Lunch / ££ / 6/10

After hearing lots about the buzzing food scene in Beeston we kept meaning to visit but a ring road and a desire for ease above most things meant it is still on my to do list (see also ‘Sherwood’). Luckily for us the much praised Compa has opened a city centre branch so we booked in for lunch on a frosty Friday.

From research online it was clear that people love the service and food at Compa but on viewing photos of the interior I had a couple of reservations. When you get there it makes a little more sense but you can’t really escape the fact a modern, light, corner unit has been retro fitted to look like a quaint local taverna. The interior is in a battle with the building and the blue LED’s do nothing to break up the fight.

We were warmly greeted on arrival and told we could chose a table but the layout was a bit off – 3 tables of 4 were against the window with one table of 2 right next to the door. I was freezing so opted to sit as far from the door as possible but still left my coat on during the meal as it wasn’t warm (and I was driving so didn’t even have a booze coat). We ordered Bruschetta and Arancine for starters. The bruschetta was bursting with colour (contrary to the awful photos) and the warmth of the garlic rubbed on the bread elevated it. The Prosciutto and Mozarella Arancine tasted under seasoned at first but I enjoyed the warm stickiness of the cheesy rice. I crossed my knife and fork after one and then found myself asking The Northerner a minute later if I could have another. On returning for a second I realised they were quite addictive.

The Northerner ordered the the Porchetta for a main course and I had Pasta al Forno with the hope of warming up. The waiter assured us all the food was freshly cooked and the chef came out the kitchen to cut the Porchetta loin from the display fridge. It was all very reassuring, the wax tablecloths and TV whisper in your ear ‘this doesn’t look good though’. On arrival what the Porchetta lacked in presentation it made up for in authenticity, in a different (better) world I am sure this dish is served under a vine in Sicily. The potatoes managed to balance the sweetness of garlic without any acrid taste when it is burnt. The skin on the porchetta had a rich snap on first inspection but folded in the way I remember pork crackling used to. The generous dried herbs used in the dish complimented.

My rigatoni was a compact and simple affair. The highlight was the sweetness of the ragu, it was a little oily but neither me or The Northerner could leave it alone and we found ourselves revisiting the small dish even after declaring we were ‘done’.

For pudding we were assured that the Cannoli were the best option but I wanted to try a little more so ordered the caramel cake. I should have listened to the waiter as the pistacho cannoli was very good. It was sweet but there was the aftertaste from the ricotta cheese which meant it never became sickly. I pretty much ignored the caramel cake until it was finished.

Compa has been one of the hardest places to review since I started the blog. If housed in a different building where the interior focused on authenticity AND warmth I would probably be singing it’s praises from the rooftop. Although the food was good we both left smelling of the oil used to cook the Porchetta and a bit crestfallen.