Gusto Restaurant, York

You might think that there are enough Italian restaurants in York, but I must admit the food at Gusto (it's the Italian word word for 'taste') does indeed taste different.

The restaurant had a nice ambience with two olive trees at the end of the room giving a Mediterranean flavour. They might not be real but the food was certainly authentic.

If you've dined in Italy you will be familiar with how the whole family dines out altogether with grandma and grandad in tow and at Gusto there were whole families eating together as well as couples.

They have the service right too. Before being seated you are asked if you would like your coats taken and hung up, which gave a good first impression.

I always take out my car keys from my coat pockets after once being given someone else's identical coat when leaving a different restaurant. Mind you there are worse places to be stranded.

I liked how your order was relayed back so that no mistakes could be made, if our server could have reeled off the winning lottery numbers in the same fashion the smile on my face might have been even bigger.

For an Italian restaurant it has an extensive menu, and it is not solely Italian food - think meat, vegan and fish mains, tempting steak and salads - but if you want pizza or pasta you are in the right place.

My freshly baked garlic pizza bread was a little too salty for me but my dining partner thought it was all benne. A light and flaky base made it look like it had come from Naples not York. Priced at £5.95 it was ideal for sharing.

My dining partner decided upon the Homemade Chicken Liver Pate served with red onion and cranberry chutney served with warm focaccia croutes, priced at £6.75. The look on her face after sampling the starter, gave the game away - she said it was the best chicken liver pate she had tasted!

Why would you go to an Italian restaurant and not eat Italian food? With this in mind it had to be Pizza for my main. The Carnivoro pizza had more meat on it than an oversized Italian mama. Milanese style meatballs, roast chicken, pepperoni salsiccia, prosciutto ham and caramelised onion. It was hot, very hot, in fact they might be better calling it Vesuvius.

My dining partner had her eyes on the three meat Homemade lasagne price at £12.25. Unusually the meat wasn't mince but proper beef served in five hour slow cooked ragu. I think she had been spoilt with the divine starter of homemade chicken liver pate as the verdict was the lasagne, although tasty, didn't satisfy as much as her starter.

If you dine in Italy the desert menu is usually a few choices on a trolley or a cake from the fridge. Gusto though have at least 9 choices. My dining guest chose the warm chocolate and hazelnut brownie served with salted caramel ice cream and dark chocolate sauce. A tasty and guilty pleasure and it appeared that the ice cream was the best part of the dessert.

I sampled the Nutella and Mascarpone Calzone - something I have never seen on an Italian dessert menu. Naturally folded over this sticky sweet pudding might have been choc full of calories but when it's this good, who cares?

We liked Gusto, the staff seemed attentive to everyone, the food is tasty and it is all served hot. Those winning lottery numbers never came up, not to worry, you are on to a winner if you visit Gusto.

Gusto York, 2-4 Little Stonegate, York YO1 8AX
Telephone 01904 731667
www.gustorestaurants.uk.com