Casa Alba Headingley: Meet the man behind the new family-friendly Italian restaurant in Leeds

Casa Alba, located on Otley Road in Far Headingley, was opened this summer by chef and restaurateur Dhionist Kalaj.

Dhionist has years of experience under his belt, including more than a decade working for San Carlo Flying Pizza in Roundhay. After working up from kitchen porter to general manager, he said the next step was opening the first place of his own.

“The food is classic Italian - back to basics,” Dhionist told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “It’s nice comfort food, big portions and traditional Italian cooking.

“Italy is known for pasta and pizza, but you’ve got really good grills, seafood and fish as well. We combine everything into one menu, so you’ve got a good choice. I love what you can create with so few ingredients in Italian cuisine.”

Highlights from the menu include the fillet of seabass served on a bed of rocket with vine tomato and lemon sauce, and the Calzone Pollo with mozzarella, chicken, spinach and garlic, served with tomato sauce.

From January, Casa Alba will offer 20% off its food from 5pm-7pm on weekdays. And it’s been a good start for the restaurant, which currently has a 5* rating on Google Reviews and Tripadvisor.

“So far the feedback has been great,” Dhionist added. “There’s a really good mixture of people in Headingley - you’ve got big family estates and the student population.

“Customers can expect a warm welcome, really good service and really good food. We want to become known as somewhere that families love to visit.”

Find out more on the Casa Alba website.