We started with a serve of pane al’aglio (garlic bread, AU$4.50). This was one of the better garlic breads I’ve eaten in any restaurant – it was made with real chopped fresh garlic that you could actually see and taste.

Along with the garlic bread, we shared the salt and pepper calamari (AU$14.00) for a starter. The calamari was tender and not at all rubbery. It came with a dish of homemade chilli and lime mayonnaise for dipping, a slice of lemon for squeezing, and a vinaigrette-tossed garnish of salad greens.

We ordered a mixed garden salad (AU$8.00) to share with our main courses.

For my main course, I ordered the pesce alla livornese (AU$22.50), which was a fillet of fish cooked with diced fresh tomato, olives, garlic, chilli, oregano and white wine. The fish had a soft, moist texture that reminded me of steamed fish, which I love but don’t have very often. There were no bones, as you’d expect of a fillet of fish, but I did find two or three scales – not a huge drama for me personally; just mentioning it. The sauce was delicious, and the two side dishes, creamy mashed potato and cabbage cooked with bacon, were equally tasty. There had been no mention of the mash or the cabbage on the menu, so they were a welcome surprise.

Jac ordered the filleto Casa del’ Amici (AU$24.50) – the restaurant’s surf and turf dish – eye fillet steak medallions topped with king prawns in a creamy garlic sauce. She also had the mashed potato and cabbage with bacon on the side. Her steak was cooked medium rare as requested, and the prawns were wonderfully bursty (I know this because Jac kindly gave me a prawn). The garlic sauce was good enough to drink (and I know this because I mopped up a thick smear of sauce with that prawn before popping it into my mouth).