I went here with a large group the other night, and the staff were gracious about letting us add…read moretwo extra people to our booking, even though it meant moving nearly every table in the place. The food was very nice, particularly the seafood dishes. However, we were all a little confused when the lights went out halfway through our meal. A fuse had apparently blown, but the waiters said it happened all the time, and left us to eat the rest of our meal by the light of a single candle. I like a bit of atmosphere as much as the next person, but I do like to be able to at least see my plate, if not exactly what's on it. Bottom line, however, is that this is good food at reasonable prices and I would definitely go back.

I had avoided Bistro Italiano like the plague because of the mass of bad Italian in Durham. I…read morefigured it was just like the rest of them. Had the opportunity to go the other night with a large party and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations. I ordered gnocchi which can sometimes not go too well. They did it perfectly, really very good. Everyone else seemed very happy with their meals and it all looked very good and at a reasonable price for the quality. Service was a bit spotty, but it was a very large group so its understandable. Will return!

So the staff were lovely, accommodating and friendly the Decor is .... different but quirky and…read moreunfortunately thats where it ends . The food order was incorrect but quickly changed so shows the good quality service. The sweet potato fries real let down as i am always excited to see them on a menu but this time they where just undercooked, the parmos where average and even though two parmos where ordered only one small garlic sauce provided (although im sure if we asked they would of gave us another) but we didnt finish the full meal to need a second. Over all id say the food is over priced for what we had comparing to local restaurants serving the same dish for £3-4 cheaper.

For what it is, It's very expensive. The food wasn't great and the cocktails were overpriced sugar…read moresyrup. The staff were friendly enough and the decor and atmosphere bring up the star rating from a 2 to a 3.

Absolutely delicious food, and the service is incredible!!! The atmosphere and ambiance is amazing,…read morewould definitely recommend.

You know when you've been sightseeing and touring all day and you're really down for dinner and all…read morethe places you had bookmarked to eat at didn't impress your friends so you end up walking up and down the streets and find a restaurant that you all love? That was La Spaghettata :) The four of us went for dinner and were seated right away with menus. We all decided on pastas (Pasta cooked with vodka, fettuccine with flakes of smoked salmon, and gnocchi with peas) and one of us got baked salmon (which also came with pasta....carb party!). A calamari appetizer was ordered and although I didn't have any, it heard it was nice and light despite being fried. A number of waiters kept coming to our section and looking at us and we couldn't really figure out why until one of us asked us if we were ready for our main course (who would've thought! I thought it was cute). The food then came right away. For the prices paid for the pastas (7.50 pounds which is around 14 dollars), the portions were very very good; i was stuffed and couldn't finish mine! Also they're very generous with their own.....ask them for a glass of red wine and you'll get a full glass.....a bit odd lol. Also, all pastas and pizzas come with a salad but we didn't know until we finished out food (there's a self serve salad bar on the other side of the restaurant) This is probably a personal opinion, but there is nothing I love more than going to a restaurant that radiates with culture. Minus the mainstream music, the decorations and Italian waiters and cooks really did it for me. Everyone was so sweet and kind. Come and eat, you won't be disappointed. **Just for all my fellow carbaholics out there.........they have spaghetti pizza. YUP, you read that correctly. Pizza with spaghetti on top. Carbs galore!**

So, this place definitely needs a glut of reviews, as it has had quite an overhaul I think, since…read morethe other pictures! It is still very much a restaurant with a chippy on the side (the chippy is also genuinely awesome), but snick past the chippy to the right, up the stairs, and you're in for a proper seafood treat. We were staying in Whitby, but after a Christening in York, we didn't know if we were going to be able to get up because of the sheer amount of snow the moors had had- so we didn't book- but were able to grab a table on chance. The setting is gorgeous, the tables are lovely, and the crockery is so lovely too (some of it made by a local artist- they even took the time to write down a list of suppliers for me). We had Thai fishcakes with chilli jam Mackerel with grapefruit apple and the most gorgeous peanut satay Scallops (perfectly cooked, of course), poached egg, caviar Sea trout "with textures of butternut squash" and toasted seeds Seafood linguine Poached autumnal fruits with ice cream Pear and salted caramel bread and butter pudding with hazelnut anglaise. Best food, best service, best setting, so full. All of that washed down with red wine, and seriously fresh, and stupidly reasonably priced. Lets just say the coastal road was blocked on the way home, and we skidded on the non-gritted ice having to go the other way- it would have been the most epic final meal ever. If you don't go here, you're daft.

Always reliable - great setting, decor, service and food. We come here every time we are in the…read morearea and it never disappoints. Desserts are always worth a try.

Simply superb! My wife and I were looking for a restaurant…read morein the Durham area and after looking online, La Spada was getting some rave reviews so it was our obvious choice. Thankfully we booked as at 6:30pm the place was already bustling thanks to their happy hour meal deals. The food here is very affordable and the menu is extensive with specialties from Southern Italy. We met the owner Roberto who'd converted the former pub into the town's most popular restaurant. He's done a great job on the place and the locals reward his investment with bums on seats. Quite simply you'd be foolish to overlook this place, it's a real gem in the most unlikely of places... Give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed!

The pasta is yummy, the pizzas fairly bland…read more The wine was delightful and both me and the hubby enjoyed it. Great service. Would recommend.

Pizzas have a unique flavour and taste heavenly. Would highly recommend!…read moreThe delivery service was fast too. Came in less that 30-mins

We had an excellent dinner at the Cellar Door when visiting our daughter in Durham recently…read more The festive menu was nice. Dishes we got included the lamb rump and the salmon wellington. These were excellent - 5 stars. We got excellent oysters to start. Dessert was the Christmas pudding baked Alaska, also excellent. We had a nice wine. Service was excellent, friendly and efficient. The ambience and decor are nice, with an attractive main dining area plus an atmospheric, more intimate space downstairs in the stone-lined cellar, where we ate. It is in the heart of the Bailey, the historic core of Durham.

The Cellar Door presented a fine banquet for my 55 visiting friends from the U.S. We a lovely…read moresetting on the terraces above the River Wear. Our 3-course meals were delightfully crafted and with artistic flair. Alex, the general manger, and his team made this a great and treasured experience for each of us. Bravo!

My first thought towards this dining experience over a week ago was I wouldn't even wade into the…read moreenthusiastic mostly 5-star rating of a French styled restaurant in a fairly small town in Northern rural England. Just let it go. So here's what is bothering me, and I have strong feelings about this: the beef bourguignon. It's not rocket science to make this dish, and its base is a rich, savory beef broth mingled with things like onions, carrots, shallots, herbs like thyme and rosemary and possibly other spices to the chef's liking. Happen to know a bit about the dish because I've been making it for years. It's all about the broth to this diner. And to be fair, I once had a sadder version of the dish in Paris long ago. So how hard is it to make? Well, apparently the chefs in pubs and similar dining spots along the way are able to craft outstanding versions of their steak and ale pie that are simply outstanding in their robust beef taste. If those chefs can make that dish so well, so savory, why can't something similar be applied to beef bourguignon? I maintain the broth in starting the cooking process was simply not up to par. Lacking in richness, the beef was over-dried, suggesting it had been sitting too long or just wasn't prepared correctly. Instead of baby potatoes, a side of mashed potatoes sat off to the side of the beef and broth. Sorely lacking in the amount of butter needed and low on salt, it was an unpleasant and uninspiring addition that added nothing to the dish. The salad that proceeded the meal was listed as shrimp and mango. Out came baby shrimp with the rubbery taste of just thawed, mixed with mango, then a massive amount of Thousand Island like dressing drenching it all with a few chives atop. Not a great effort. Kudos for offering a true French Malbec from the Southwest corner of the country, the black wine, but this one was pedestrian and was served in the kind of wine glass that screams cheapest serving ware possible with its thick rim around the top. I can commend the staff which was professional and on top of it on a busy Friday night. Beyond that, this is a pass for me. Should have stuck to a local pub serving traditional countryside pies as the ones I've had along the Coast to Coast walk, my reason for being here, have all been outstanding.

Thanks to Emily B's brilliant local knowledge we ended up here early-ish on a Saturday night to…read morebenefit from their pre-1830 set menu which at £15 for 2 courses and £18 for 3 is great value for the quality of the food. I had a nice crab cake to start and only had slight food envy of my bf's delicious deep fried brie (yeah would def get that next time). For mains I had a fantastic rich and beautiful cooked duck leg and then a classic creme brulee to finish. Bf had the beef bourguignon which he loved and was still commenting on days later. On the sides front I would recommend the creamed leeks and green beans (in garlic butter), only thing I wasn't so keen on was the ratatouille. Service was very good and I love the design of the restaurant which involves a fake outdoor pavement seating area!