Since I started this job, I kept hearing about this place called Spaghetti Tree, but I never got the chance to go.
It shut earlier this year before I could.
Now, in its place, is La Sicilia, and honestly, I’m not even mad about missing Spaghetti Tree anymore because this might just be the best Italian I’ve ever been to.
We went on the evening of the hottest day of the year: the one, where the air feels like soup and your skin’s sticking to everything.
So, we were hot, hungry and just in need of somewhere calm.
Walking into La Sicilia felt like walking into someone’s really nice, cool living room.
Not literally, but there was just that comfort to it.
One of those places where you feel like you can drop your shoulders the second you sit down.
Andi, the manager, told me earlier that people always feel at home there.
And honestly? He wasn’t lying.
No one was trying too hard, there was no awkward vibe, just good food and people enjoying their night.
The look of the place is fun, with its bright but soft lighting, the big stacked bar, and that leafy green fake-plant wallpaper that’s become a bit of a thing in restaurants now.
First things first: the drink.
I ordered a piña colada, because what else do you drink in a heatwave?
It came in one of those proper chunky glasses, icy cold, and it was lush.
Sweet but not sickly, coconut-y without being too rich, and just really, really refreshing.
I could’ve happily had three more, but I was trying to behave.
For my starter, I went for the arancini.
These were Sicilian rice balls stuffed with Bolognese, gooey mozzarella and peas, then breaded and deep-fried, sitting on top of a spicy tomato sauce with a swirl of pesto.
It came out looking like a mini work of art: crispy on the outside, soft and rich in the middle.
Like a hug in food form.
Honestly, it was one of those starters you wish came in a bigger portion.
Now, this is where I admit something: I don’t know my pasta shapes.
I’ve always thought spaghetti was the long skinny one, and everything else was just… pasta.
But La Sicilia’s menu actually shows you what each pasta type is.
Very helpful for people like me who nod along pretending they know what rigatoni looks like.
Can’t say I’ve memorised them, but I appreciated the effort.
For the mains, I went with the Pollo Milanese.
Breadcrumbed chicken breast, pan-fried and served with spaghetti in a tomato sauce.
And let me tell you, when I saw the waitress come over with the giant bowl of parmesan, I perked right up.
I asked for loads (obviously) and I wasn’t disappointed.
The chicken was crispy on the outside, soft inside, not greasy at all.
The spaghetti was rich and saucy, like proper Italian home-cooked comfort.
I was kind of full by the end of my main, but I couldn’t not try dessert.
I went for the panna cotta first: creamy with fresh raspberries on top.
I added the chocolate sauce, which in hindsight might’ve been too much.
It tipped the sweetness scale a bit, but luckily my cousin was down to swap.
He took the panna cotta, and I had the cassatina gelato, which is a slice of vanilla and pistachio ice cream with little fruity bits inside, covered in chocolate sauce.
Sounds like a lot, but it worked.
Cold, creamy, and a good little end to the meal.
Towards the end, Andi sat with us and chatted for a bit.
He told us about their £20 three-course deal (which is unreal for the quality), and how they’re planning to expand into the next unit and start doing live music.
You can tell he genuinely cares about the place and the people who come in.
La Sicilia is a proper gem.
Not flashy, not trying to be something it’s not, but just good food, a chilled-out vibe, and that feeling like you could stay there all night.
Best Italian I’ve had, no question.
If you’re anywhere near Sutton: go.
