Bellissimo

Bellissimo is a pleasant family-friendly restaurant specialising in pizza and pasta. Having moved to larger new premises close to their original resturant, Tony McMahon and the team continue to offer relaxed and friendly ambience, and a welcome combination of good cooking, good service and good value.

Welcoming staff bring iced water to you rtable 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. The food style hasn't changed since moving to the new restaurant, except that a tapas menu has been added to the offering.

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 ar eikely to 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 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 is generally a highlight and can lift a meal here into more of an occasion - well-trained servers usually have everything on the menu spot on - and a bill that’s modest for the quality delivered sends customers away happy.