La Spada Ristorante in County Durham

As we couldn't sit in with being in tier 3 we decided to order food to take away as a Xmas treat. We weren't disappointed. All three courses were delicious. The steaks, in particular, were melt in the mouth. A great start to the festivities and can't wait until the restrictions are lifted and we can visit and sit at a table.

Staying overnight at nearby Premier Inn & previous experience of Brewers Fayre we looked local & came across here. Lovely place, lovely freshly prepared food with pleasant friendly service. Prices very reasonable too. Highly recommend. Will call again next time we stay over 😊

Booked a table here as we were staying local and so glad we did. From the moment we arrived and shown to a lovely table in the corner of the restaurant to the Bill and Limoncellos at the end the whole evening was excellent. Service from everyone was attentive without being intrusive. Star of the shoe for us was the lovely Bethany who was great in her main course recommendations ( the Pollo Picante is a winner) to the dessert quiz on the cheesecake flavours which we narrowly failed. Drinks, starters, Mains, Desserts and espresso tall for £56 including tip. Wish we lived closer. Thanks Bethany and gang. We will be back x

I'm in two minds about this place.It's an Italian restaurant in a previous pub and I'm not sure they have it right.Some parts are amazing - they have a ship's cocktail bar from the sister ship of the Titanic (for example).Others are terrible. The men's toilets belong in a school boy's locker room. Hand dryer doesn't work, soap dispenser broken etc. The main doors and carpets are similarly well worn and you enter thinking "think I've made a mistake coming here".But on to the food....The food was great. We ordered a variety of dishes and everything was excellent.Can't say more than that really.If I'm in the area again - I'll be back.If the owners read this - please update the simple things. It will make your place so much more!

We stayed at this hotel/restaurant and had a lovely time. The lunch and dinner meals were very good and the staff were helpful and friendly at all times. We would certainly visit the hotel and restaurant again and plan to before too long.

This is a fabulous restaurant, staff are so friendly yet professional.All COVID-19 secure we all felt very safe.We had a mixture of Steak, pizza and pasta. Each dish was delicious. It was my birthday and got an ice cream with candles, what a lovely touch. Thank you

Attentive staff, quick service, very reasonably priced and a nice building / setting with original features. The food is okay, definitely okay for the price but lacks a little imagination. It’s a pretty basic menu that’s for families rather than foodies. But you’ll get a good meal. Not exactly’fresh’ ingredients (eg I’m pretty sure the order the pizza bases inetc) but then again for the price.... decent enough. Bar is limited...could do with getting some local ales or bit more range of stuff on draught. Also try stocking alcohol free stuff (think pregnant women for a start) or people driving etcAlso parts of the restaurant have tacky inconsistent decor which was annoying. Close to a 5 but not quiteBut we will return for sure.

Our first visit to Durham we went to La Spada on Monday. The place had a nice atmosphere and was quite busy for a Monday. Prices were good and the food was excellent. Service was great and on ordering a nice red wine the owner kindly changed our mind to a better recommendation from his native Sicily and it didn’t disappoint! Wish this was local to us near Harrogate we would be there every week!

We have been to this restaurant many times and it is always amazing!! Great food, great service and we could not fault their attention to detail in complying with new restrictions. The staff were really attentive with ensuring distancing was honoured, everything was sanitised and we had a great experience! We will be back very soon.

Ate here twice in 4 days and enjoyed it. Good social distancing, polite and pleasant staff and very tasty food. Shared a starter, and had good choice of meals. Never made it to a dissert as too full. Prices affordable and would definitely eat here again.

Fabulous meal was excellent as were the staff. Couldn't have had better service even if we tried. The food was delicious. It is open on a Wednesday as we have been there tonight

Absolutely gorgeous food. Been a few times since it opened and it is consistently good. The service is very efficient, and always so friendly. It is such good value too!! Would definitely recommend.

Me and my partner stayed for one night and were not disappointed we were shown to a large bright room nice and clean with ensuite sat downstairs in waiting area for drinks and the staff were busy but still mate an effort to speak to us and ROBERTO the owner what a lovely host made us feel so welcome and the food priced well and plentiful steaks cooked perfection well done to the team we and Jackie will be back again CHEERS

My wife and I attended the restaurant for tea midweek with our 2 year old son. The staff in this restaurant are fantastic, I really can't speak highly enough of them all. They are very attentive and always ensure our little one has a great time.The food is always of high quality and you're never left waiting long. It is also great value for money.Can't find fault with thus restaurant at all 10/10.

We popped in here by off chance after some shopping in arnison centre. Can't fault it. Great food, great staff. Very impressed.

Absolutely tremendous meal, service was exceptional, staff were engaging polite,efficient and made us feel very welcome.Seafood Risotto real tasty. I would definitely 101% reccomend La Spada, go there you will not regret it

The food and service was good. The restaurant has a lovely open friendly feel to it. Good for couples and groups of family and friends.

Had a lovely Friday evening in this restaurant. Restaurant and staff very well trained in COVID procedures but also still gave the restaurant a nice atmosphere! Food was brilliant and the red wine suggested from the gent went down well as well. My partner had the classic carbonara which I would fully recommend. Hope to return to this wonderful independent establishment one day, thank you :)

Been back twice now since lockdown and as good as ever - lovely pizza and pasta and excellent service. Felt very comfortable inside, well spaced out. It is great to be back.

First restaurant meal in 17/52. So glad to return here at last to usual excellent service and fabulous food. Safe & well organised for the ‘new normal’. Thanks.

FANTASTIC meal again tonight! Reberto and his team where excellent as always. This place just seems to get better every time I go. 10/10 for service and food and great to see every table full on a Tuesday night. That speaks volumes. Well done 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

It was great to be back last night. A lovely welcome back from the owner and his team. Attention to the new normal with a one way system, hand sanitiser and PPE worn by the staff. However none of this distracted from the amazing food and excellent service this place gives everytime. I would encourage you to visit if you have never been before and if you have then go again, you have been missed. Food as always fresh and pipping hot. You can't go wrong, we had 3 courses with a glass of wine and a pint for less than £40. Fab! Keep up the good work!

What can I say apart from fantastic, it was great to see the owner and his very professional team again, my partner and I are always made to feel very welcome and even though we are still in these uncertain times the way the owner has adapted and trained his staff to accommodate customers is second to none. The head chef and his team again cooked our meal to perfection we both had three course meals with espresso to finish, owner and service staff all took time out to ask about my family and engaged in pleasant conversation, the service and food flowed, attention to PPE and hygiene second to none..I have found myself writing yet another review for la spada which is very surprising for me as I don’t usually do reviews but give credit where credit is due. Danny and Charlene

Been awhile since we ate here and did so on a very busy Friday night just before the lockdown began. Service excellent as usual, large menu to choose from and some specials available. All the food was hot, tasty and delivered in good time. La Spada is very popular and very busy, when full, the noise levels are high and the tables seem a little on top of each other, makes it difficult to hold a normal conversation

Due to these uncertain times we could not go to La Spada for our regular meal due to sit down service being cancelled. But we did order a takeaway and it did not disappoint, we ordered starters, mains and desert, the food was fantastic Raffa the chef and his team cooked our food to perfection as usual. I would like to thank Rabba the owner for catering for me and my family it definitely brought some happiness to us in these sad times, again I don’t usually write reviews but I felt I had to, food fantastic, staff caring and understanding, definitely recommend there takeaway service. See you soon from Danny, char and family.

Another Birthday meal, this time for our Daughter. Again, excellent service, great food, super value and the owner singing Happy Birthday is always the magic touch! Well done for being consistently great!

We came here with family after they had recommended it and we weren't disappointed. The location is a little out of the way and not entirely noticeable but once you're there you enter into a different world entirely.It was busy when we arrived but not rowdy. We were immediately shown to our table and asked if we'd like drinks whilst we browsed the menu, which is always a good indicator. the drinks arrived shortly afterwards and we placed our order with the friendly waiting staff. The menu isn't as extensive as other restaurants but I wouldn't have expected anything more, being as it's a small place in a relatively small village. There was a good variety of choice and I can't say there was one dish I didn't like the sound of, so all was good. I chose to have a main, starter and pudding, which is unusual for me but the food was really nice and just the right portions to keep me going. We were well looked after whilst we were eating and made to feel welcome. If you're looking for somewhere to eat that's a little out of the way of the busy Durham city centre then make a trip out to this place - you won't be disappointed!

This restaurant is in an old coaching inn, in the village of Pity Me, just outside the city of Durham. You can park on the street for free. The ambience is good & service is excellent. The owner came to chat to us, which was nice. We had a delicious bottle of 14% Appassimento. The spaghetti pomodoro was simple but tasty & all the food is reasonably priced. Recommended.

My friend and I went to La Spada during our lunch break and left thoroughly impressed. We ordered from the 2 course £5.95 lunch time menu and were really surprised at the number of options we had to choose from unlike some restaurants which are more limited. Our waiter was very attentive and professional and we found that we did not have to wait very long between ordering and receiving our food. The food was outstanding. I ordered the potato skins for starter whilst my friend ordered garlic bread and then for main course I ordered the Kiev pizza which was very tasty whilst my friend ordered the carbonara (which I will be ordering next time). We will definitely be returning. Overall, great service and outstanding value for money.

Chose this restaurant based on other reviews but have to say we were left disappointed! I can only think the locals are starved of good dining options! Restaurant was packed which made us think it must be good! However the Calamari starter was far from fresh and a little chewy in texture and the mussels gloopy in texture with a sauce that would be more at home at a an Indian restaurant. The crab linguine special was tasteless saved only by poring Tabasco sauce on it! On the plus side the service was good & I enjoyed the birra moretti!

This was the first time visiting la spada restaurant, it’s a lovely restaurant with a relaxed chilled atmosphere and excellent food, the owners and staff are very welcoming and look after you from start to finish. We definitely will be back!

Can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write a review - for one of our favourite restaurants.We’ve been regulars for years and have yet to be disappointed. The owner and staff are always welcoming and the food is delicious - as well as reasonably priced.Would highly recommend.

My Son has just moved into area so we have dined here Twice recently , Both times was very busy but service is very good , theirs very little waiting time for Menus , Drinks , Orders & then meals. Everything is very reasonably priced , nice Italian feel to Pizzas and Pastas. Nice tasting food and good portion sizes

The good is good and great value. Service is also good. However it was very hot with no air con. As tables are quite close together this was made worse. The kitchen must have been unbearable.

18 of us attended my 70th Birthday dinner. Food excellent, staff quick to serve and all meals arrived together so no-one sitting waiting for their food. I was totally confused with the menu as in Italian. Everyone had a great time. Would come back again.

Visited this restaurant yesterday evening and can not understand how it can be classed as 4.5 and get a certificate of excellence.

My friends and I stayed in La Spada B&B; as we needed to be close to Durham for a family party. This place was a good location, the rooms are clean and cosy. We had tea before we went out and although the restaurant was busy we didn’t wait long for the food. The staff are really friendly and the steak was amazing as always. I never normally have dessert but, the special was mint chocolate cheesecake! So, the diet starts tomorrow!

This is fast becoming my favourite place to eat, fresh and tasty food always. Lovely atmosphere and great service. It’s a lovely touch that the owner is front of house and always so friendly with customers and staff. Each time I have been, it has been very busy but this has never affected the service I’ve received.... job well done to all the staff for their hard work, nothing is ever too much.

The staff here are fantastic. I don’t think they would dare be anything other than that as they seem to be constantly under the cosh from the boss man. All a bit uncomfortable to be honest.

Good value and good service. Tea time specials very good for £4.50. Place was packed on a Tuesday evening. Drink prices ok £1.10 for a lime and soda. Menu range good. Been many times and will no doubt go many more

This is an excellent venue, with a lovely atmosphere. The food is really good and the service prompt and friendly.

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the staff are really friendly. The menu has a really good selection and the food is beautiful. Good selection of wines and reasonably priced.

We have booked a table after being the closest one to our hotel we have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and presentation the service was excellent and the evening was a hit we will definitely be back.

We were welcomed like old friends and our little one treated like a princess. A great menu, fabulous service and superb food. On leaving our niece and partner who came roem from Northumberland declared it their favourite restaurant. It is ours too.

We’ve been to this restaurant a few times before for midweek dinner and birthday celebrations and never been disappointed so decided to book a table for dinner on a miserable Friday in January. We booked for 8.00pm and the place was packed and buzzing. Only a short wait for our table and we were offered seats and drinks by the friendly owner and staff.

This was our first visit to La Spada and wont be our last.

We live literally round the corner and brought my mum in tonight. We usually go ourselves from time to time. I have to say what amazing customer service. The staff work really well as a team and the manager is lovely. All were lovely with my mum on her 71st birthday! We are moving soon so I'll need to get a few more visits in before we do! Thank you so much!

Excellent food and service especially from a waitress called Bronia , nothing was too much trouble, as we did have a gluten/ wheat free diner with us. Breakfast in the morning was delicious and the chef was very accommodating and friendly, lovely service, would definitely recommend.

We always have a great time when visiting. Food is always beautiful and staff are extremely attentive, and wonderful with children. At our latest visit, my 3 year old son told the waitress how excited he was for his pudding. She asked him if he’d like to come and help make it. He went and scooped his ice cream, and added the toppings. He was very pleased with himself. Great evening and very cheap!

Went with friends the food very good, the staff helpful will return,there were a number of people there but the service was good and prompt

Great food and nice surroundings. Staff were friendly, helpful, courteous and professional. The food came out rather fast causing you to think it may not be quite fresh, how gladly mistaken were we. It was really good, very tasty and enjoyable, it was hot and very fresh and we were not disappointed at all. Fantastic and well worth a visit!

We are regulars at la Spada and have been for some time,the attention to detail and knowledge from the staff regarding there customers is second to none and those touches make our visits even more enjoyable especially as myself and my partner do not drink alcohol and all the staff are aware of this and that shows in there service. The menu gives you great choice and the service and food is fantastic. We are always made to feel welcome and have really good conversation with the owner and his team..Service Great, Food Fantastic cannot wait for our next visit..I don’t usually write reviews but I have to give credit when credit is due..Thanks Danny and char.

A typical unspoilt Italian restaurant nestled in a quiet little spot on the outskirts of Durham, yes Pity Me or as it was known in the past Petit Mer. Many off the locals (such as myself) who have lived in the area knew it as the Lambton Hounds which was an old coaching inn turned pub.

An enjoyable lunch time break with a group of 10 people. The food and the service were both good. In summary exceptional value for money.

We’re visiting our daughter in Durham for the weekend and decided to try La Spada for supper this evening. (I voted for Thai but 2:1 voted for Italian so Italian it was)

A short walk around the corner from the retail park at Pity Me, this is a pleasant and friendly italian-style restaurant. Good choice of dishes, nicely cooked and presented.

Our local and most visited restaurant in Pity Me, Durham. Never EVER had anything other than great service and lovely food... at very reasonable prices. Cannot fault the friendly management and hard-working lovely staff.

Fabulous food. Staff so friendly. Service first class. Best Italian Restaurant in Area. Try to come here once a month.

Found this gem. Food was superb and the service was excellent. Very good value for money. Would definately recommend

An excellent meal with brilliant service. I had the seafood risotto and it was the best ever! Very good

First visit as we don't live local but what an amazing experience. From the food to the wine to the desserts to the service etc it was a awesome. Would highly recommmend if you looking for a truly authentic Italian experience.

Lovely laid back and freindly atmosphere.Staff and regular customers were great and made the meal and time spent very pleasurable.Food and drinks were served in good time and was lovely even though it was very busy.Highly recommended with a good menu.Thank you kindly

There was a large group of us for my mam's 60th birthday, and everything came together wonderfully. Starters and mains were lovely- no complaints. I had the kiev pizza which was lovely, and the mozzarella to start. My mam was surprised with a birthday cake which the restaurant let us eat there. Lovely evening and lovely accommodating staff.

Great food in a lovely atmosphere with reasonable prices. We were so pleased with our first experience that we returned the following evening - and enjoyed it again. A good welcome and attentive service (perhaps a few too many 'Is everything OK?') set the scene. A good selection of Italian dishes to choose from, well presented. A buzz of conversation across the restaurant gave a relaxing ambience - couples, families, some well-behaved children (they eat early up here). Well worth a visit.

We booked at short notice on a busy Friday night, although it was the end of happy hour and were accommodated by very helpful staff who confirmed the booking by text. It was our first time there and living locally I had heard good things about it.

Went here for lunch - absolutely beautiful food. Nice lunch time buzz to the place. We all had pasta which was just sublime. Service was very friendly and efficient. The owner/manager ensured everything ran smoothly, attentive but not intrusive, and our waitress was lovely. One of our group is gluten free - they were very helpful and the pasta she had was some of the best she has tasted. Will definitely be coming back here.

Second visit to this fantastic Italian restaurant. Great food, fantastic service, superb value for money. With Son just starting university in Durham I am hoping to squeeze more visits to this great place when picking him up and dropping off.

Visited la spada on a very busy Friday night. Very quick service, almost too quick as I could see they tried to bring our mains before we had finished the starters but quick thinking by the waitress and this was sorted. Food lovely. Restaurant was very noisy as we were in the bar with several parties whereas we prefer the restaurant side as it is quieter so we didnt drag our meal out, but paid and left. Didnt detract from the lovely food but might be best to check timings of food between courses, and also not seat couples between big parties.

Took a bit of effort to book as owner away and staff member on phone was not sure how to do.

Wonderful meal. Great service and very good value for money. The decor in the restaurant is great with lots of parking

Great evenings two nights running excellent food, wine, service and good value for money. This restaurant also has a very pleasant atmosphere.

Great food, great prices and great service.. We visit often as nowhere else comes close. Hidden gem.

We came across this restaurant just by googling good restaurants in Durham. What a find. It’s outside the city centre and has its own car park. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and we were greeted with a warm and friendly welcome. Varied menu and good selection of specials. The seafood pasta dish on the specials was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a very long while. Good portions and very tasty. It is also very good value. Would certainly recommend it. Thank-you for a great meal and your generosity!

Came for a family birthday tea. Happy goes to 7.00 and you get a wide selection of pizza and pasta for £4.50 each.

Went to la spada for tea with my daughter and grandchildren. One is in a wheelchair. The staff couldnt be more helpul and made sure we had everything we needed and we were put near the door so easy access for chair. The food is amazing and it made our meal most enjoyable. Will definitely recommend it and will be returning.

Spent a long weekend in Durhum to visit Beamish, stayed at the premier Inn at pity me, found this lovely Italian resteraunt, booked a table for 4 persons. Arrived for our booking, very nice welcome from staff and seated, menus in hand, drinks ordered, garlic mushrooms to die for, and the main course yummy and shared pudding ooh nice, wanted to book for the next evening,Sunday after our day out at Beamish, but closed too early, so wouldn't be able to make it:-( when we visit Beamish again we will book here again definitely,a must.

Love this place, from the twinkling lights, to the fireplace and decor, this restaurant has a lovely, cosy feel to it. The staff are all very welcoming and friendly. Food! Delicious! A great menu to chose from and a fantastic service, look forward to visiting again.

If you want a delicious roast dinner that is excellent value for money then this is the place to go! Excellent service and lovely atmosphere.

Just in from having a gorgeous meal once again at La Spada on the wedding anniversary of our daughter and son in law.

I don't normally post reviews, good or bad, but after last night's experience at La Spada I feel compelled to advise others to go. The staff were all pleasant, polite and attentive and helpfully accomodated me in my wheelchair. Our party of 6 all had different starters and main course and all said our meals were delicious. It was so good we booked to go back tonight.

This was my second time visiting La Spada, the first time was so lovely so this time I took my Mum and her friend. We booked a table as I know from last time it can get busy. The staff were lovely and friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We didn’t have a starter as the portions are very generous. The food was delicious, and my Mum had a dessert which we shared, it was gorgeous. I must say it was the best prawn dish I’ve had to date!

Called here recently without a booking,wait staff seemed to be perturbed that we had just 'dropped in' it wasn't very busy at that time!

We eat at La Spada quite often because of the quality of food and value for money. On one of our more recent visits we brought my Dad who is in a wheelchair. We advised the restaurant of this when we booked and they went out of their way to ensure we had an accessible table and that he was comfortable throughout the meal. The staff we all excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you for being so accommodating!

We absolutely love it here. We had a large table for our 35th wedding anniversary here and come for meals whenever we can. We have never had a bad meal, always perfect. Try it, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

We have visited La Spada many times and always love the food. For my starter, I had the mozzarella carrozza (which I have chosen a few times and it is always delicious). For my main, I chose carbonara with bacon and mushrooms which was also lovely. We always comment on how reasonable the prices are (for food and drink)- and for such amazing food!

Very busy restaurant. Luckily our friends had booked a table. Good choice of menu with a mixture of Italian and English food. Food was beautifully cooked and very tasty and very reasonably priced.

We found this place only because we needed a B&B; for the Durham Miners' Gala weekend.

Very accommodating. We increased our reservation from five to nine people with just two hours notice - restaurant was incredibly busy but they accommodated us perfectly.

We had a table for four. Three had starters, all four had a main and dessert. All enjoyed the food and the service. we hope to return.

Nicely restored pub into an Italian restaurant it has a good choice menu with specials. The food arrived in good time and was very hot. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend

I visited La Spada again in June for a family dinner. Again the food was great, the atmosphere was good and the staff were friendly. We keep going back because it is a very good restaurant.

Visited today with just hubby this time. We had a fab time. Excellent food and drink at very reasonable prices. Great ambience. Staff great very friendly without being intrusive. Highly recommend to all. Thank you to all at La Spada. Will definitely visit again.

Lovely staff, delicious food, really good value & service. Can’t fault it. Will definitely be returning soon

Table for a few friends to catch up & celebrate. Service quick, food tasty and unbelievably inexpensive. Thoroughly enjoyed our time here

Had lunch here today with daughter and granddaughter all chose from lunch time special

Brilliant service and delicious food. Had The goats cheese bruschetta to start which was really lovely and very reasonably priced. Chicken with peppercorn sauce for main which was equally delicious. Two starters and two mains along with a bottle of wine for £40!

My second visit and wont be my last. The food is fab -proper sicilian homemade italian food. The owner is so lovely and friendly and will do all he can to help . The food comes steaming hot and plenty of it. We went for the lunch special two courses £5.95 cant go wrong....

My friend and I visited La Spada on a Thursday evening. We had booked a table which we were pleased about as it was very busy. The restaurant is an authentic Italian restaurant and atmosphere was lovely.

Visited here whilst staying at the Premier inn and we were so pleased we did. Really lovely place with a nice atmosphere, great food and service. We unknowingly went during happy hour which meant our main course pasta was only £4.50 which was excellent value for money. Overall we had a lovely evening and I would highly recommend

My partner and I have just moved to the area and thought we would try here. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, staff were attentive and friendly and nothing was an issue. I really enjoyed the aubergine special and my partner said it was one of the best steaks he's had! The manager/owner was very friendly and made us feel really welcome, we will definitely be back!