4th July 2020



With the pubs and restaurants reopening on 4th July, I was in two minds as to whether or not to venture out on 'Super Saturday'. Would everywhere be full of drunken idiots, let loose after months of having to drink in their gardens and desperate for some public house camaraderie?

After a bit of deliberation and, to be honest, because I was a bit fed up with the taste of my own food, we decided to visit our local Italian restaurant and see how things panned out.

La Capanna in Sherwood is a cosy restaurant, which has been run by Luigi and Tony for more years than I can remember - it's one of those places that has always seemed to have been there and, due to its close promixity to home, rather excellently-priced Early Bird menu and pretty darned good food, tends to be near the top of my eating out list.  Popular with the people of Sherwood, the portions are good and the wallpaper, featuring scenes from Venice and music from the likes of Dean Martin, all add up to make a lovely, slightly old-fashioned ambience.

Known locally for his often rather grumpy personality, owner Luigi was obviously absolutely delighted to be back in the game after their enforced closure.  His full face visor may have been necessary for safety measures but it could not hide his pleasure and did not diminish the warm welcome we received.

We quickly noticed that some tables had been removed in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines but, apart from us being a little bit more spaced out (which I actually quite like) the atmosphere was relaxed and everything felt remarkably 'normal'.  All diners had to pre-booked and those without reservations were turned away.  The restaurant was busy but I have to say that I felt very safe in our little area.

Although this isn't a food review, I just want to mention that our meals were, as usual, absolutely excellent and, as usual, good value for money.  There is plenty of choice, including tons of Italian favourites, as well as vegetarian options.  My Steak Diane was tender, flavoursome and served with a good sized portion of vegetables, cauliflower cheese (yum) and roast potatoes. 

So, will we be eating out again this month?  Definitely.  As long as guidelines are followed, I can honestly say that I felt less anxious eating out than I did visiting the shops at the weekend. 

If you'd like to find out more about La Capanna, please visit their website at:  www.la-capanna.co.uk

(I did not receive any payment from La Capanna for this blog post)
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