Bellissimo

A street level unit in the corner of a modern office/ commercial block with plenty of parking, Bellissimo is a pleasant family-friendly restaurant specialising in pizza and pasta.

Colourful modern design with blown up prints of food and wine scenes, wine displays and subtle lighting make a pleasing setting for a meal that offers a welcome combination of good cooking, good service and good value.

Welcoming staff promptly bring iced water and give details of specials, along with menus that offer an appealing choice of pasta dishes, thin based pizzas and seafood dishes. The range offered changes through the day, with a wider choice of casual dishes (panini, wraps, salads) at lunch time - and early bird, children’s and takeaway menus are also available.

Typical examples from the main evening menu include starters like Gamberti alla Diavola (nicely cooked king prawns wrapped in parma ham and sautéed in chilli and tomato butter) and Polpetti Piccanti (well-flavoured meatballs.

Tasty main courses include house specialities such as, Piccata di Pollo (chicken fillet with mushrooms onions and Verdure sauce) or Angelo di Mare alla Positana (monkfish on lemongrass skewers with stuffed pepper of rice and chorizo with fresh asparagus) and of course there will be plenty to choose from in the pasta and pizza sections, which list many popular dishes.

The daily specials may also include seafood - a simple but very well cooked dish such as John Dory fillets with lemon butter and seasonal vegetables, for example - and vegetarian dishes are sprinkled through the menu.

For dessert you might try the house variation on Italian classics such as Tiramisu and Torta di Ricotta (good, even if rather filling), and the coffee menu includes well-priced espressos.

To accompany, a balanced wine list offers a complementary range of full bottles, half bottles and wines by the glass, all fairly priced and with pages of regional wine areas.

Good service can lift a meal here into more of an occasion - well-trained servers have everything on the menu spot on - and a bill that’s modest for the quality delivered sends customers away happy.