Tavernetta Cucina Italiana is well known to residents of Southampton and can be found ideally situated opposite the Civic Centre in the heart of the city. The menu offers pizza and pasta favourites (with gluten-free options) as well as the daily changing specials Tavernetta is so renowned for. The philosophy here is concentrated on using only the best-quality ingredients.

To start, my partner had carpaccio of bresaola, and my pollo fritto included several succulent and tender strips of chicken with a rich barbecue sauce. Both dishes sat on a bed of salad that was so fresh we mused as to why all salads weren’t this good. To follow we had the fettuccine Arlequino and a Milanese pizza. The vegetables were all perfectly cooked and bursting with fresh vibrant flavours and colours, the pasta itself was obviously freshly made and the portion generous. Mr Saverna has created his own extra-crispy pizza base, but the superb pizza that I ordered had Tavernetta’s traditional base and was a paragon of real Italian food. The toppings were lovely, especially the mozzarella, which had a much greater depth of flavour than usual – those superior ingredients making themselves known once more. Try the two-course set menu for just £6.95 or nibble on the Italian and Greek tapas on offer from £2.65, before finishing with one of the dessert specials, which includes a light, creamy and delicious tiramisu. I would recommend Tavernetta Cucina Italiana to anyone looking for tasty, authentic Italian food.