Vapiano restaurant: You go, you know

Once they’ve been and had the homemade pasta (or pizza or salads) and enjoyed how laid back it is, how light and airy, how there’s no pressure to move along once you’ve finished your meal and the exceptional value, they go back time and time again.

It all starts when you walk in and are handed the Vapiano chip card with a menu. Keep the chip card safe as it’s how you will order your food. Head upstairs to the open plan kitchen. This is where a chef will make your dish exactly as you like it.

So, if you fancy pasta, choose the dish you’d like from the menu – the classic arrabbiata, carbonara, bolognese, salsicci con fichi (spicy Italian sausage and fresh fig) or the best selling gamberetti e spinaci (king prawns with pesto and a dash of cream) for example, then choose which pasta shape you’d like.

Eleven types are made fresh every day including two spelt pasta. So if you’re wearing a white shirt and ordering a tomato based sauce, you’d probably avoid spaghetti and order campanelle , fusilli or penne. All the sauces including pesto and bolognese are homemade, fresh in the restaurant every day. And prices start at 6.95.

The chef will ask you if you’d like to add fresh chilli and garlic and then you watch your dish being made in front of you in a couple of minutes. Swipe your card when the chef asks and that’s your dinner sorted. Then find a seat and enjoy

Salad works in exactly the same way. You order direct from the chef who’ll make it in front if you – whether it’s the popular Reef’n’Beef of king prawns, fillet beef and grilled veg with salad or strawberry, spinach and goat’s cheese salad. The soup is also homemade and you can have a bowl with homemade ciabatta croutons from £2.95.

All the salad dressings are homemade daily in the restaurant.

When it comes to pizza, you place your order with the chef, but there’s no waiting. You’ll be given a buzzer and it’ll vibrate as soon as your pizza is ready to collect. It’ll be homemade dough, topped with homemade tomato sauce and whatever toppings you have chosen

You can’t leave without a little something sweet, though, and there’s a wide range of dolci which, as you’d expect, are all homemade fresh every single day. From the house tiramisu, to baked cheesecake and the much loved foresta near, with layers of dark, milk and white chocolate with Nutella and vanilla cream. Some dolci come in mini sizes too for £2.50 if you just fancy a couple of spoonfuls.

There are two bars serving soft drinks, wines, beers on tap, coffee and cocktails. There’s a cocktail menu with drinks such as Aperol Spritz from £4.95, Long Island Ice tea, prosecco cocktails, Gin Bramble and Raspberry Collins

Happy Hour is 4-7pm Monday-Friday with 2 for 1 on selected drinks

Once you’re ready to leave, head back down to the host and hand your Vapiano card back. They’ll swipe it to see what’s been ordered and this is where you pay

There’s a bowl of gummy bears by the till. Make sure you take a spoonful on the way out.

Find them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook (VapianoUK) or on Snapchat (Vapiano)

vapiano.co.uk