Il Paradiso del Cibo: A slice of Italy in the heart of York

Even if you happen to notice the Italian flags on the steamed-up glass, or the onions and garlic hanging in the window panes, you might mistake it for one of York’s take-away pizza places, or at the most an Italian deli-style café.

However, the restaurant has the lived-in feel of a family home, and we sit in a room with five or six other small tables, while day-time Italian television blares in the background. The waiters talk to one another, and many of the customers, in Italian; family photos and a map of Italy hang on the walls. I feel far from York.

So, how did Paolo and his family end up here? I find out that Paolo’s brother owned the restaurant, which was originally a small delicatessen, before him. Paolo tells us his reasons for joining the family business was: "I wanted to learn Italian, and this seemed like the easy option."

Apparently York is home to about 15-20 Italian families and Paolo tells us that around 50% of his customers are Italian. An Italian family wander in as we speak and Paolo immediately gets up to greet them. These friends are obviously important to him: "The one thing we always lacked was a place to get together, to watch television and eat Italian food."

This homespun atmosphere adds to the delights of fresh ingredients and authentic Italian cooking. I order ‘spaghetti alla carbonara’ (reasonably priced at £5.75) which comes in a steaming generous portion, topped with parmesan cheese. The ingredients are fresh, simple, and the result is delicious.

Paolo buys some of his ingredients, namely vegetables and salad, locally; the rest is imported from Italy, including some more special vegetables such as aubergines and Italian mushrooms. Paolo tells me proudly that his ingredients are something on which he makes ‘no compromises’.

I am directed through the kitchen in my search for the toilets where Paolo is busy over several pans, and accidentally find myself on the threshold of the store room.

"You can do the washing-up if you like!", Paolo jokes.

In the future Paolo plans to expand the restaurant further. A hole in the wall of the kitchen is essential to his ambitious-sounding plan, so that the chef can communicate more easily with his customers; and Paolo explains his reasons for this: "That’s what makes it successful; we talk to our customers and explain the different combinations."

The restaurant is also popular with students; a group of them were just leaving when we walked in. As we sip from large mugs of cappuccino I ask Paolo whether he can explain Il Paradiso del Cibo’s success; he shrugs his shoulders modestly and says the restaurant’s popularity with students developed through word of mouth and people telling their friends. Asking Paolo for his phone number, he begins to give me the numbers in Italian!

What I liked about Il Paradiso del Cibo was its charm, simplicity, and of course the tasty and wholesome nature of its cuisine. A combination which makes this friendly little restaurant well worth a detour to sample the real rustic Italian culture often missed when you order a takeaway pizza after a night out.

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