Italian restaurant Da Vito opens in New Milton

A NEW Italian restaurant has opened in New Milton - and it’s already proving a hit with locals.

Da Vito at Milton Green is being run by chef Vito Capozza, his daughter Francesca and son-in-law Mike Riddy.

“We’ve been very busy since opening and the feedback has been great,” said Vito, who worked at the former Brockenhurst restaurant Il Palio and also ran Da Vito in Moordown, Bournemouth until it closed around the time of the pandemic.

After moving to Barton last year, the family began looking into sites with a view to opening their own restaurant.

“We looked at The Crown in Everton but that seemed a bit too traditional and we didn’t want to be restricted,” said Mike, an IT technician at The Grange School in Somerford who works front of house in the restaurant.

“This place was just what we were looking for and is so close to where we live.”

As with Vito’s Moordown restaurant, the venue has received glowing reviews, with praise heaped on the “delicious food”, friendly atmosphere, great service, and reasonable prices.

With lasagna priced at £13.50 and the cost of pizzas starting at £11, offering diners value for money was a top priority for Vito an dhe family.

“It’s very important that my food is reasonably priced so people can afford to come and eat here with their friends and family,” he said. “And the portion sizes are big - guests have been shocked by the size of the tiramisu.”

The menu features a wide variety of pasta dishes, with all the Italian favourites you would expect to see along with some more unusual offerings, including Tuscan crepes filled with spinach and ricotta in a tomato, cream and mozerella sauce; and tagliatelle with prawns, cream and “a touch of curry sauce”.

Desserts include creme brulee, classic amaretto tiramisu, Limoncello ice cream, chocolate souffle, and Italian ice creams and sorbet with candied fruit.

“Vito has hundreds and hundreds of recipes in this head that have been passed down through the generations,” said Mike. “It’s very impressive and he’s well known in the area for how good his food is.

People are coming here and having an amazing time - they’re being looked after well and are leaving happy.

“I think people would struggle to find somewhere that is as reasonably priced - the portions are generous and we give every table bread, olives and dips free of charge.”

He continued: “The setting up of this place has been thanks to a lot of help from a lot of different people. All of our family and friends have mucked in, and what’s amazing has been how generous everyone has been in the Italian community - it’s very much the ethos that everyone goes out of their way to support you and see you succeed.”

Mike has already reached out to the town’s youth club to discuss offering members a free lunch, and is planning on contacting care homes to extend the invitation to elderly residents, too.

“It’s all about community and family for us,” he said. “People get lonely and we want to provide that opportunity for a social get together.

“We’re not in this to become millionaires - we opened on a budget and I think our popularity so far lies in the fact we are not a big, commercialised operation.”

To book a table at Da Vito, call 01425 548249.