la spaghettata in County Durham

Enormous portions served rapidly, there was a queue outside waiting to be served. Food was excellent.

Wonderful, gem of a restaurant. Great food,reasonably priced, great service.

Incredible place to try some authentic Italian cuisine. Food is delicious and great value for money, very filling. The restaurant may be packed if you come at a wrong time, but I think I got lucky and was served in about 20 minutes. I ordered a lasagne, which was great, but maybe a little too much tomatoes for me, and my friend ordered a carbonara, which I also tried and I think that it was amazing. Overall, a great choice if you are visiting Durham as a tourist or a potential student or if you live here and just want to try tasty Italian food that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.

A quaint place with potential but our pizzas were shockingly awful. One of the worst pizzas I’ve encountered. The base was hard as though it was cooked from frozen. Chicken cold. Tomato base so sharp.

Popped in for a late meal and they were happy to accommodate (thank you!) Great quality food, fresh ingredients and lovely staff

Excellent food and a great atmosphere and not too expensive

Love this restaurant in Durham and visit it most times I'm working up there, fantastic food, good size portions and reasonably priced.

Great starter but underwhelmed with the spaghetti carbonara - lacked flavour and pancetta/ham, in fact, I counted only 4 little pieces of ham in the dish. Despite it not being busy, the service was indifferent. Overall, not in a rush to go back there.

After hearing such rave reviews about this place, I can safely say we were massively disappointed. The garlic bread and pizzas were like something out of a frozen pizza box. They lacked depth, authenticity and flavour. The chicken was nice but the table for 2 was that small, I felt like we were eating off a postage stamp, not to mention that the table was 6 inches off the next table. So basically we were part of their evening and they were part of ours. To sum up, we won’t be going back. Not to mention, you can’t book!! You can’t book at a restaurant???? Instead you have to queue on a cold staircase. You could go to the bar upstairs beforehand but it’s more like a student bar with the feeling that sawdust should be on the floor. Plus it smells. If you want a proper Italian restaurant with a nice atmosphere, and without the feeling of being cramped and rushed, then go visit Mama Italia in Sunderland! Proper food. Proper people! I should have set fire to the £50 we spent to keep warm on the stairs!

After hearing such rave reviews about this place, I can safely say we were massively disappointed. The garlic bread and pizzas were like something out of a frozen pizza box. They lacked depth, authenticity and flavour. The chicken was nice but the table for 2 was that small, I felt like we were eating off a postage stamp, not to mention that the table was 6 inches off the next table. So basically we were part of their evening and they were part of ours. To sum up, we won’t be going back. Not to mention, you can’t book!! You can’t book at a restaurant???? Instead you have to queue on a cold staircase. You could go to the bar upstairs beforehand but it’s more like a student bar with the feeling that sawdust should be on the floor. Plus it smells. If you want a proper Italian restaurant with a nice atmosphere, and without the feeling of being cramped and rushed, then go visit Mama Italia in Sunderland! Proper food. Proper people! I should have set fire to the £50 we spent to keep warm on the stairs!

I went with a group of girl friends for a galentines meal. Sat down to order the meal and ordered a bottle of Prosecco to have with the meal. We were asked for ID which we all provided and then the server personally refused to serve me alcohol even tho i am the oldest out of the friend group, due to the server insisting my very valid driving licence was fake. He took my ID bent it and tried scratching out the details and photo. Horrendous service and most embarrassing experience I’ve ever had while out for a meal

Fabulous walk-in experience (they don’t take reservations thank goodness): ultra tasty and fresh, simple, cuisine (salmone al forno, cesar’s salad, and that BRUSCHETTA! !!!). To top it off service is simply perfect. Will be back !

Amazing service and atmosphere, however, food was mediocre. Value for money.

Me and a friend went for a nice catch up to this restaurant and we’re quite disappointed with the service. It wasn’t awful just not what would I would expect of a place so highly recommended. We didn’t book as it was a Tuesday night and they sat us quickly which was amazing. The problem was that the full time it felt as though they were rushing us out. They didn’t say they couldn’t seat us or mention a time limit to the table but we were fed and billed in under 40 mins which wasn’t ideal. They rushed us to order and they gave us the bill as soon as we finished our food when we hadn’t asked for it and basically told us there was another table reserved so we had to leave. I thought this was rude and if they didn’t have space they shouldn’t of sat us, that would’ve been completely fine. I wasn’t finished my wine and I wasn’t ready to leave but I had no choice. Wouldn’t go back for this reason, food was also only okay. Not as good as expected.

Stumbled upon this little gem when we met up with some friends who were visiting Durham. Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and the food was top notch. Prices were very reasonable which makes a refreshing change. Would definitely recommend and will be returning soon.

Visited tonight for my mum's 80th birthday. Wow this place is amazing, the atmosphere was so good and the food was to die for!!! I had the nicest pasta dish I’ve ever had. The service was excellent by everyone, definitely recommend if you are in the Durham area.

Real authentic Italian restaurant, very delicious food, quick service, and friendly staff. What else you can ask for.

Seated 5 of us without having to book. Food was of very high quality and plentiful. Happy staff and good service.

Really great food, authentic, great to see an independent restaurant doing well and surviving through covid, tight times etc Not quite full marks on service as they are run off their feet- so busy whenever we’ve been there - that tells you something. We go back when we can

Brilliant place to eat, good food , lovely staff. Will deffo go back . X

I went with 10 of my friends, I'm a local but they're German. I thought I'd introduce them to a not so secret amazing restaurant right in the heart of town. It is the perfect option for people looking for cracking food at a good price which was brilliant for students like us. My mum first discovered this place in the mid '90s and it's been great since. The service was amazing, kind and friendly and the kitchen made one of the best meals we had as a group from the travels we'd had throughout the whole semester.

Pleasant atmosphere and good service. The food was average and the portions big.

Great food, extremely tasty and very reasonably priced. The service was excellent and food arrived promptly. We were a large party and everyone was served together. The atmosphere was pleasant and we had a fantastic night. Would definitely visit again

I imagine this place could be great. Visited on New Year’s Eve & it was rammed. Starter of mussels was lovely. House red wine decent. Pizza was not good. Very sloppy, very greasy. Real shame. Also as soon as starters were finished the mains were bought out. Very rushed. Obviously had 2 sittings due to NYE ! Also I have no idea why there are 3 bouncers on door all gave no acknowledgement of arrival or leaving. Far too busy all 3 on their phones. !!

The food was divine, the atmosphere was exceptional, and the service was good... but a little rushed. It felt like they encouraged you to leave faster. The bill is brought without being requested, and shortly after, they bring the card machine over for payment. It wouldn't stop me coming again. It is efficient, but some breathing room would be nice to soak up the atmosphere

Excellent food and service as usual

So disappointed as I've been before and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time it was so salty and the side dish of potatoes were covered in tomato with no options 😒

Extremely busy and for good reason. Friendly staff and excellent pizza.

Best Lasagne in Durham, maybe the entire world!! Been coming here for years and the friendly atmosphere and great Italian food just keep us coming back. Fabio and the team are absolute legends it’s a must visit if you are in Durham and then you can pop upstairs for a few drinks in the nightclub which is loads of fun!

This place has turned into a Sports Bar! Used to be lovely authentic Italians with music playing, thin crust pizza, fresh salad bar, etc We went in today to find a group of lads in the backroom absolutely screaming and watching the football and a bunch of girls cackling and screeching in the other corner. Place was absolutely crammed/pack to the point where people couldn't even move. What the hell happened to this place? Absolutely bizarre. Avoid!

First of all, you can't book so you might have to wait, especially in term time. And once you're in, it will be busy and a bit cramped but a great atmosphere. The food is great and the staff are good at their jobs and friendly.

Small and cozy. Delicious spagi boll.

Organised to have my 30th Birthday here and when my family rang up to book a table, we were told not to worry, turn up and we’ll be seated. When we arrived at the restaurant, there was a queue out of the door as all the tables were occupied. Fair to say that the wider family was annoyed and we won’t be coming back anytime soon.

Worst pizza ever. Tasted like frozen storebought pizza.

Look its just what it says on the tin if you do like Italian then yes 1 of the better places to pop in

6 of us called for early evening meal on a Saturday night. Seated quickly, staff friendly. Menu sufficient to cater for all needs (available on line). Food tasty, what we expected, good size portions which we had to ask to be boxed as we couldn't finish. £145 for 6; what's not to like?

Awesome food and service as usual … best Italians we have ever had … price is reasonable as well … we have quickly become regular’s… 10/10

Massive food portions which arrived quite quickly! Lovely staff and food is of good quality. Me and my partner were very shocked at the size of the portions as they’re massive!

All I can say is Brilliant.. only problem portions too big lol...staff lovely. Italian music playing all adds to a lovely night . Had gluten free options which was really goid too.

Great, authentic atmosphere. Busy but speedy service but doesn't feel rushed. Food was excellent.

Very authentic place, with fantastic and very friendly staff who dare I say have a very old manner about them which in this day and age I found delightful 😊 the food was just out of this world and to say authentic Italian would be an understatement 😀 it was a little bit rowdy but that was to be expected on a Saturday but I would absolutely recommend and will definitely, absolutely be dining there many many more times

Nice little restaurant but we were very rushed. We hadn’t finished our starter and they wanted to bring the main course. My wife and I both ordered lasagne but neither dishes contained any meat.

Fantasy find. A very popular restaurant amongst locals and students. You can't book so be prepared to queue but it is worth it. I had gnocchi great portion size and delicious.

Terrible Visited this place last week 10 people including 2 Spanish guests. Was recommended to us against my better judgement. Food: CHEAP but piled high. Un appetising not well cooked or presented. My two Spanish friends were shocked by what was served up. A Tesco Finest range was better than this. I was so embarrassed. The guys are from the Basque region and food is a major part of their culture, to get served a supermarket pizza is shocking Ambience: Awful. What a bunch of miserable staff. They were mostly Italian (from what I could hear) A smile costs nothing. No interaction with us and the Spanish guys tried their pigeon Italian. Yet again down right rude. They rushed us through our meal. Clearing our plates almost on the last mouthful Cost: about average. Verdict: Go to Tesco get a pizza for £2 and put an Italian film on. Just a crap place, I suppose this place caters for students who probably are enjoying a few drinks before they walk in this place and are too drunk to care. Doesn’t really deserve to be there

Located up a staircase, atmosphere was cozy. Ordered the bruschetta as an appetizer, the bread was a bit soggy and there were a lot of large slices of red onion, would have preferred these to be thinly sliced, they over powered the dish. For main dish, ordered the tortellini with ricotta and spinach. This dish came out hot and was delicious, made up for the soggy app. Overall was a delightful meal

Amazing and authentic Italian cuisine!

We hadn't booked but went in early and they found us a table and we had a lovely meal. Husband had their cod special which he said was totally delicious and they made spaghetti aglio olio for me, which I love and which was also delicious. We had their house red wine which was really nice. Staff were super

Crowded and not great quality food. The vegetarian lasagne didn’t have much vegetable in it - just a lot of sloppy cheese and tomato.

We had a fantastic meal, staff were superb, lovely place.

Been going here for years but last nights pizza was terrible. The bases were like cardboard and tasted like they'd been bought in and not fresh. Obviously just put toppings on. Would not go back.

Brilliant value for money, amazing food and the staff couldn't be better. Excellent all round.

Absolutely first class. Three of us ate lunch there yesterday. Excellent food, great service, fair prices. Will be returning.

Excellent food and service! Miranda and Lallo were fun and welcoming. The food was delicious, prompt and affordable. Very enjoyable experience

Excellent, simple Italian eatery. Recommend for lunch or dinner. Great staff and speedy service.

Excellent food and good prices and lovely surroundings and also staff were very prompt and friendly … 10/10 in all ways and even though it was a Friday evening was easy enough to get a table on walk in

Been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. Delicious food and lovely staff. A fabulous hidden gem in Durham.

Food is absolutely delicious, very generous portions, full of favour and arrived piping hot. Martina our waitress went above and beyond to make oir experience exceptional. Authentic restaurant with romantic ambience and delicious food, would definitely recommend and come here again.

Great Atmosphere but probably the worst pizza I’ve ever had. The base looked & tasted like cardboard. Definitely not had 2 day fermentation process. Pay the extra few £s and try somewhere else. Didn’t leave a service charge due to poor pizza, so we didn’t get a thank you or good evening!

OK food but seems to be getting very pricey, guys and gals serving very good :) Probably would not return in a hurry TBH

absolutely amazing food we’ve never had a bad meal there, the staff are incredibly friendly and attentive, food comes quickly and is fresh. i really can’t recommend it enough :) x

friendly staff, perfect food, can’t recommend enough x

Wow ! Lovely atmosphere and delicious food , will definitely be returning, hidden gem in Durham

We are regulars here and it never disappoints. Service was fantastic and staff very friendly. Food great as always. We love the buzz and atmosphere

Visited with my daughter for lunch. Food was very nice and the staff were all very friendly. Been here before and will definitely be returning.

Food was really nice. The staff were pleasant. Had a good night.

The carbonara is perfection! As always lovely staff.

Great atmosphere, very good food and Giuseppe was very kind at my arrival. I will return for sure in future with my Italian family. Matteo

Yesterday I went to Durham city for the first time in I don’t know how many years. My friend who was with me was the the same, so we had no idea as to where to have lunch. We read every menu as we walked through the city, as we were reading the menu here, two other ladies came out and said the food was excellent with decent sized portions. They were so right, the two people who were serving were extremely friendly and efficient and the food was freshly made and absolutely delicious. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and will be going there for meals when we visit Durham again.

Food nice. Hospitality zero. Food wasn’t bad at all but despite what we ordered I expected a couple of limoncello but in the end had to pay for it even though the table next to us got it free of charge.

Very informal, basic decor but very friendly and helpful staff. I changed my mind about which wine I wanted and they were nice about it. The food was okay - not great but filling, with big portions. I ordered melonzane (aubergine) parmigiana and it was...

Great place and food. The staff is friendly and provides a good service. A really good Italian food! Strongly suggested. Bartolomeo

Smaczne jedzenie w rozsądnych cenach. Bardzo miła obsługa. W godzinach wieczornych mocno gwarno. Brak dostępu dla wózków inwalidzkich i dziecięcych - lokal na piętrze.

Very prompt service, even when busy. Dining area is nicely decorated but a bit crammed on a weekend evening.

Our favourite family owned and run Italian restaurant in Durham. Everything freshly made to order and taste authentic. We dine here monthly.

Wine expensive and poor quality - asked for extra sauce on the spaghetti carbonara and it came back with extra water in the sauce - risotto was like stodgy rice with no flavour - garlic bread and pizza were ok

I don’t believe any of the food we had was made from ingredients on the premises. It looked and tasted like cheap stuff from a supermarket. Very disappointing because it looked quite authentic.

A fantastic Authentic Italian restaurant , the food was great & the staff first class , I would definitely recommend a visit if your ever in Durham .....

What can I say, fantastic food and lovely staff, well worth visiting 😊👍

Pizza crust did not support the toppings very well. Toppings were all very bland. Pasta was cooked well, but sauce was average at best. I'm convinced that the English must like there pizza crust limp and soggy.

There can’t be a chef working here. All pizzas start as a frozen store bought cheap margarita and they toss a few ingredients on the top with very little care. The two ordered at my table were still part frozen in the middle. Spag boll sauce clearly store bought just tastes like Heinz tinned spaghetti and they forgot the Bolognese. Carbonara was much the same some packet or jar or sauce and cheap ham. Service was lacking table constantly full of glasses but the waitress did kindly explain how to put a baby in the High chair🤨 would have been lost without her. Avoid at all costs, better pizza in greggs !!!

I ordered the Risotto with mushrooms and chicken. Very satisfied.

It was ok, we had booked in for a leaving do, but I wouldn't queue for it!

Visited here with 2 friends for a catch up this week went early around 5pm so didn’t need to book. The food was hot and delicious and the staff very friendly only downside was a group of noisey school children were in so hard to...

This was the best Italian food I have ever had!! We shared many variety of dishes and all were absolutely authentically delicious! The personal service we had was unforgettable. It was the best dining experience we had on our tour of the UK. I cannot wait to travel to to Durham again. I will certainly be visiting La Spaghetta.

Go to pizza express next door if you want average. Go here for below average. Avoid the pizza and garlic bread. Both board like. Pasta is heavy and tasteless. Salads are from 1970s and Abigails Party. Good atmosphere and wine. Locals love it. What do...

Go to pizza express next door if you want average. Go here for below average. Avoid the pizza and garlic bread. Both board like. Pasta is heavy and tasteless. Salads are from 1970s and Abigails Party. Good atmosphere and wine. Locals love it. What do I know

Excellent meal with friends. Good menu and wine selection. Well served by friendly staff.

Excellent food, good service & friendly staff

Great speedy service and top quality food. I love coming to this place and it is currently my favorite spot in town

Haven’t visited Durham since September last year. We were recognised instantly by the staff, who were on form as usual. The food was excellent, nice atmosphere. The waiter even gave us complimentary lemoncello shots & ameretti biscuits after our meal. Love this place.

Good Italian in the city centre. Food was tasty & plentiful.

Nie ma sobie równych, w Durham absolutnie najlepsza. Czujemy się tu jak w Italii, a Pan Raffaele potrafi zadbać o nasze doskonałe samopoczucie, he's everybody's friend. Przez rok marzyłam,żeby znów tam pójść

Good food in big portions, worth the money. We ordered the pesto penne, which was not too bad; the mushroom risotto was brilliant, the garlic bread and pizza were delicious, and the calamari was nice too. The three of us couldn’t finish all the food and brought a few takeaway boxes home after the meal—a great restaurant for lunch.

Good atmosphere wonderful food attentive staff reccomend

Great dining experience! Friendly staff and big portions. I really recommend the linguine with prawns!

Always quick service. Great food.

the service here was really good even while busy. the pasta was good and the garlic bread with cheese was also delicious. pizza wasn’t our favourite but overall the food was good and the service was excellent!

Fantastic meal - friendly staff, excellent service and generous portions of wonderful food. A real Durham favourite!

This was so bad I would think it gives disservice to the name tourist trap. The starters were poor. A brushetta with old dressing. Soggy chewy calamari. Then the mains! The pizza was barely better than an oven pizza. The dough is basically store bought bases and very Bready. The breaded chicken with cheese was bland. The sauce they used on there was the same sauce they use for everything. So it all tastes mid. The steak came with a peppercorn sauce best described as a soup. Avoid avoid avoid. Ps Being darker with candles doesn't mean you have good atmosphere.

Have been several times and thoroughly enjoyed the risotto and lasagna. Service was very fast in both cases and atmosphere was always very nice. Price was very affordable too. (Both items above only ~£10)