Bella Capri offers a delightfully authentic Italian experience in the very heart of Caerphilly. Catering for up to 75 guests, the building is divided up into a comfortable lounge bar and the more intimate restaurant area. Given that we arrived at 7.30pm and the restaurant was three-quarters full within 15 minutes, pre-booking is advisable.

The menu here is seasonal, with selected dishes available throughout the year. Walid, the head chef, trained in Italy for three years and the flavours he presents are truly Italian. On Sam’s recommendation, I began with the delicious caprese di bufala, a delicate and tasty mozzarella dish, whilst my wife tucked into some delicious chicken liver paté on Italian bread. Sam is as integral to Bella Capri as its cuisine – his service is personal and attentive and his convivial Italian personality only adds to the atmosphere.

My main course of whole sea bass with a seafood dressing was delicious, and my wife declared her chicken in a deep tomato sauce to be as tender as butter. A glass of some wonderful house red and white respectively were the perfect accompaniments to some wonderful cooking. Bella Capri offers excellent value for money, with a seasonally changing £13.95 three-course menu available. We will most certainly be visiting again.