Compa Sicily in Beeston has truly mastered the art of bringing Sicilian cuisine to life. "Dinner With Nonna" is an experience I won't soon forget. From the warm ambience to the impeccable service and the outstanding dishes that celebrated the flavours of Sicily, every element of the evening was extraordinary. If you're seeking an authentic and delectable taste of Sicily, make your way to Compa Sicily – it's an Italian culinary gem that deserves to be celebrated. I can't wait to return and explore more of their menu.
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What a wonderful evening my husband and I enjoyed at Compa', yesterday.
Each Wednesday through September they are holding a set evening menu of traditional dishes cooked by nonna. You will be treated to the cooking skills, traditions and years of practice by one of the owners' mothers; I can assure you this is as authentic as it gets as I am Italian myself. The decor is simple because just like in Italy, it is not about your surroundings, its about the food. Each dish arrived presented in a simple way as it would be in any local taverna in (real) Italy.
The menu is a filling four course affair (come hungry). The antipasti is generous with olives, bocconcini (bite size mozzarella) pizza, bread made by one of the owners' fathers (the bread is so very Italian and I heard a few people comment on it) and a few other items. We were then served rigatoni con fagioli e patate: pasta with beans and potato. Another staple meal from the southern most regions of Italy.
Being vegetarian, we did not eat the chicken course and were served parmigiana as an alternative. This is a simple dish of layered aubergine and a ragu. Simple by no means equates to easy and there is a skill in perfecting it. In my opinion, if you have never eaten it before, ditch the chicken and try it. It parked me right back in my own nonna's kitchen.
If you still have room, the dessert course is also an authentically Sicilian. They have steered away from the obvious Italian desserts like tiramisu' and have opted to offer you cannoli: a roll of hard pastry filled with riccotta. I have eaten this dessert here before and can say that the pistachio one is excellent. It is very sweet though and if you are more of a savory person or you don't really like desserts, half might be enough but take the rest home!
The meal ended with a regional drink called zamu', served with water and over ice ( perhaps leave the car at home).
I am a Malbec drinker and although they didn't serve that, the owner offered me a wine that was very similar and I very much enjoyed a glass of Nero D'Avola , it carried the same weight in the mouth as a Malbec does but did sit heavy in the stomach.
The restaurant was never over crowded or noisy and the friendly, accommodating staff handled what looked like a busy evening with ease. If you make one of these evenings you will meet the lovely elderly Italian lady who is cooking for you. The meal was not rushed and nor did we wait long between courses, all four courses plus the zamu' will mean your evening will last around two and half hours. Of all the Italian restaurants I have eaten in outside of Italy, this by far ticks the traditional box for me.
The restaurant is small and it does get warm. I saw a previous poster say they needed an air con unit which is now installed. They keep the kitchen door open and so at any time on your way to the bathroom you can see the magic at work. There is a great sense of family about how things are ran here which is very much how you are treated as you arrive. Compa' is a new kid on the block and they are small but I think they will very much give other Italian restaurants a run for their money.
Went for dinner recently. Waiter and owner (I presume) were both very knowledgeable and friendly. The atmosphere was laid back and felt very traditional. Food was amazing and great value! We had the lasagne, homemade burger, pistachio canollo and chocolate mousse, would recommend all of them! Will definitely be back to try some of the other dishes soon.
Absolutely excellent food. The decor is quite basic, and it could do with some aircon, all of which would hopefully come if they do well. And they should do well because the service and menu are top notch
Sicilian NOT Italian! Don't expect pizza! Bright, fresh décor, colourful and cheerful. Very friendly service. Not huge portions but totally adequate. Lovely flavours and variety
Visited for the first time this evening and had a great time - the food was absolutely excellent, some of the best I've had in the Nottingham area, and reasonably priced too. Service was excellent, the restaurant itself is loveley - what more can you ask for? Will definitely be visiting again soon! Great place!
We all had an amazing time. Food was wonderful and service first class. Porchetta was just like what you have in Italy (family live there so I know a good one when I taste it) Highly recommend!!
This is a fantastic little place & dinner at Nonna’s is amazing. So exciting to find out each course as you go along! But Nonna must return to Sicily & we may not get to experience this again. Hope to be back to sample some more of Compa’s food again soon.
Lovely atmosphere coupled with fresh delicious food ! We visited on a rainy and gloomy day, but felt like we were having our lunch sitting in the sunshine ☀️ thank you so much !
The food is definitely something special you can't taste anywhere in Beeston and surroundings. I'll be dreaming about the lemon tiramisu for days to come ! 😋
Dinner with Nonna 20th September 23.
Absolutely fantastic meal, didn't want it to end. A great way to try dishes you would perhaps be shy to pick ordinarily. An intimate Sicilian experience. Thank you so much.
There are not enough words to describe how wonderful a dining experience this was. From the moment I stepped in the door I felt right at home. If you cannot get to Sicily, this is the next best thing. Exquisite, authentic, proudly homemade food and warm and welcoming service. Magic!
Just what we wanted - a great Italian place here in Beeston. Lovely flavours, relaxed, all cooked from scratch. A cut above the standard Italian style - true Italian. This will become a regular visit.
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My nan is a decent cook: she has mastered the sultana loaf and her shepherd's pies can impress even the most beleaguered parents at a junior school PTA stand. But alas she is not a patch on the lovely Nonna, who cooked for my friend and me at a recent special event at Compà.
We arrived reservationless, not even aware that the event was happening; I had enjoyed the restaurant before for lunch and we wanted to see what was on offer in the evening. Yet despite being fully booked, the lovely team found a spot for us, and I'm so glad they did.
Nonna had rustled up a beautiful four course menu of family-recipe dishes, each hearty, delicious, and prepared with evident care. The cauliflower pasta in particular was outstanding, as was the crisp pistachio cannoli. The courses were followed by zammù, a delightful Sicilian digestif that neither of us had tried before.
More impressive still was the service. Nothing was too much trouble for the lovely team: they were friendly, efficient, seemed to care about each customer. My friend, for example, has a fairly severe nut allergy and we are both vegetarian, so the owner checked carefully what we could eat and offered to cook a special parmigiana just for us in substitution for one of the meat dishes.
If I had to make any critique, no matter how slight, it would be about rigour and consistency to save time for busy service staff and to prevent the customer from having to ask questions. Tap water should be served to each table by default, for example, while asking proactive questions after each approach ('is there anything else you need?' or 'How about another X?') will help in making customers feel valued and, of course, in generating further sales.
But these are the few tiny improvements I can suggest to what is an excellent little restaurant. I really hope this place enjoys every success; if they can make each service as wonderful as this event night, they'll soon rival even the best central restaurants in Nottingham.
Felt transported to Siciily with their authentic food, decor and Sicilian hosts! We went with the whole family and had a fantastic time in a brilliant atmosphere. The hosts are really warm, welcoming and hardworking people! Can’t wait to go again!
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This review gained a lot of traction on FB, so I thought I'd post it here so everyone can see what all the fuss was about! I went to the “Dinner with Nonna” evening because I thought it’d be something different when I couldn’t be fussed with going the whole way into the city. I wasn’t expecting to be as blown away as I was! From the minute I got in it felt really comfortable and authentic (really loved the Sicilian music and TV!) Some of the food was unfamiliar to me, but the team very patiently discussed all of it with me without rushing, which just made me feel so much more relaxed.
The dinner was gorgeous set meal which included one of the best cannoli I’ve ever had. It’s a family business, and I absolutely adored that it was made specially by the grandmother of the family who I even had the pleasure of meeting. The team were so kind and attentive and the atmosphere really made it feel like a family dinner. According to Facebook, they've extended 'Dinner With Nonna' for the first 3 weeks of October, just as a little heads up to anyone thinking of going - now's your chance!
It was a really special cultural experience that I just felt I had to share. Once again I’m blown away but the fantastic independent business culture we have in this lovely town ❤️
Thank you, I’ll be back!
The food tastes the same as it does in Sicily. Beautiful food and excellent hosts who go the extra mile. From the moment you walk through the door and from the moment you walk out of it, you are treated to a platinum service by those in the front and back of house. The caponata is divine.
A little gem in Beeston! Lovely family-run restaurant serving authentic handmade Sicilian food. I've been there several times and always had a great experience, the food is amazing from starters to desserts and the staff very welcoming. The menu is often updated with new delicious dishes and plenty of vegan options too. I could never get tired of this place!
I have dined in a few times. It is authentic, and the staff are lovely, food is excellent, and when I visited the last few times it has been quiet which is probably because it was lunchtime but it there is lots of choice it’s great value for money, and I wholeheartedly recommend a visit. The cannolo is to die for.
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