High standards continue at this Pilgrim Street restaurant ever since Hamed Fardoust took over and Secco Ristorante Salentino manages to bring that splash of relaxed sophistication and European joie de vivre to great success in Newcastle.

Enjoy the cocktails at the Secco bar on the first floor and the adjoining blue room is a more intimate bar where diners can unwind with a cocktail. On the floor above, Ristorante Salentino exudes elegance with its specially commissioned artwork, dark wood furniture and classy lighting.

The restaurant's name is a dead giveaway to the type of cuisine on offer there, as the town of Salento in Italy is a treasure trove of gastronomic delights, and the dishes on offer here blend rustic and fresh flavours. Begin with seared beef with horseradish cream, watercress and pecorino Romano shavings; poached and sautéed ox tongue with salsa Verde , watercress and pickled caper berries, or butternut squash soup with rocket pesto and grilled Canestrato cheese.

No Italian menu would be complete without its pasta, so try homemade durum wheat pasta parcels of pork shin with fresh sage, butter and canestrato cheese, or paccheri with prawns, scallop, lemon oil, rosemary and samphire. Traditionalists could plump for the sagne al forno layered with mortadella, eggs, pecorino cheese, tomato and beef.

The main course of stuffed shoulder of Northumberland lamb is accompanied by mint, fennel, scallions, sun-dried tomato and garlic with braised fennel in its own jus. You could also try their beef escalope stuffed with prosciutto di Parma, ewe's milk cheese and basil with cherry plum tomato ragù and waxy potatoes. At dessert time, drool over the sight of vanilla pannacotta with seasonal berries, raspberry coulis and fresh strawberries with mascarpone, or their homemade selection of ice creams.

The well-chosen wine list is divided by region and features Conti Zecca, Nero Rosso del Salento IGT, 2005 from Puglia, this 2002 vintage, a combination of Negroamaro and Cabernet Sauvignon, definitely prompts wine connoisseurs to sit up and take notice.

Located in a city well known for its architectural marvels and a vibrant nightlife, Secco Ristorante Salentino can be termed as a diner's haven where you could treat yourself to some warm Italian hospitality and culinary excellence in surroundings that induce a feeling of escape and indulgence; a sample of what to expect can be found on their Website.