doesn't pay, the owners will have to close down and move, This would be Blackpool's loss. If Caffé Latino were better located, and renamed "restaurant" instead of café, diners would happily pay double!

Unlicensed - Take Your Own
Caffé Latino is not licensed to serve alcohol, but is happy for you to take your own wine or beer.

Wait for the Coffee
Although there is a coffee machine, Alessandro, being Italian and therefore somewhat perfectionist about coffee, is waiting for a supply of real Italian coffee, at present they serve instant coffee, the only disappointment. Still the quality and price of the food would make it churlish to complain about the lack of real coffee. We will take a packet of coffee beans with us next time.
Stop Press - Coffee Arrived
Having sampled a few individually made espressos, the real Italian coffee has arrived!

No Loos
One other slight problem is the lack of any toilets, but with only 7 tables, and seating for about 14, there would be no room to eat if space had to be sacrificed for toilets, just remember to go before you go!

See You There!
It's become our eating place of choice, so if you visit, you may see us there. If you visit because you saw this page, please remember to mention it.

Italian Restaurants in Blackpool
If you look through lists of Italian restaurants in Blackpool, you may not find Caffé Latino listed, firstly because it's so new, but also because it calls itself a café rather than a restaurant.

Telephone
If you are planning to call in, it might be worth checking they will be open, as they deserve their days off and holidays. The telephone number is 01253 296561.

Central Heating
In the quiet winter months, Alex has installed central heating, so the place is now as warm as the welcome.

Closed
Caffé Latino has now closed, through lack of support. Locals would not bother to try it because of its location. Most of the visitors in the area wanted cheap fast food.

Other Eating Places in Blackpool