Sheffield restaurant 'provides some of the best Italian food in the city'

An Italian meal tends to be a good people pleaser – and Come a Casa italian restaurant in Chapeltown surely provides some of the best on offer in the city.

Just a stones throw away from the train station, you’ll find this charming and very welcoming eatery, on Burncross Road. I visited on a Sunday evening with my partner, Tom, and we were both impressed from the moment we stepped through the door.

The staff were friendly and attentive, directing our attention to the specials board and allowing us plenty of time to read the very extensive menu and make our choices. Tom chose both his dishes from the specials board; stuffed bell peppers for starter (£6.30) followed by ribeye steak for main (£24.20). I stuck to the traditional menu and opted for mozzarella in corrozza (£7.90) and then the pinole pasta (£11.95).

We felt comfortable and relaxed while we sipped on our drinks and waited for our food but we didn’t have to wait long. Both dishes looked inviting, but special mention must go to the flair that had been put in to the presentation of Tom’s food – a circle of peppers, with olives and a salad garnish in the middle and swirls of balsamic around the outside. It’s clear that a lot of effort goes into creating each dish. In fact, it looked so good I was quite envious but luckily he let me share.

The bell peppers were tangy contrasted with the sweet soft cheese inside, and the filling was plentiful. Although the portion sizes here are more than genereous enough, Tom commented that he could have eaten more and due to how moreish they were I agree. My starter – deep fried mozzarella cheese in breadcrumbs with a tomato and basil sauce – was everything a cheese-lover like me could want. The ingredients of the sauce tasted fresh and the cheese melted in the mouth.

Our mains were equally well received. My pinole pasta was a rich combination of pesto, pine kennels, garlic, bechamel, raisins and tomato, topped with cheese (on request). I’d never had raisins in pasta before so I tried the dish out of curiousity and I loved the contrast between the saltier pesto, garlic and cheese and the sweet raisins. The balance of all the ingredients was perfect. As a vegetarian, it was also the first time I’d seen this particular dish on a menu and it felt a treat for me to have a pasta dish that wasn’t the standard arrabiata.

Tom had asked for his steak to be cooked rare and when it arrived he was pleased to find it was cooked as he had hoped, calling it a perfect steak which he thoroughly enjoyed. He also complimented the chef on his vegetable accompaniments, saying he had never enjoyed peas so much due to their seasoning.

Our total bill, including two alcoholic drinks, came to £61.40.