The nineties pizza chain that’s not PizzaExpress, Ask has lasted well into the new millennium (and the Millennium Dome) by offering way more than the standard pizza and pasta offering, at very reasonable prices.
Classics of chicken Milanese, pork belly porchetta, slow-cooked beef in Chianti sauce and sea bass al forno all clock in at under £15 and come complete with proper trimmings such as roast potatoes, broccoli and creamy sauces – excellent value if you’re feeding a family before a gig in the arena, a trip to the Cineworld cinema or you’re refuelling after the exertions of the Brooklyn Bowl bowling alley.
That said, pizza and pasta remain the bedrock of the menu. Pasta comes in almost endless variations: baked al forno in the oven, filled as ravioli and girasole, or in trad versions of spaghetti, linguine, penne and fettucine, most available in half-size portions for kids and calorie-counters and almost all available in gluten-free versions.
There’s fettucine Bolognese for something old school, chicken and mushroom risotto for something filling, spaghetti al pomodoro for veggies and a vegan spaghetti lentil ragu.
Pizzas, meanwhile, range from the expected margherita and four cheeses to some more unusual toppings such as slow-cooked lamb shoulder with fontal cheese, roasted peppers, spinach and balsamic red onions, or a ‘Super Green’ vegan pizza with a base of pea pureé topped with baby kale, asparagus, red pepper pearls and vegan mozzarella.
Round it all out with starters of breaded chicken fillets, pork and beef meatballs, butterfly king prawns and calamari, and desserts such as tiramisu, cheesecake, profiteroles and pear tart.
If it feels like a bit more effort has gone into the menu than at other high-street chains, that might be because star Italian chef Theo Randall is a consultant for Ask, while the drinks list shows just as much thought: there’s homemade lemonade alongside the line-up of Italian wines and beers.