Il Paradiso del Cibo - Restaurant review

Everybody knows that pizza, pasta and risotto have their origins firmly set in Italy. Nowadays, you can have pizza almost on every street corner - fast food restaurants and takeaways are more prevalent that ever. Despite the fact that there are many so called ‘Italian’ restaurants, very few have any connection to Italian cuisine apart from dishes’ names.

It was just before Christmas holidays when we decided as a flat to have a nice Italian dinner. Being real students always look out for a bargain, we looked to the student discount book and went to 'Bella Italia'. Why not! We thought. I must say, I can’t fault the quality of the food. I enjoyed the pleasant service, the wine was great and dishes were palatable. But for me, atmosphere is everything in a restaurant. Italian food has always carried passion with it and sadly “Bella Italia” didn’t reflect this true Italian spirit. Just few weeks ago I talked with one Italian student about restaurants in York which offered good Italian food. He told me: “The only truly Italian restaurant in York is 'Il Paradiso del Cibo'”. Food paradise? Sounds good. So, I decided to give it a try.

You would think eating at a restaurant doesn’t hold many problems. Well, in this instance you’d be wrong. We tried going on a Sunday, and, after strolling down Walmgate to No. 40, we were surprised to see it was closed. But then, what kind of real Italian man could work on a Sunday? At that point I thought it best to check the opening hours. So here they are, to save you a wasted journey:

Monday: 12.00 - 17.00

Tuesday: 12.00 - 17.00

Wednesday: 12.00 - 15.30 and 18.00 - 22.00

Thursday: 12.00 - 15.30 and 18.00 - 22.00

Friday: 12.00 - 15.30 and 18.00 - 22.00

Saturday: 12.00-15.30 and 18.00-22.00

Sunday: Closed.

We tried again a week later, this time on a Saturday. It was open but… completely full! However, we were promised a table would be free after 15 minutes. We duly waited, and as soon as I was ushered into my chair I felt it. I felt something unique sitting in that small restaurant with Italian soaps on the TV, garlic swinging from the ceiling, and where national flags and photos of the owner Paolo Silesu covered the walls. A waitress came and asked in Italian accent if we would like something to drink. This was it! I’d found authentic and cosy Italian restaurant.

We ordered a red wine from Sardinia and the starter which included olives, 3 different kinds of Italian ham, cheese and jalapeño peppers. A waiter showed us the board on the wall with the day’s special offers. Everything written on that board is completely fresh and only made on that day. However, I ordered lasagne (still only £5.95!) from the main menu as I’d been dreaming about having a ‘proper’ one for some time.

In ‘Il Paradiso del Cibo’ you forgot the concept of time - it was lovely. We were just sitting, chatting and enjoying a glass of wine with our starters. The service was excellent and customer service outstanding. After an hour I was asked if I would like my lasagne - when the waiter served it, it was still boiling. It was absolutely exquisite. Whilst we were enjoying ourselves we could here friendly Italian chit chat in the background. It seemed that this restaurant really was Italian to the core. To confirm this, I asked the waiter where it was run only by Italians his answer was - “Italians? It is run by Sardinians”.

If you want to taste a bit of Italian culture and you do not believe in takeaway pizzas – this restaurant is perfect for you. What’s more, the prices are very reasonable. Two glasses of good wine, two starters and a lasagne was only £19. You can have pasta for £6, pizzas for around £10 and the daily specials for £9. Believe me, you will leave satisfied and with a full stomach – check it out.

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