BLINK and you’d miss this little Italian restaurant on Holburn Street.
With its plain frontage, you could be forgiven if it doesn’t entice you in ... but that would be a mistake, as a friend and I discovered.
We were attracted by the BYOB notice ... I always like being able to pick up my favourite tipple to go with a meal.
So with a bottle of cabernet sauvignon in hand, we arrived suitably ravenous for our pre-booked table.
The 20-minute wait at the bar was, therefore, not appreciated, despite attempts by the friendly staff to keep us entertained.
Once we were seated, the candlelight, flowing wine, promptness of our waiter and the incredible range of eating options made us all but forget the initial wait. We opted to share the bruschetta to start – the buffalo mozzarella with chilli oil, and the feta withcherry tomato (both £4.45).
Three slices of crunchy garlic bread were smothered in huge chunks of cheese with the chilli oil providing a gentle kick. However, it was the feta option that we fought over.
The lumps of creamy cheese, and the freshness of the sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes and basil made for a heavenly taste.
Next up, my friend opted for a roast goat’s cheese salad (£8.75).
The dish combined rocket, red onion, black olives and huge crumbly chunks of goat’s cheese.
Although it was thoroughly satisfying, the portion could have been heartier. After scanning the menu several times, my eyes kept being drawn back to a certain pizza (£9.75).
Billed as the world’s hottest it was too much of a draw for a spice fiend like me – even though it came with a warning from the waitress. With a glass of water prepared, my large plate arrived and before I had time to take a bite, the smell of chilli seemed to singe my nostrils.
Josephines might boast about its authentic pizza oven, but my mouth felt like a furnace after one bite.
With chilli on the topping, the base and in the sauce, I honestly thought my tongue was in danger of turning to ash.
And between sweating fits, huge gulps of water and long slow breaths of cool air, I kept shovelling the slices in.
Although I only managed to finish half the pizza before admitting defeat, I enjoyed every minute of the challenge.
Sipping the last of our vino, there was no hurry with our bill (£33.40).
As I let the wine soothe my burning mouth we planned another visit and my next attempt to beat the chilli challenge.