Restaurant in Derry, United Kingdom
Benchmark quality, zero fine-dining pretension.
Scarpello on Buncrana Road delivers pizza, sourdough, gelato, and salads at a level that resets expectations for what a suburban Derry venue can do. With Paco Mesa, former head chef at the three-Michelin-star Arzak, now on board as operations director, the kitchen's ambition is not in question. Booking is easy; the quality-to-price ratio is harder to match anywhere in Northern Ireland.
Scarpello does not charge fine-dining prices, which makes the quality of what arrives at your table one of the more disorienting experiences in Northern Ireland's restaurant scene. Pizza, sourdough, gelato, salads: each one benchmarked against the leading in its category, not merely the leading in Derry. If you have been once and are wondering whether to return, the answer is yes, and you should go further down the menu this time.
The venue's location in a suburban shopping centre car park on Buncrana Road is the kind of detail that makes first-timers hesitate. Do not let it. The cooking at Scarpello operates at a level that would draw attention in any city. The pizzas are the clearest argument for booking: the base, the structure, the flavour balance between crust and topping are executed with a precision that most dedicated pizza operations never reach. The sourdough loaves carry the same seriousness, the gelato lands with clean, concentrated flavour, and the salads are composed rather than assembled. None of this is accidental. Kemal Scarpello runs a kitchen where standards are applied consistently across every service, not just on good days.
In 2024, Paco Mesa joined as operations director. Mesa was previously head chef at Arzak, the three-Michelin-star San Sebastian restaurant. His presence signals where the ambition at Scarpello sits: this is not a neighbourhood spot coasting on local goodwill. It is a small operation being run with the kind of seriousness you find at Osteria Francescana in Modena or Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico — in terms of intent, not scale. For context on what that Arzak pedigree produces at the highest level internationally, Le Bernardin in New York City and Atomix in New York City illustrate what operational rigour looks like when applied consistently over years.
If you are returning and want to catch Scarpello at its most settled, aim for a midweek evening rather than a weekend service. The kitchen's consistency is its calling card, but like any small crew operating at a high-wire level of output, the early part of a service typically runs tighter than the final push on a busy Friday or Saturday. For a later sitting or an after-dinner drop-in for gelato, the location is accessible enough that it functions as a low-commitment option if your evening ends up extending beyond a main meal elsewhere. Check current hours directly with the venue before planning a late visit, as opening times are not confirmed in this record.
If pizza was your entry point on the first visit, the sourdough and gelato are the logical next stops. The salads are worth ordering even if they feel like a supporting act on paper: the kitchen applies the same exacting standards to them as to everything else, which means they punch well above their category. A meal that moves across these four areas gives you a more complete picture of what Scarpello is actually doing, and it is a more useful way to spend a return visit than repeating the same order.
For broader context on what Derry's food scene offers alongside Scarpello, Artis is worth a look, and our full Derry restaurants guide covers the wider field. If you are planning a full trip, our Derry hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are practical starting points. Further afield, Lir in Coleraine and Bucks Head in Dundrum are worth knowing about if you are moving around the north.
Address: 20-22 Buncrana Road, Derry. Booking difficulty: Easy. Reservations: Contact the venue directly; no online booking details are confirmed in this record. Dress: No dress code confirmed; casual is safe. Budget: Price range not published; expect accessible pricing given the format. Groups: Contact the venue ahead for larger parties. Dietary needs: Speak to the kitchen directly when booking.
See the comparison section below for how Scarpello sits against Derry and Belfast peers.
Booking difficulty at Scarpello is rated easy, which means you are unlikely to need weeks of lead time. That said, a small operation running at a high quality level can fill up faster than its informal setting suggests, particularly on weekends. A day or two of notice should cover most midweek visits; for Friday or Saturday evenings, booking at least a week ahead is sensible. Contact the venue directly as no online booking system is confirmed.
Yes, with one caveat: the setting is a suburban shopping centre car park on Buncrana Road, not a candlelit dining room. If the occasion calls for formal atmosphere, Scarpello is not the right call. If the occasion is about eating very well — and the quality of the food is the point , then it delivers at a level that most Derry restaurants do not match. The arrival of Paco Mesa, former head chef at Arzak, as operations director in 2024 gives the kitchen a credibility that is rare at this price tier anywhere in Northern Ireland.
No seat count or private dining information is confirmed for Scarpello. Given the format , a focused operation in a compact setting , large group bookings are worth discussing with the venue directly before assuming availability. Contact Scarpello ahead of time if you are planning for six or more.
No confirmed dietary information is available in this record. The menu spans pizza, sourdough, gelato, and salads, which covers some ground for various needs, but speak to the kitchen directly when booking rather than assuming. No website or phone number is listed here, so reaching out via social media or in person to confirm is the safest approach.
For a fuller picture of what Derry offers, our full Derry restaurants guide is the leading starting point. If you are willing to travel to Belfast, OX in Belfast operates at a different price point and format but represents the ceiling of Northern Ireland's restaurant ambition. Artis is the most relevant local alternative to check within Derry itself.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarpello | Kemal Scarpello has the Midas touch. Everything he brings forth from the kitchen at Scarpello is gilded with flavour, golden with promise. His pizzas are the benchmark. His sourdough loaves are the benchmark. His gelato is the benchmark. His salads are the benchmark. His standards are so exacting that you marvel at how he can maintain this high-wire act each and every day, with each and every plate, yet maintain it he and his crew do, each and every service. His instinct as a baker is wholly artistic, so the location of Scarpello itself — kind of American gothic style in a suburban shopping centre car park — is initially a shock: benchmark cooking, in here? Well, yes. Paco Mesa, the former head chef of Arzak, the legendary three-star San Sebastian destination, arrived as operations director in 2024, and the team simply go from strength to strength. | — | |
| OX | Michelin 1 Star | £££ | — |
| The Muddlers Club | Michelin 1 Star | £££ | — |
| Deanes at Queens | ££ | — | |
| EDŌ | ££ | — | |
| Yugo | ££ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Contact Scarpello directly at 20-22 Buncrana Road to confirm group capacity, as no online booking system is confirmed. The format — built around pizza, sourdough, and gelato — suits informal group dining well. Larger parties should call ahead rather than walk in, particularly at weekends when the kitchen runs at full pace.
Within Derry, EDŌ is the closest peer if you want a step up in formality. For a broader comparison, OX and The Muddlers Club in Belfast operate at a higher price point with more structured menus. Scarpello's advantage is value: the quality Kemal Scarpello and his team produce, in a suburban shopping centre car park, has no direct local equivalent at a comparable price.
No dietary information is confirmed in available venue data. Given the kitchen's reputation for precision across pizza, sourdough, gelato, and salads, it is reasonable to call ahead with specific requirements. Do not assume accommodations without checking directly with the venue.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, so you are unlikely to need more than a few days' notice for a midweek visit. Weekends fill faster, particularly given the kitchen's reputation. No online booking is confirmed, so check the venue's official channels at 20-22 Buncrana Road, Derry.
Yes, but go in with the right expectations. This is not a white-tablecloth setting — it sits in a suburban shopping centre car park — but the cooking, overseen by Kemal Scarpello and with Paco Mesa (former head chef of three-Michelin-star Arzak) as operations director since 2024, punches well above the surroundings. For a relaxed celebration where the food is the main event, it is a strong call.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
