Vito serving up success as only city restaurant in Open Table's top 100

A restaurateur who set out to raise the bar for dining in Sunderland has been recognised amongst the top 100 in the country.

- by Katy Wheeler

Some of the classic Italian dishes at Vito's. Vito's arancini.

Vito Farigu opened his Vito's Osteria restaurant in August last year as part of the major redevelopment of the once dilapidated Sheepfolds Stables.

The Italian-born chef and restaurant owner, who was born in Lake Garda and raised in Sardinia, always had ambitions to elevate Italian dining in the city and he's now been recognised amongst the most popular in the country according to customer reviews.

Open Table, a global platform for booking and discovering restaurants, has released its top 100 list in the UK for 2025-and Vito's Osteria is the only Sunderland restaurant to make the grade.

The top 100 is compiled from more than 780,000 verified diner reviews and metrics, with Vito's gaining a 4.9 rating out of five.