Di Rita’s has been at the top of my list for some time. Located on the St Ives main square in The Old Bank, it is an authentic family-run Italian restaurant with a superb reputation across Cambridgeshire.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a restaurant set in an old bank. In the back of my mind, I was imagining a historic interior but Di Rita felt modern, clean, and new. Almost like it had recently been refurbished.

The high ceilings were very welcome when coupled with the tall windows and made the restaurant feel light and spacious. Overlooking us in his splendour was a painting of Pavarotti himself proudly reminding us of what makes Italy great. I noticed a lot of Italian products for sale, along with a small Italian deli, meaning this is more than a restaurant but also a shop you can pop in.

Drinks

I was disappointed not to see any beer on tap but bottles of Birra Moretti were available. There was an extensive wine list, cocktails, and mocktails (for us drivers 😭) making sure all their drink bases are covered.

My guest reluctantly ordered a bottle of Moretti and I had myself a delicious and highly refreshing mocktail called “The Fruity One”. This is made from orange, cranberry juice, lemonade and grenadine – offering something a little different from the usual choice for the designated driver (Coca Cola 😴).

Antipasti board (cheese and meat)

While studying the menu, we caught an eye on one of my favourite Italian delights – the antipasti board.

At Di Rita’s you are given a choice between three options.

• Meat & cheese

• A calamari board

• Garden board (vegetarian)

We were tempted by all three, especially the calamari board but we couldn’t resist the pull of the meat and cheese board.

This comes with a selection of spicy salami, prosciutto crudo, mortadella ham, provolone, grana padano,
pecorino piccante and a basket of artisan bread.

Everything presented was incredible, especially the selection of cured meats from their deli. The pot of honey added a much needed sweetness to a dish that was incredibly heavy and savoury. The stuffed peppers added a refreshing, creamy, and colourful pop to the board and their pecorino piccante cheese (made from sheep’s milk) added a certain sharpness and spicy warmth that I really enjoyed.

Pizza – Di Rita Special

As part of my ‘Simon’s Quest’ pizza journey, I felt that ordering one of their “Di Rita specials” would be a good idea. I have heard good things about their pizzas in the Cambridge Foodies community, so I was fascinated to see what they had to offer.

The pizza comes to £18, making it towards the more expensive end of the price spectrum (even when compared to central Cambridge).

Their pizza is made from sourdough with home-made tomato sauce. This is then topped off with Di Rita’s very own signature pork & beef meatballs, fresh chilli, tomato sauce & mozzarella.

I am not normally a fan of sourdough but this had a much lighter and less imposing taste that I really enjoyed. The pizza was thin-crust, yet still managed to maintain a soft and juicy base. The home-made tomato sauce was also very good, with its subtle flavour which worked with the mozzarella and meatballs in harmony, emphasising that delicate balance Italian Cuisine is known for. Speaking of the meatballs, these were small but plentiful, with a really clean and light taste, and by that, I mean, they didn’t feel fatty but still retained a lot of flavour. Marvellous!

Pro tip: The pizza doesn’t come out sliced, so when trying to cut it in half with a knife and fork on a ceramic plate to share with your guest, don’t fling half of it onto the floor. 🤦‍♂️

Risotto Marinara e Ortaggi

I was in the mood for something a little different as we had already ordered two dishes that served quite heavy red meat and cheese. I opted for a ‘Risotto Marinara e Ortaggi’, made from Arborio rice served with king prawns, salmon, white fish, courgette and spinach.

This was incredible, with the Arborio rice being cooked in a rich broth that added a delicate creaminess which is then complimented with the freshness of the seafood. The spinach and courgettes added some much needed colour and the prawns were cooked to absolute perfection 👌

For £21, I couldn’t help but think an extra couple of prawns wouldn’t have killed them, as I could only recall seeing a few, but otherwise I highly recommended this dish. Even my guest, who doesn’t normally enjoy risotto confessed that he loved it.

Tiramisu

We ended the evening by sharing a tiramisu between us. This is their signature dessert made with layered mascarpone cream, espresso soaked savoiardi biscuits, caffe sambuca and marsala wine – all served in a large block sprinkled with cocoa powder.

This felt very home-made in all the right ways. The portion was big…as you would serve up at home, it was boozy..as you would make it at home, all signed off with a prevelent coffee flavour. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I welcomed, and had a satisfying creamy texture from the mascarpone that left me unable to only eat my fair share.

Conclusion

I waited a long time to finally experience Di Rita’s but it was well worth it. I couldn’t fault a thing about my experience, with everything meeting or going beyond my expectations. The team is lovely and couldn’t do enough for us. Even after I threw half my pizza on the floor, they offered to make me a fresh one, and even though I politely declined (as it was my fault), it was nice to know that they were happy to replace it despite it being my fault 😂

Prices are a little higher than I was expecting at Di Rita’s but I didn’t feel like I wasn’t getting value for money. You have to pay for quality and quality is exactly what I received. Just keep this in mind if you are looking for something cheap and cheerful.

It was great to see a little deli inside the restaurant with a variety of different Italian products available. I grabbed myself a pack of pasta on my way out.

I can see now why Di Rita’s is such an institution in St Ives. It is another example of the thriving restaurant scene in the town and I look forward to coming back again to explore the menu.

I’ll bring a pizza cutter next time 🤦‍♂️ 

Thanks for reading