I have been enjoying frequenting Beeston recently. From new discoveries like Sora to old favourites in Cafe Roya & Essen General Stores it has lots to offer. Kojima Noodles is on the list for a visit too. It opened in 2022 by an Italian couple and now also has a branch in the city centre. The Beeston site is on Wollaton road, near Sainsburys. You know you’re in an Italian restaurant. A whitewash backdrop is adorned with colourful objet d’art. The Sicilian flag also makes a regular appearance which is unsettling even if you are familiar with the Trinacria symbol! Its clearly homely but on this icy January day it isn’t cosy. The menu is mostly a nice mix of simple classics.
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Wanting some post-Christmas vegetables the ‘bruschetta pomodoro’ (£7.95) appealed. This is the first dish I am reviewing in 2026 and the only way is up. Granted its hard to get good tomatoes in the UK in January but these were bland and fridge cold. The latter a particularly disappointing feature that could easily be avoided. The bread itself was thin and of low quality too. I had gone for something more hearty for a main course, Salsiccia Siciliana (£14.95). The description of ‘Sicilian sausage served with roast potatoes’ really was what it said on the tin. Perfectly competent and well executed it was too, the sausage having a nice crusty char from the cooking and lots of fennel flavour in its seasoning. Potatoes were well cooked too, a nice hit of rosemary adding to the already herby vibes. It was certainly a good portion it was just overly dry and a little dull. Better in a stew or with something fresh to cut through it.
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My visit to Compa might have been a bit disappointing but I can see its appeal as a neighbourhood Italian serving simple homely food. Its also true that competition in Italian food as recently stiffened. For the same price as my starter I could be eating courgettie fritti with ricotta and hot honey at Pici. That comparison really is night and day. That said I’d happily eat at Compa over one of the many soulless Italian chains that dominate the British landscape
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