Carpaccio in County Durham

They obviously don’t have a clue about getting food to you in good time. The manager was rude and dismissive. Don’t go there.

This is one of my favourite places to eat in Durham. No, it isn't swanky and the menu is not the most extensive, but the food is prepared freshly for each order and always delicious. The pizzas are made in the traditional Italian style, thin crust but not stingy, with just the right amount of topping. The pasta dishes are delicious and not just bulked out with extra pasta. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about Italian cuisine because, well, they are Italian. Genuine Italians, born and bred in Italy. If you want British /American versions of Italian food, you'll be better off at Pizza hut. But if you want good Italian food at a decent price, I highly recommend it. They stop serving at 4pm but I find that if you arrive about 3pm you won't have to wait very long and the staff will be more than happy to let you linger until they have finished setting up for the next day.

We sat out on the street to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the great weather. I had scrambled egg on toast and an Americano coffee. Good friendly service at a fair price.

*AVOID THIS PLACE* The welcome was unfriendly if not downright dismissive, and the rather expensive flat white tasted like diluted instant coffee at best. I took it back to request a refund, which was denied and met with hostility. In addition, the man serving us did not wear a mask, which made us feel uncomfortable, and the bathroom was dirty. Disgraceful customer service, a complete waste of money, and an awful experience overall. Would never go back and would not recommend to anyone else.

Popped in initially just for a coffee to escape the weather but after a warm greeting we decided to get a pizza to share and certainly weren't disappointed. The anchovy pizza was delicious and washed down with a lovely pint of perroni whilst watching the world go by. Great location and excellent service.

If you are concerned about COVID, this place is not for you. The staff are totally cavalier about face masks, a precedent set by the owner who shows little regard himself. Only two staff wore tasks, one fully, the other under his chin. Paradoxically, the one who was wearing his face mask was barked at by the other staff members like he was some sort of village idiot. The mask issue is important as the interior space is very small and cramped. The cheap, low quality food is not worth the risk.

Stopped here for a lunch with my disabled grandson. Firstly, a great welcome from the waitress who seated us. Very clean with hand sanitiser at the door, also nothing was too much trouble. Waitress was happy to supply my grandson with 3 cups of tap water to help him swallow his food that we ordered with no charge. Very good coffee too. Grandson was eyeing up Italian gateau but had to eat his pizza first. Much to our surprise guy behind the bar said he could have it free of charge. Very impressed with the service & kindness of this little gem. As for the food, not complaints from us. Well worth the money.

My son and I took our dog into Durham for a walk around the river. We called in for something to eat and have been very impressed. From the lady who waited our table to the kind gentleman who saved our dog from escaping from his harness they couldn't have been more attentive and friendly. Food was great and the drinks cold. Everything came out to the table quickly and was delicious, will definitely visit again.

Visited this restaurant earlier in the year, food and service was amazing and we were looking forward to our 2nd visit. The inside has had a make over since our last visit with the bar now at the back. Two of the dishes ordered was described as chicken in tomato sauce, served with rice. When it came it looked and tasted like a cheese sauce and the rice was missing. When we queried we were told that it had tomato in it and rice was no longer part of the dish? It was served on a huge plate with a little portion of dried out chips. A bottle of house white and two pints of peroni were ordered, both warm and when the head settled down it was way below a pint (we observed 2 men sitting outside complain about the peroni being warm). All in all a huge disappointment and will not be returning as we feel the restaurant has changed owners?

Ate here in February this year, food and service was fabulous. Went yesterday and can only say that its a big disappointment compared to earlier in the year. Ordered a chicken dish in tomato sauce, it came in a cheesy sauce and was told that this was correct, came served on a huge plate with a bundle of what looked like age old chops, nothing else on the plate. Menu stated it came with rice, when we queried this they said it doesn't come with rice anymore. Felt sorry for the young girl who served us as we complained to her and it clearly wasn't her fault. Asked for a bottle of house white wine, 2 glasses of wine came and we had to say we'd ordered the bottle. My partner ordered a Peroni, this came with a huge head and by the time the head went down he was left with only a three quarters full pint. It seems the restaurant has had a makeover and not for the better. The friendly service we received in February has sadly disappeared. Food was quite abysmal in my eyes. Will definitely NOT be back, which is sad as its in a prime spot in Durham.

I often come to the Italian. I cannot fault it in the slightest. The service is brilliant. The food is delicious! There’s so much choice! It it just wonderful and amazing. The staff are very helpful. On one occasion, I wasn’t feeling great and they were able to wrap up my food for me so I could take it home. Fantastic atmosphere inside the restaurant too! Definitely my favourite Italian restaurant to go to!

I visited this restaurant with a group of friends. We pre booked a table and upon arrival had to wait on the stairs for approx 15 minutes as it was not ready. Upon entering a restaurant you would expect to smell the aroma of food, however I all could smell was dirt! We were taken to the top floor and seated on chairs that were ripped. On the table we had dirty cutlery and when we informed the waiter he put it in a tray ready to set the next table. The service was very poor and we waited ages for drinks on more than one occasion. They also served flat, warm rola cola - yak! Our starters arrived and had to be returned as they were freezing. One party member received their starter 15 minutes before everyone else’s arrived. We then were served our main course and given cutlery that was for a starter? We were given a bowl of veg and potatoes to share between 4 of us who had ordered a chicken dish, which was not cheap! We also asked for a jug of water and they came with six glasses all different shapes and sizes? The most important part of this review was the toilet facilities and hygiene! Upon entering the female toilets it was evident someone had been sick in the basin and surrounding area - this had not been cleaned or attended to! There was no toilet rolls and the females were having to use the male toilets....absolutely disgraceful! It was then evident that food was stored in this area as the chefs were entering the room and coming out with items! I am also aware that a Chef should wear whites and be very particular about cleanliness - well not here! Everything about it was a terrible experience!

We came here on 7/8/18 only one other table in at peak time, one miserable guy working so obviously no manager in that night, we had a burnt garlic bread and shop bought pate to start the after waiting about 45 mins our mains arrived, my wifes king prawns aglio were so over cooked they felt like rubber, my pizza calzone was very burnt on the outside and raw ingredients in the middle, we told the one member of staff and her was very aggressive towards us!! Told us the food was ok? He then verbally abused my wife and threw our bill at us, i asked him why he was being angry and told him i was in the same trade, after he called me a dishwasher so i paid our bill and left. We then went across the road and had an amazing meal. My advice..... avoid this place as it was dirty and the server was very rude!!!! Shame TripAdvisor doesn't have a 0 star option.

You can miss this as entrance is just a door, but once upstairs the atmosphere, food and service are excellent.

We came across this restaurant and initially didn't think much however the food spoke for itself! It was well priced, a great variety and it was delicious, the staff were wonderful and gave wonderful recommendations on food. I'd come again!

We’ve been here a few times now. This is the little cafe on the corner - not the main restaurant. The food is great. Have had the lasagne, pasta, panini and cooked breakfast. Proper chips as well. And very reasonably priced. Durham has a glut of over priced chain establishments so it’s great to see a little cafe like this.

that abound on Saddler Street and find the small doorway that leads up the steep stairs to this restaurant.You won't be disappointed! An extensive menu plus a large specials board, very attentive and friendly staff team and a quiet and relaxed atmosphere.Delicious food and a real Italian family restaurant vibe.My only complaint is the Euro pop playing - something more classical would be nicer to eat to.Will definitely be visiting again.

My family booked a table for 13, three months in advance, ended up having to wait outside for over an hour, we were told that we would be given drinks and were served prosseco to drink on the street (which is not allowed by the police in Durham!)When we finally got to our table it took an age to have our order taken, (they even gave us free garlic breads as we were waiting that long!)Eventually we had our starters (I had potato skins with garlic butter, the potatoes were excessively thick (like chips) and not at all crispy.It was gone 10pm when we gradually received our mains (by which I mean it took over 25 minutes for us to get all our plates), indeed it took so long that members of the party had finished there main plate before the sundries (veg, chips etc) arrived.We were never asked if we would like a sweet course or indeed coffees as they wanted to go home!When the bill came they charged for everything (even £30 per bottle for the prosseco we had to drink out on the street). So much for the "free drinks".The head waiter/manager did a runner when he realised we were not a happy party leaving a young lad to handle it!There had been a mini bus booked which had to be rearranged.For what was meant to be a special evening to be ruined by such shoddy service is unforgivable and I for one shall not be returning.

Had a family meal here, ate off the specials board, had lobster and crab ravioli, didn't look much to start with, but it was an ideal portion size, packed with seafood. Good service. Will return

Capriccios is a fantastic restaurant, considerably better than the franchises which you see in every city in the UK (bella Italian, Ask Italian etc). This Italian is authentic and creates great fresh food. Staff are great

Uno de mis favoritos absolutos en Durham, ir allí todos los lunes. Un sitio pequeño pero muy agradable para sentarse y leer con algo de buen café expreso o café con leche, ambiente encantador, la comida es buena también, pero normalmente se pegan a las galletas y pasteles. Un poco caro, pero nada que la punción un agujero en tu cartera.

Walked in off the street without a booking during a day trip to Durham. Very friendly staff, service was excellent and the food superb.

Not very good atmosphere and the food was not at it best, poor service and cold dishes, the guy took ages to serve our drinks for two.

Our first visit to this venue but won't be our last ! We were made to feel welcome and offered a choice of tables. Our veggie option food was lovely .. Recommended.. We will return..also great to see Valentino Rossi posters and Italian Racing team memorabilia too., felt like we had flown to Italy for the evening!

Visited here quite recently and was wowed at the experience. The service was excellent and the good was out of this world. I had the lobster and scallops in a vodka sauce which was one of the best meals I have had in durham.

Este pequeño y precioso lugar de arriba en la esquina. Buen vino, buena comida. El lugar era sencillo, pero agradable con una gran vista de la calle. La langosta era fresca y el aguacate Sopresa estaba delicioso.

My friend & I wanted good food but not a high street big name! Really handy for us staying at Marriot hotel & on our own to wander around!Restaurant was nearly full but service was really good & food was fabulous too!

We were staying in Durham for the rugby and don't know the city at all. After a bit of a wander, and keen to avoid 'chain' restaurants, we came here. The menu is extensive, and the waiter helped us with an excellent wine choice. Food was excellent.The restaurant is a little crowded, but a very positive experience.

fair enough we didn't book as w e where on a day out into Durham from Newcastle. there was 9 of us, about 6pm we arrived and got sat straight away. ordered drinks and food, when the garlic bread came it was garlic paste, not fresh garlic. we all had different meals, some looked ok, some not !! one meal was so much later than the rest as the chef forgot !!. From my own experience of this is, I asked for Tagliatellie with Salmon in a cream sauce, and when I have cooked the pasta I have left it in long strips not cut up like you are a child !! salmon was a bit ' shinny' and very salty, too salty to even eat . I only had about 4 fork fulls.. I just couldn't eat anymore, as one of our party had complained about their meal being late, I never complained ...when we left there was a queue to get in, !! goodness knows why, it was terrible. and I did tell a few people who where looking at the menu outside,. didn't want them to waste their money. about 15 mins after eating I felt so sick, had stomach pains and an awful headache, and no I had no alcohol, I drank water !! by the time I got home I was feeling terrible, i'd been vomiting for ages afterwards too .. So NO I will never go back and never recommend this restaurant ...

The new EU legislation on labelling food allergens has made it a lot easier to buy food in restaurants and cafés for people like my daughter (when it's done properly). Unfortunately, this restaurant doesn't seem to be getting it right just yet. Individual ice cream flavours weren't labelled with allergens meaning we had to second guess the ingredients. Unfortunately this resulted in an allergic reaction for my little girl which could have had disastrous consequences for some sufferers.

My friend and I visited here on a Wednesday night as we are trying all the different Italian restaurants in Durham. We didn't book a table but we got seated straight away. I asked three different people if they did a Gluten Free menu and was told there would be a small charge which I don't think is right as it's a dietary requirement. We ordered our food and drinks together and it felt we waited ages before our mains arrived. The food was nice and we asked for the bill. Always check your bill as we were charged £4.10 for a coke when it was £2.25 and luckily I didn't get charged for my Gluten Free alternative. I don't know if I would choose this restaurant again but it definitely isn't the worst I've eaten in.

Very nice food from the lunchtime specials menu. Did take a moment or two to come out, but the quality of the ravioli an pollo milanese was high.Priced well: you would not have got much at a nearby chain place for the same bill.Very good location too.

We've been here before and had a lovely evening. We went there on Saturday for a special occasion. The food was lovely, really tasty. Shame that the waiter chose to insult us for no apparent reason other than to be rude. We left without dessert or coffees and will not be returning ever again. What a shame as we had always bigged this restaurant up to everyone.

After waiting for over half an hour for a jug of water which never arrived, we decided to go to another restaurant. The waiters didn't even seem bothered that we left.

I love the pizzas here, the service is always good and there is a lot of choice. It can get quite busy but they can usually squeeze you in. Try and get a table with a window to people watch from above :)

been here several times for dinner after finding by accident about 2 years ago. food has always been spot on with me now finding it hard to resist the fillet stake in garlic with wonderful potatoes and fresh veg. priced reasonably £85 for 2 courses for 2 people with pre dinner drinks a bottle of wine coffee and amerettos and remember my fillet stake. yes it is a bit cramped but this as well as the decor is part of the authentic feel, other reviewers might be better of at prezzos. will be back

Looked a bit strange walking in but was authentic Italian inside and pleasantly surprised. Ordered special starter and starter from the menu, special main and fillet steak from menu. All very high quality tasting of fresh ingredients. Great service, good humour, reasonable prices had bottle of red wine and two double espressos also and came to £68. Would definitely return and recommend.

The staff were awfully unpleasant, no help at all, the food was so overpriced and there was barely any of it served to us. The starter was okay but took half an hour to arrive. We would get pushed and shoved by what I assume was the manager, He also walked away to talk to another table whilst taking our orders and failed to return until we asked him again. I would not recommend this place, worst meal I've had and the members of staff were disgusting, I don't know how they still have a business going.

Service good, pizza not good. Pizza dough tasted sweet and was too soft. Fish specials very expensive!

Called in here on spec with my wife as we were looking for Sunday lunch and I'm pleased we did. It's tucked away up some stairs. We took lunch from the special board. all of the staff were Italian so you just knew it would be authentic and it was. House wine was good too.We each had a starter and mains plus wine £44. Good service.Would definitely return maybe on an evening for a special occasion.

ordered food from here as a takeaway was very impressed by how fast it came and it was hot. The food was delicious but I was highly disappointed by the onion rings I was expecting some home cooked ones as this restaurant is know for its gorgeous food. Instead we were given some frozen type which didn't taste very nice put me off ordering them from here from now on. But other then that we enjoyed our meal.

This was my third visit to this restaurant and my first as a vegetarian. I didn't recognise the restaurant as it had been a lovely place to visit.I ordered from the blackboard pointing out pasta with pesto. I received pasta in a sauce that did not look to be pesto. On enquiring the waiter picked up the phone and obviously asked what was in my dish I was told it was bacon and tomato.Explaining I was vegetarian and I'd pointed out what I took to be a vegetarian dish, the waiter did not look happy not wanting to draw it out I said I'll pay for the dish I can't eat can I have something vegetarian. I asked my companion to eat and waited, when the new dish arrived it was pleasant if not remarkable.

Had lunch here and it was very enjoyable so booked to return for dinner. Food each time was lovely. Yes the restaurant is tightly packed with tables and you can be biped about with people trying to serve food and also go back and forth to loos. Music was far too loud which detracted from the general buzz of the place...it was like being in someone's kitchen so cosy and compact. Wine is rather pricey but all I. All good quality food and well presented.....worth a try

2nd visit here and excellent food on both occasions. Good menu choice and specials menu. It beats me why people choose the ’boil in the bag’ establishments like Café Rouge, Ask etc. with independents like this available.

20 minutes for cold starters and watching hot starters going out after we had ordered before them. An getting told because we hadn't booked it was tough!!! This should be the case and is unacceptable full stop!

Apparently, chicken is like a potato, you don't know it's bad until you eat it, said the waiter to my partner and I after finding chicken cartilage mixed in with pasta...The restaurant is so crowded that every time the waiters/chef ran upstairs they either kicked or nudged my chair as there is not enough space to manoeuvre, and I was confronted numerous times with another customers backside as they attempted to shuffle past us and another table, not the most romantic date I've been on!!The staff were rude, and upon paying we were told that of course our food took a lot longer than tables that arrived and ordered after us, even though we had cold starters because we hadn't booked and therefore weren't a priority. Will never be returning. Absolutely disgusted.

Lovely meal tonight from the "early bird" menu. The food was very tasty and would recommend it to people. Really enjoyed it! Great service and was better than an other italian restaurants around the area!

Fabulous food, had the gnocchi with basil and mozzarella was the best I have ever had. Great service, Italian staff with beautiful accents, cosy environment.

Ventured into this place after being put off by La Spag over the road having a queue and completely glad we did.A little bit in the pricey side, but good portions and good value, with a good range on the menu and the specials board.Will be going back.