On my search for Nottingham’s best coffee shop, a small restaurant on the corner of Heathcoat Street caught my eye.
It’s an independently run Sicilian restaurant that lights up in the evening with its blue Mediterranean inspired lights. Whist many other Italian restaurants throughout the city take inspiration from many different regions of Italy, Compà specialises in the island unique cuisine.
From the moment you enter, you’re engulfed with the feel of the southern island region, from hanging artwork from all around the island and of its spiritual figures to desserts on display waiting to be indulged in.
Once we were seated we began by ordering a round of drinks, I went with a glass of rose and my guest an Aperol Spritz (you’re going to enjoy if you like them on the strong side).
From the moment we entered, the staff were so friendly. They took the time to explain the menu a little bit for us. All of the food follows the classic Italian values of simple ingredients done well.
Once we had washed our palettes with the alcohol, we decided it was time to move on to deep fried food. Starting with the Arancini with beef ragu (as recommended by our waiter) and the Crocchè Siciliane.
As someone who only recently discovered (and has fallen in love with) the Arancini I’ve already been scarred by dry overpriced versions. This was not one of those, oozing out of the crispy outside is slow cooked ragu and rice, holding the deep rich flavour though both the tomato sauce and the ragu.
The Crocchè Siciliane, which is most comparable to a Spanish croquette was honestly unbelievable. The cheese flavour comes through nicely with there being a healthy amount throughout the mashed potato.
Deciding to stick to our theme of rich meat based dishes, we tried out the Lasagne and the Pasta Con Ragu Di Salsiccia for mains.
From the moment we saw these we knew they would be good, if for no other reason than the amount of parmesan grated on top.
The Lasagna melted in your mouth from the first bite, with its soft layers of meat and fresh pasta. Down the middle it had a strip of cheese which was a nice touch, due to there not being a strong taste of the bechamel sauce.
After being defeated by the mains (and getting it to go) we carried on by ordering desserts.
Cannoli and other pastries are available for sale throughout the day, and in the evening you can see the whipped Nutella filling being pipped in front of you.
In contrast to the whipped Nutella which almost had a gelato flavour due to the cream and airiness being paired merged well, the shell was crisp when you bit into it, allowing for a nice contrast.
The chocolate cake was nice, with a moist sponge. But could have had slightly more sauce to dip the cake in.
Gifted.
