STEPHANIE TYE eats at a traditional Italian which continues to satisfy everyone

Mario’s ristorante pizzeria,

7 Wood Street,

Old Town, Swindon.

Tel: 01793 531556. www.mariosrestaurant.co.uk.

Open Monday to Saturday noon to 2pm and 6pm to 11pm. Closed on Sundays (available for private parties over 25 people on Sundays – call for more information).

WITH its chequered tablecloths, underground dining room and general cosiness, walking into Mario’s is like stepping inside a little trattoria on an Italian backstreet.

The welcome on the slightly chilly Monday evening we visited was warm and we sat in the bar area enjoying a drink while waiting for the final member of our party to join us.

The restaurant wasn’t full but there were a few other parties already dining, which provided a nice atmosphere.

The menu has everything you would expect from somewhere that bills itself as being a traditional Italian restaurant and pizzeria and more.

To start we ordered minestrone (£3.95), risotto con gamberetti (£7.75), calzoncino (pizza dough deep fried with mozzarella, tomato and ham, £5.75) and cacciotina in carozza (soft cheese in breadcrumbs, £5.75).

The dishes were brought out swiftly and were piping hot.

The risotto had the perfect amount of bite left in the rice, the minestrone was packed with vegetables and the soft cheese was beautifully golden on the outside and oozed – without being greasy – as soon as you cut in to it.

And the calzoncino was a perfectly formed mini calzone packed full of cheese and ham with a generous topping of tangy tomato sauce.

Next up on the menu for our party of four was canestrelli san Giuseppe (scallops with cream, prawns and white wine, baked with cheese, £18.95), rigatoni al forno (tubes of pasta in meat and bechamel baked in a creamy sauce, £9.50), lasagne(£9.50) and cannelloni (£9.50).

Other temptations on the menu included tournedor rossini (£18.95), Pollo Caprese (chichen in a tomato and mozzerella sauce, £11.95), spaghetti carbonara (£9.95) and gnocchi al pesto (£9.50).

Pizza start from £8.95 for a margherita.

The fish dish was due to be served with rice but staff happily swapped it for vegetables when asked. It was presented as two scallop shells piled high with the fish and was incredibly tasty. However, it could have used a bit more sauce.

The pasta dishes were all delicious, each being the same basic ingredients just compiled in a different manner.

The lasagne was among the deepest I have ever seen served in a restaurant and was smothered in bechamel sauce and cheese.

The pasta in the rigatoni was generous, as was the meat sauce poured over it. There was also a slight sweetness coming from the dish which wasn’t overpowering but added an extra dimension.

The cannelloni was stuffed full of the meat sauce and, like the lasagne, covered with cheese sauce. The only criticism from the diner was that the filling could have been slightly more saucy, but it was still a very good dish.

Despite how tempting they sounded, only one of us opted for pudding, which was tiramisu at £4.30. The slice was presented beautifully on the plate and comprised layers of sponge rather than sponge fingers.

One particularly nice touch was that the staff picked up on the fact it was my mum’s birthday and, without any request from us, brought her out some profiteroles (complete with candle) and had everyone in the restaurant sing happy birthday.

Despite not ordering a pudding, she was happy to get the chance to try the profiteroles, saying that they were very good indeed.

The total bill, including two rounds of drinks and two coffees, came to £99.10.