It has become a bit of a Frivolitea tradition that any trip to Donegal begins or ends with a trip to Scarpello and Co. A place where, to quote my husband, ‘the world feels a little bit better’ when you enter.
Tucked behind a service station on the Buncrana road, Scarpello has a small but perfectly formed seasonal menu of coffee and pastries in the morning and a range of lunch choices including toasties, small plates and sourdough pizzas. Kemal and Rachel are part of the Real Bread Ireland network and their care for food and its provenance shines through the menu. We always include a pizza in our order as I’m married to a man for whom life begins and ends at pizza!
Our favourites on the menu are the Za’atar & sesame flatbread, the red pizza with local smoked sausage and the white pizza with wood roast fennel sausage. The pizza base is a classic Napoli style base that is wonderfully puffed up around the edges and packed full of flavour because of the sourdough.
However what makes this place extra special is the people. Every time we visit their love of serving people shines through. Rachel has always served us, she is the very definition of hospitality and I always look forward to a conversation. It is so clear to see how much love Rachel and Kemal put in to this place.
This is definitely a place to put on your list if you are anywhere near Derry or to be honest even if you’re not. Take a drive and go – and make sure you buy a cinnamon bun for the journey home!
