Leonardo Restaurant

In a town where eating out has been honed to a fine art, and our illustrious proprietor, no less, commenced a career in catering that has covered one helluva lot of ground, it is more than refreshing to find a restaurant which whilst it describes itself as European is in fact Italian through and through.

The welcome is invariably exuberant, via a front door that commands much the same sort of description, and sets a standard of liveliness which seems to infiltrate everything they do, including the cooking. It is only a matter of time before you become aware of the renowned Giuseppe, the dancing waiter who takes time off from his primary duties every so often to entertain and amuse. Now how many restaurants offer you that sort of sideline?

Then there's the distinctive décor that includes a glass conservatory with a fine display of Italian black and white photographs, every bit as compelling as their more colourful counterparts elsewhere.

A menu that is thoroughly Italian is a happy joining of old respected dishes with many a flourish towards the perpetual desire of many chefs to experiment and refine. The result is that people from a very wide area make the journey to Hove to enjoy such dishes as homemade ravioli filled lamb in red chicory and bacon sauce or monkfish cooked with capers, olives, anchovies, garlic and parsley. Grilled swordfish is a dish on its own, or comes in spada alla form.

Stripped of their titles so many Italian dishes are at times indistinguishable from English counterparts but wouldn't you rather eat bianchetti fritti than deep fried whitebait? And when it comes to pizzas does vecchia taormina not sound more inviting than tomato sauce, mozzarella, prawns, pesto sauce and courgettes, never mind that you might have difficulty with the pronunciation.

Amongst the dazzling list of desserts look for the cassata Siciliana, Sicilian style ice cream cake with candied fruits, or that sturdy standby, banoffee pie. Sicilian house wines offer enjoyable drinking at very reasonable prices, whilst all the usual suspects such as valpolicella, chianti and other classic Italian quality wines are available at prices that are frankly, breathtakingly reasonable.

Leonardo is the best sort of Italian restaurant. Oh, yes, and brush up on your dancing before your next visit - the dancing waiter enjoys company on the floor.