Categories: durham
Date: 12 April 2010 07:42:48
In the mist of real life going on I haven't gotten around to reviewing a lovely new little Italian that's opened up just outside Durham, in West Rainton, The Italian Farmhouse. Now anybody who knows Durham knows that you're not short of Italian food round here, of varying quality and varying authenticity. This one i a little different though, and one I would really like to recommend as worth investigating.
As you approach you are a little suprised to find a good quality restaurant here, it is proper Chavland. The community hall opposite even has barbed wire on it. The building itself is split into two halves, local with flatscreen and gobby daughter of landlady on one side and beautiful restaurant on the other.
Food wise TOH started with the Garlic bread having discovered the asparagus crepes had sold out. It was huge, but "yum".
Mains were excellent, although I would have appreciated knowing that the carbonara had onion in the sauce. Pizzas were also of an excellent size. The lack of grease on the food was a rare exception to many of the Italians locally.
Deserts were mouthwatering. TOH had passion fruit ice-cream which was gorgeous and I had a rubarb compte thing which was absolutely heavenly. The wine wasn't bad either, and we overheard a regular, who seemed local from her level of foundation and hair dye, telling her friends about how the owner was happy to use his extensive knowledge to recommend if you wanted.
My only gripe was that the prices quoted on the board outside were only available, apparently, if you had a voucher. There was no indication of how to get a voucher. That said this was still a cheap night out for the quality of food you got and the atmosphere was lovely, even if the view of the community centre was a little unorthodox.
They don't appear to have a website up and running yet, perhaps preferring to go on word of mouth. The place did appear quite busy though and so it is probably somewhere worth booking into before you go. It's just off the A690, and also, more importantly for those of us without cars, on the no. 20 bus route. I fully recommend it as a place to explore and treat your taste buds with.