Borsa Pasta Cucina is a relatively new place located in Grenfell Plaza. The decor of this place is very old school, however, it is slightly modernised by its open kitchen area and exposed ceilings. The menu is made up of 13 simple pasta dishes, 10 antipasto and several mains. Their dry pasta is imported from Italy and is made from durum and semolina wheat that is drawn through a bronze die. They also freshly make their own pasta on a daily basis.

After ordering our mains, we were provided with complimentary bread and accompaniments. The first round of bread came with olive oil and parmesan cheese, however, they then gave us a second round that included chilli. The parmesan cheese is always good but the chilli had a nice subtle kick to it.

For lunch, I had the Oricchietti Con Piselli which is basically ear shaped pasta with peas. The presentation was good and the serving size was satisfactory. The pasta was al dente  and the peas were soft and mushy. The tomato base had a nice subtle sweetness. The dish itself was amazingly simple, yet it wasn’t anything outstanding.

My friend had the Spaghetti Con Aglio Olio which contains garlic, chilli and olive oil. She said the flavours could have been more prominent, particularly the garlic.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the service was very good. The atmosphere was relaxed, although there are some corners of the room that are bit dark and dingy. The pricing is a bit on the high side with my dish setting me back $18. I’m assuming their target market are the white collar workers that work nearby.

Verdict: A good selection of higher priced pasta offerings, although the dishes that we ordered didn’t have the desired impact.

WHERE: 25 Grenfell St, Adelaide