Sugo Bar Diner

As soon as you are welcomed into Sugo, you know you're among friends. With the informal atmosphere of a wine bar, this restaurant, next to the Penarth Railway Station, is a meeting place for visitors and regular customers alike. The staff encourage you to take your time in choosing from a menu that is classically Italian, supported by a specials board that offers the likes of whitebait to start and Welsh Black beef ragu for main.

We began with the antipasto and, having recently holidayed in Italy, we were amazed by the authenticity of the cuisine here - the presentation can only be described as first class. For main courses we chose pollo alla paesano, a rustic chicken dish, and a shrimp linguine, both of which were well presented, tasty and generously portioned. From a good range of desserts I opted for traditional tiramisu, while my partner indulged in a gorgeous creme brulée.

Sugo Bar Diner offers a good selection of Italian wines, so we treated ourselves to a bottle of the fantastic Prosecco Valdobbiadene, which is the creme de la creme of sparkling wines and, at £25, a bargain. Sugo has recently started to open on Saturday lunchtimes and also offers a takeaway service every day (ten per cent off the menu prices).