What we thought of Veeno Italian at the Riverwalk in Durham
Italian βwine bar and restaurantβ Veeno took over the former Pizza Punks unit there back in September, and had been on my list of places to visit ever since. Couple Dan and Donna Lewis, who formerly managed the clubhouse at Bishop Auckland rugby club, took over the former pizzeria and opened Veeno, and have created a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We hadnβt booked, which wasnβt an issue on this Monday night in November, so were quickly shown to a table. A couple of items and wines on the extensive list were unavailable as our waitress told us theyβd had an incredibly busy weekend, which is always a good sign.
Veenoβs menu offers the typical range of pastas and pizzas, but the main attraction seems to be their βTaglieriβ, or, as I learnt after a quick Google, charcuterie boards, loaded up with cheeses and meats. The wine list is extensive, with food and wine pairings also available. A lunchtime set menu is too on offer at Β£13.
We wanted to try one of the taglieri as we sussed this was Veenoβs speciality, but on this cold night still wanted a warming meal, so having perused the menu and asked our friendly waitress for a steer opted to share the βboard for oneβ as a starter (Β£22.50), and tuck into a pizza each as a main. I chose the βCaprino e Cipolleβ (Β£14) with goats cheese and caramelised onions on top, while Alice went for the βParma & Bufalaβ (Β£17) with parma ham and a whole buffalo mozzarella plonked in the middle.
Our platter arrived and was a delight for the eyes, with cheese, grapes, cured meats, and bread β both fresh and in stick form – stacked up high around ramekins of olive oil, a sweet jam, olive paste, and more. None of the meats and cheeses are named on the menu, which I assume is so they can change the offering often depending on availability, but our server told us there was a spiced cheese, smoked cheese, prosciutto and cured sausage among the mix. The bread was fresh and the cheeses nice, although we were slightly disappointed by the selection. Iβm no fan of an overly stinky cheese or anything thatβs going to blow your head off, but those we had were all quite samey, and some stronger flavours would have been nice. The portion size, however, was just right as a starter between two once weβd started tucking in.
Having demolished all but the olives (ew!) our pizzas were next to arrive from the open kitchen. I had visited this unit when it was Pizza Punks about two-and-a-half years ago for a βbottomless brunchβ, and recalled the pizza being particularly good, so was keen to to see how its replacement fared. The pizzas were well cooked with a nice base and thin crust, if not a tad too well cooked around the edges in parts, with tasty toppings. A pizza cutter is always a welcome addition to avoid trying to slice your Italian pie up with a table knife.
But, unfortunately, neither of us were blown away by out pizzas. Nor were we underwhelmed, to be fair. We were just content, or βwhelmedβ, with what had been served up. With so many great pizzerias out there now, Stable Hearth in Darlington and Rudyβs Neapolitan in both Durham and Newcastle being the regionβs standouts for me, to get a pizza worth paying Β£15+ for you have to offer something special and these pizzas were both just ok.
Veeno brands itself as a βwine bar and restaurantβ, and it felt to me the former was the primary focus, with an extensive wine offering and the charcuterie boards to go with them being right at the top of the menu. Maybe weβd gone for the wrong thing by choosing pizza, and should have gone all out with the βboard for twoβ, but on a cold night that just wasnβt what we fancied. Iβd be keen to visit again to try out the full charcuterie and wine experience on a sunny night when cheese and wine would totally hit the spot.
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FOOD FACTS
Veeno , Unit 12, The Riverwalk, Durham, DH1 4SL
Phone: 0191 367 0121
Website: veenobars.com/pages/durham
Ratings (out of ten):
Surrondings: 7
Service: 8
Food quality: 6
Value for money: 6