Ristorante Capriccio

Reminiscing on a load of memories, today I decided to step away a bit from Oslo and come to talk to you about a restaurant that I really enjoyed visiting... in 2012 in the United Kingdom.

The restaurant is called Ristorante Capriccio and it is located in the historic town of Durham (where you will find the third oldest university in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge). Durham is situated to the south of Newcastle and it is a city that is worthwhile visiting, but we'll save that for another post. I'm going to focus on this amazing restaurant.

It is located in the centre of Durham so it is quite easy to find. My worry with it being in the United Kingdom was that it would be a bad imitation of Italian restaurants and therefore, that I would waste my money on eating fake-Italian food.

But I should tell you something cool: they are Italians. The boss is Italian and so are the waiters. The really nice owner served us, and in Italian (the moment they see that you are Spanish they really start sweet-talking you). The man was very endearing, wow. Very Italian!

The restaurant was divided into two or three floors. We ate upstairs and there was still another one. The tables were covered by red tablecloths and the restaurant's decor left me gob-smacked. Turns out the guy is a big fan of motorbiking and Formula 1, so all the restaurant was full of:

1. Italian flags
2. Motorbiking photos, especially of Valentino Rossi and Marco Simoncelli (who at the time we went had died, so we had a conversation with the owner about it).
3. Photos of Ferraris.
4. Signed pictures of the drivers.

Honestly, I could talk about the history of motorbiking here. It was really interesting. I really liked the vibe of the restaurant.

The level of service was absolutely unbeatable, also we were almost the only people there, so they were very quick and really attentive. But well, in general Italians are very chatty.

You can look at the menu in Italian and English: in fact, it is in Italian and has the explanation next to it in English. I am going to put it here so that you can have an idea of price as well as what you can order.

Cold starters

• Bruschetta Napoletana - home-made bread with tomato, basil, onion and pesto (v) £4. 95
• Antipasti - A selection of Italian delicatessen starters (for two people) £14. 00
• Caprese - Tomatoes with mozarella seasoned with olive oil and oregano (v) £4. 95
• Prosciutto di Parma con Melone - Parma Ham with melon £7. 65
• Terrine di Pate Della Casa - Chicken with homemade duck liver pate served with crusty bread £4. 95
• Carpaccio di Filletto - Thin fillets of veal served on a heated plate with Parmesan flakes (for those who don't know, the meat is raw) £8. 95
• Ortaggi Marinati - mix of roasted vegetables with an Italian marinade (v) £5. 95

Hot starters

• Focaccia with Mozzarella and Tomato 25
• Garlic Focaccia 95
• Rosemary Focaccia 25
• Focaccia with Pomodoro sauce 95
• Focaccia Capriccio – Red onion and blue cheese (v) £5. 95
• Bocconcini Mozzarella - Buffalo mozzarella with roasted Parma ham £5. 95
• Parmiggiana di Melenzane - Oven-cooked aubergine with tomato and basil (v) £5. 95
• Bucce di Patata - Chip skins served with mayonnaise and garlic (v) £3. 95
• Funghi Ripieni All’ Aglio - Mushrooms filled with pate £4. 95
• Avocado Sorpresa - Avocado filled with prawns, lettuce and Dolcelatte cheese £5. 95
• Funghi Trifolati- Sliced mushrooms with garlic and white wine with crunchy bread (v) £4. 95
• Funghi al Marsala - Pan-fried mushrooms with garlic, butter and Marsala wine and crunchy bread (v) £4. 95

Appetisers of cold fish

• Smoked salmon and Norwegian prawns served with tartar sauce £9. 85
• Salmone Affumicato - Scottish smoked salmon £7. 15
• Coppa Cocktail di Gamberetti - prawns with rosemary sauce £5. 95
• Melone Capriccio - melon basket filled with Norwegian prawns and rosemary sauce £6. 55

Appetisers with hot fish

• Calamari Fritti - Fried calamari £6. 85
• Bianchetti - Whitebait £5. 95
• Cozze Fresco alla Marinara - Fresh mussels in fresh cream and onion £7. 95
• Cozze Fresco Capriccio - Fresh mussels in garlic, tomato and pepper £7. 95
• Gamberoni all’Aglio - King prawns in garlic £8. 95

Soups

• Zuppa del Giorno - Soup of the day £3. 25
• Stracciatella alla Romana - Consomme with eggs and parmesan £3. 60
• Zuppa di Cipolla - onion soup (v) £3. 80
• Zuppa di Pomodoro - tomato soup (v) £3. 80
• Zuppa del Pescatore - Fish soup with rice £14. 95

Pasta

• Napolitan Spaghetti(v) £6. 25
• Spaghetti alla Chitarra - Garlic, olive oil, parsley and pepper (v) £6. 95
• Spaghetti Puttanesca - Garlic, anchovies, black olives and capers £7. 45
• Spaghetti Bolognese - Pasta with ragu tomato sauce £6. 95
• Rigatoni all’Amatriciana - Pasta tubes with bacon, mushrooms and tomato £6. 95
• Rigatoni Arrabbiata - Pasta tubes with tomato and chilli (v) £6. 95
• Risotto Pollo e Funghi - Chicken and mushroom risotto 75
• Gnocchi di Patate alla Sorrentina - Tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese (v) £7. 95
• Lasagna al Forno - Baked pasta layered with Bolognese and bechamel sauce and mozzarella cheese £7. 95
• Penne alla Siciliana - Tubes of pasta with aubergine, basil, mozzarella cheese and tomato (v) £7. 65
• Tagliatelle Capriccio - Mushrooms, chicken pieces and onion £7. 75
• Tagliatelle alla Carbonara – cream, eggs, onion and pancetta £7. 75

Seafood pasta

• Linguini alle Cozze - mussels, garlic, chilli, olive oil and tomato £8. 95
• Pappardelle al Salmone - Fresh pasta with fresh salmon, green peppercorn, tomato, onion and parsley £9. 75
• Spaghetti alla Scoglio - with garlic, tomato and a selection of fish and shellfish £10. 85
• Spaghetti al Tonno - Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, tuna and olives £8. 75
• Risotto Pescatore - Seafood and tomato £9. 85

Pizzas

• Margherita - Classic mozzarella and tomato (V) £5 95
• Regina - Mozzarella, tomato, ham, mushrooms and olives £6. 95
• Napoletana - Mozzarella, tomato, anchovies and olives (v) £6. 45
• Capricciosa - Mozzarella, tomato, ham, artichokes, anchovies and olives 45
• Americano - Mozzarella, tomato and pepperoni £7. 95
• Diavola - Mozzarella, tomato, pepperoni and jalapeno peppers £8. 45
• Costiera - Mozzarella, tomato, ham, mushroom and tuna £7. 95
• Quattro Stagioni - Mozzarella, tomato, ham, mushroom, salami, artichokes and olives £8. 45
• Padrona - Mozzarella, tomato, cherry tomatoes and pesto (v) £6. 95
• Capriccio - Mozzarella, tomato, cherry tomato, ham and Parmesan cheese £9. 95
• Capriccio Vegetariana - Mozzarella, tomato, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, red onion, black olives and Parmesan cheese (v) £8. 95
• Scoglio - Mozzarella, tomato, prawns, squid and mussels £11. 95
• Barabba - Mozzarella, tomato, pepperoni, salami and Bolognese sauce £8. 95
• Pizza Kiev - Mozzarella, tomato, Cajun chicken, mixed peppers, red onion and chilli £9. 95
• Pizza Calzone - ask the chef for the ingredients of the day. 00
• Pizza Ortolano - mixed vegetables marinated in balsamic vinegar (v) £7. 50
• Pizza Hawaii - Mozzarella, tomato, ham and pineapple £8. 45

Fish

• Gamberoni all’Aglio – King prawns in garlic sauce £18. 95
• Gamberoni alla Provinciale – King prawns in tomato, garlic and wine served on a bed of rice £19. 95
• Salmone alla Vodka – Salmon with Norwegian prawns, vodka and cream £14. 95
• Filletto di Sogliola Capriccio – Flounder fillet in onions, mushrooms, prawns, mussels and cream £15. 95
• Salmone al Pepe Nero –Pan fried salmon with black pepper, lime and sauce £14. 95

li>Gamberoni & Cozze Massimo - King prawns, mussels, olive oil, garlic, chilli, parsley and white wine £19. 95

Chicken dishes

• Suprema di Pollo Capriccio - Chicken with olive oil, garlic, tomato and mozzarella £10. 95
• Suprema di Pollo al Dolcelatte - Blue cheese, brandy and cream £10. 45
• Suprema di Pollo Della Casa - Chicken supreme in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and white wine £9. 85
• Piccata di Pollo al Limon - lemon sauce, garlic and white wine £10. 40
• Pollo Diavolo - Chicken breast, chilli sauce and cherry tomatoes £9. 85
• Suprema di Pollo Aristocratico* - prawns, cream, mustard and vodka £12. 00
• Suprema di Pollo alla Crema - Mushrooms, onion, wine and cream sauce £10. 95
• Pollo Diana - Mushrooms, French mustard, brandy and cream £10. 95
• Pollo al Pepe Nero - Black peppercorns, brandy and cream £10. 95
• Pollo Dello Chef - onion, mustard, asparagus, brandy and cream. £11. 50
• Pollo Parmiggiano - classic Parseman chicken £12. 45
• Pollo Terragon - Shallot, onion, fresh tarragon, tomato with rice £10. 95
• Pollo Milanese - Chicken breast in breadcrumbs £11. 45
• Pollo Kiev - Mozzarella, garlic and oregano £12. 95

Desserts

• Tiramisu – Italian ice-cream £4. 25
• Profiteroles – £4. 25
• Crepé Grand Marnier –Crepe with Grand Marnier sauce and ice-cream £5. 95
• Torta Cioccolato – chocolate tart with cream or ice-cream £4. 25
• Torta della Nonna– Italian tart with cream and nuts £4. 25
• Gelato – Selection of ice-creams £4. 25
• Sorbetto – sorbet £4. 25
• Gelato Capriccio– special ice-cream with chocalate syrup and bits of cake £4. 25
• Gelato Affogato– special ice-cream with espresso and sambuca (strong Italian liquor which is similar to aniseed) £4. 95
• Dolce Latte – Italian cheese £5. 25
• Torte di Mele – apple tart with cream or ice-cream £4. 25

This is all for today, outside of the Italian dishes they also have English ones. I ordered a pizza and it was amazing. We also ordered focaccia before the main course.

The quality was very good and the price, seeing as it's in pounds, was in line with the quality.

I'd recommend it 100 per cent.