As you approach the restaurant from the ground floor, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was quiet or unpopular, as the lower area, known as the atrium, is really not where the action primarily takes place. Look up! If you look up, you'll see the balcony level full of socialising and laughing diners all enjoying themselves. 

Assistant Manager Sarah took us upstairs and told me about how the system works, and that "when you go, you know" because of how simple the arrangement is. 

I'd liken it to the system used on cruise ships where your passcard is your perpetual "tab" on board. The same happens at Vapiano. Each guest is given a card, meaning all of their food and drinks choices are added onto the card when they order, so there's no messing around splitting bills, and you can simply pay your bill on your card as you leave. The lovely element about this is that you can wander around the areas of the restaurant for as little or as long as you wish, not feeling pinned down to any one spot, as you simply take your card with you. This means that if you like, you could meet in the atrium area with friends for drinks, then move into the main dining area and fill up on food, before heading over to the bar lounge for cocktails over a leisurely few hours, or you could simply head to the lounge for a quick espresso and a coffee before heading out for some shopping. I like this idea. It reminds me of Ziferblat, and the idea of taking your time and enjoying yourself with no pressure. This is their ethos, and even where their name was inspired from, siting an old Italian proverb “chi va piano, va sano e va lontano”, which translates to “if you have an easy-going and relaxed approach to life, you’ll live more healthily and longer”. I can go with that proverb!

An interesting angle is that they have a huge amount of pastas, which are all displayed like a fantastic pasta pick-n-mix behind the pasta and antipasti stations, as well as tasters of their dressings, including some beautiful balsamic, and even a raspberry and maple syrup dressing which has to be tasted to be believed! As well as the fresh herbs on the tables, they were also literally all over the restaurant, along with big boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I tentatively approached the antipasti station, where a friendly chef welcomed me and took our order of both bruschetta and tomato soup, asking whether we'd like some grana padano cheese on top too. At that point it was then actually interesting and enjoyable to watch the food being created, rather than it being awkward as I might've imagined. This was the same at the other stations, where we were also asked how spicy we'd like the pasta dish, if we'd like any cheese, if we'd like extra sauce with the pizza etc. I liked this. It was nice to have it just how you want it, and freshly prepared enthusiastically rather than begrudgingly. 

After ordering, you're simply asked to place your smart-card on a black panel on the counter, which records what you've ordered and the price, then showing you the total. Brilliant! Dishes that would take a little longer, such as pizza, didn't require you to wait around, as you are given an alert machine, which buzzes and flashes when your dish is ready, allowing you to relax back at your table.

Back to the food! For our starter we ordered the bruschetta and the tomato soup. They were absolutely perfect. I've never had a refreshing tomato soup before! We were both very much impressed, and ended up sharing each other's! Sarah explained to me that one of the reasons that the quality is so high is that apart from the dishes being prepared freshly every day, the management team and chef team are frequently asked to taste the dishes to ensure the quality and recipes are consistent. It must be a hard life, having to make sure these delicious dishes are delicious!

As I walk in, it's nice to see that the décor is traditionally English and pleasant, with quirky comedic signs on the walls, mismatched furniture and crockery, and polkadot and floral tablecloths, as well as a fabulous classic chequered floor, and a huge wall of books, which looks quite realistic even up close until you realise it's wallpaper!