By Saul Cooke-Black

LA PICCOLA Italia has been open for less than two weeks, but already it feels like it has been a part of Stonehouse for years.

Customers are greeted by friendly Italian staff, Adriano Celentano is heard playing in the background and candles are lit.

The new Italian restaurant has a friendly, relaxed and very Italian feel to it.

On the starter menu there are a range of choices, from the traditional bread and olives to a range of Italian specialities.

Some of the most interesting are the Bruschetta Di Formaggio, which consists of chargrilled ciabatta bread served with three different types of cheeses, and the Calamari Croccanti, described as fried squid dusted with semolina flour, served with tartar sauce, lemon, chilli, parsley and garlic.

I opted for the homemade garlic bread. Eduardo, a manager at the restaurant, did not exaggerate when he said it was like a pizza. It was very substantial.

There are a great variety of main course dishes, including a range of vegetarian options.

The menu is broadly divided into pizzas, pastas, omelette, risotto and pesce e carne (fish and grill).

Prices are very reasonable, starting at £7.50 for the Spaghetti Pomodoro, up to £14.95 at the top end of the bill.

The manager’s recommendation is the Risotto Allo Zafferano.

Priced at £12.95, it is described as Aged Arborio rice cooked in saffron and vegetable stock with king prawns, mussels and sliced sea bass, all pan fried in garlic and chilli, finished with olive oil and parsley.

Having to choose a vegetarian option, I went for the Risotto Gorgonzola which I would highly recommend.

The gorgonzola cheese finished with walnuts in a tasty well-cooked Arborio rice, topped off with slices of pear made a perfectly balanced and tasty dish.

That’s without wanting to sound like a judge from Master Chef.

After all that I nearly had to miss a pudding.

But I am glad that I didn’t. The Tutti Fruitti, an Italian classic, was a perfect finish, not too heavy but full of flavour.

This family run restaurant is already busy - and with a pleasant atmosphere and great range of food – it is likely to become a popular choice for many years to come.