la spaghettata in County Durham

My personal favourite restaurant in the UK.

Recommended by a colleague but found the food very disappointing. Pizza bases seemed shop bought and overall quality poor including pasta. Shame

Went for a birthday meal, quite busy but service still good & food really nice.

Fun and cheerful place to enjoy some Italian food in Durham. Big portions and nice location. Recommended

The hottest lasagne I've ever had. Not sure where they managed to fit the volcano in the kitchen, but I'll figure it out next time.

Couldn't of asked for more, francious was the best, rapped me happy birthday ❤️❤️❤️

For a quick bowl of pasta it is ideal. The portions were huge! Not the best bowl of pasta but the price reflects this. All in all a great deal.

Thought we'd go for lunch here whilst dropping my son back at University as we'd seen all the great reviews. The pizzas we ordered and the garlic bread with cheese were extremely disappointing. They were clearly made on bought in pre made bases which were awful. Won't ever come back.

Incredible food and atmosphere, best Italian spot in Durham.

We used to go here regularly for our Italian food, over the last few years the quality has reduced drastically, the pizza bases are not made on the premises even though the owner said they were, the food was bland no seasoning, seems to be quantity before quality as it used to be, our meal tonight pizza base like cardboard, lasagne bland, Italian potatoes terrible left them, told staff not interested, get them in get them out

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here on a busy Saturday evening. As the restaurant doesn't take bookings there was quite a long queue to be seated. We only had to wait around 20 minutes before being shown to our table. There is a very authentic environment in the restaurant with the servers bustling around chatting in Italian. The food was delicious and arrived quickly. Highly recommend.

Excellent meal-good menu options, including gluten free dishes

Great service and delicious Food. Place needs a little upgrade. But overall Great value

WOWWWW!!! Normally my wife avoids tomatoes, we recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary, and this was the first time I actually saw her INHALE tomatoes...the Bruschetta was 10/10. We ordered a pasta dish and pizza to share between us, the room is full of chatter and you can totally see why...taste this, taste that...everyone was buzzing from the flavouraome food on show! We actually have a pet GOAT at home and they would be very happy with the food and the quality served!! Their hearts would bleat for us to bring some back home! Honestly, this is possibly some of the most amazing food we have ever tasted. Authentic Italian food, amazing staff and what a lovely, relaxing atmosphere!! Get down to here ASAP!!!

After a recommendation from the hotel barman, we had our evening meal here and it certainly lived up to the recommendation. We had a superb garlic bread with cheese to start, which we both agreed was one of the best we have had. Main courses were equally good, with my wife opting to have the Caesar Salad with prawns, a starter on the menu, for her main course. I had the lasagne, which was again superb and one of the best I have had in a long time. This gem of a restaurant was almost empty when we arrived, but was packed when we left…a testament to it reputation within the area. We will definitely eat here again if in the area.

Fantastic food at a very affordable price with a wonderful, cozy atmosphere! Would definitely recommend eating here to anyone in Durham.

Passing through during our vacation, we had a great time!

Food was amazing, service was excellent. If you want Italian in Durham I would highly recommend thus restaurant.

Solid wholesome unrefined food. Staff authentic. The portions were generous, very generous. Rustic setting on the 2nd floor.

Authentic Italian with a great host !

We visited La Spaghettata for an evening meal. It had been recommended by others as a great place to try. This is a place that does not take bookings and is first come first serve. We arrived around 8pm and queued on the stairs for 5 minutes. I didn't mind that as I thought it would be a good sign of how good the place was. We were seated and offered drinks, they were quick to arrive. We were given a few moments to choose our food and proceeded to order. The food arrived after around 10 minutes. The pizza was poor and had a frozen pizza look to it. The base was not fresh and I presume to be ordered in. The sauce and cheese also seemed to be lacking. From looking over reviews of this place I was expecting some authentic Italian food. I ended up leaving around 1/3 of the pizza because I didn't enjoy it. We then got the bill and the prices were good if I had of had a nice meal but unfortunately not.

Authentic Italian food served by authentic Italian staff and a few other non Italians who were great too! I had bruschetta to start and was given a pile of beautiful tomatoes and red onion lavished with olive oil and balsamic. Simple but spot on. I then had lasagna a bubbling hot plate of meaty pasta smothered in tomato sauce and bechamel. My daughter had the spaghetti bolognaise which was enough to feed two people! My son’s pizza had a spicy nip to it. It was amazingly well priced I would have expected to have paid more. Well worth a visit if you are in Durham.

We had a lovely time here celebrating our anniversary after recommendations from both our sons. Garlic bread came free with the house wine and we followed this with meatballs, and fettuccine with salmon. Both were delicious and portion size was generous. Great atmosphere and the place got very busy but the staff were all charming and attentive and we didn't feel rushed.

Excellent value for money, food is excellent and the service is brilliant!

Great traditional Italian restaurant with cheerful efficient service. Food is terrific with generous portions. Lovely atmosphere. Great value. We love it.

Excellent Italian restaurant in the centre of Durham. Up a flight of stairs, the restaurant is large with a quirky decor. Efficient, friendly service and great food. I had calamari and jumbo prawns with chorizo, which were delicious and good value. Very popular with students, and doesn't take bookings.

Nice Italian in Durham , only let down by the poor service, water didn't arrive, candle not lit on the table, for a group of five sticking the fifth on the end of a table isn't what I'd class as accommodating. Food was nice, the risotto was a little bland, but the chicken pizza was cooked well.

such a nice atmosphere but the food was horrible. Not even close to Italian. Pizza was the same as the one you buy for a pound from Tesco. Pasta was horrible - spaghetti swimming in tomato sauce. Majority of staff are Italian so it really baffles me how that's even possible?! Serving that joke of 'Italian' food.. would not recommend.

Good restaurant but lots of stairs!!

Table of 7 Quick service , good food , big portions value for money. Friendly service.

From Chile 🇨🇱 excellent service. We were on tour and had little time, they were very friendly and served us in record time. The best place and very cheap compared to the rest and very abundant.

Stumbled across this place. Excellent food, good atmosphere, great price and great service.. 👍👍

Enjoyed a great meal here. Couldn't fault it

Food was okay, but service was poor. Took an age to ask for our order, and as soon as we finished eating were hurried out.

Very nice Italian food I liked it and I recommend it 🙏

Very busy, great location. Excellent food for the price

Gorgeous food! I shared a cheesy garlic bread to start which was perfectly balanced, followed by the tortellini! It is my favourite! I always get it when I'm there! I also ordered the roast potatoes which were not what I was expecting as they were traditional in a tomato based sauce but they were delicious too! Always attentive service, quirky but cozy decor. A firm favourite amongst family and friends!

Just amazing. The atmosphere was perfect and food was served quickly and was superb. Would highly recommend.

Probably the best Italian restaurant I've been in, excellent food.

My choir were singing at Durham Cathedral and La Spaghettata hosted all 30 of us at short notice for an absolutely fabulous meal. Delicious food, a wonderful atmosphere, cheap and delicious drinks, attentive and accurate service with a smile. You couldn't ask for more and I'd give 6 stars if I could. Thank you.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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