A restaurant need not have beautiful gardens, a large car park or fancy dining areas to qualify as appealing or inviting. What it requires is flavour-filled food and an affable, welcoming ambience, and Zucca, provides just that.

Other than creating perfect risotto, owner and Chef Ricordano Squilloni loves to give his food a touch of creativity, even though traditional Italian cooking is his forte. His Roman upbringing is reflected in dishes like mussels in black pepper sauce and veal escallops. Mains vary from rack of lamb in acacia honey and brandy, to oven-baked sea bass fillets with fresh spinach and mushrooms. Pizza and calzone are available as lighter options.

An all-Italian wine list with names such as Cantine San Silvestro and Cantine Carpineto has choices to meet most tastes. When you reach the end of a meal, Ricordano recommends trying homemade soft ice cream and chocolate soufflé. The restaurant caters for up to forty people at a time.