Salva D'or: Authentic Italian done well

Salva D'or

Salva D'or
350 Cameron Rd
Opening hours: 5pm-11pm, Tuesday to Sunday

Tucked in behind the corner of 4th Ave and Cameron Rd is a little slice of Italy.
Salva D'or is everything you want in an Italian restaurant; rustic, relaxed, delicious food, great music and lovely staff.

Owned by an expat European couple, the restaurant has now been at home there for nearly six months.

It was the perfect place for my plus one and I to head to on a rainy Sunday night.
I was feeling the winter vibes so I opted for the Fettuccine Salva D'or: Fettuccine cooked with chicken and mushroom, in a wine, garlic and cream sauce.

My plus one was looking for something a bit more meaty and, with recommendation from the head chef, chose one of the specials, Scaloppine Parmigiana: Crumbed pork schnitzel topped with eggplant, Napoletana sauce and mozzarella served on spaghetti with vegetables.

Both were absolutely delicious.

The fettuccine was light and fresh and perfectly creamy.

The pork schnitzel was perfectly cooked and the tomato sauce was fresh and sweet, a great combination of flavours.

We only touched upon a fraction of the extensive menu of soups, salads, appetisers, pasta and risotto, pizzas; and seafood and meat dishes; there is certainly something to please everyone.

We followed up our mains with two equally great desserts.

I chose the Crepes Salva D'or; crepes filled with hazelnut cream and banana and topped with ground biscuits. It tasted like a giant Ferrero Rocher - amazing!

My plus-one chose the banana flamed in brandy finished with brown vanilla sugar and cream, served with icecream. Another delicious dish and both very generous portions ; great value for money.

The meals were served quickly after ordering and came out hot - you knew you were getting quality fresh food straight to your plate. The intimate decor takes you away from Tauranga and gives you a full experience. The staff were lovely and we had great service all night.

I would definitely go back and highly recommend it.