THERE'S one restaurant in Wimborne we find ourselves returning to again and again.

There may be few surprises but when it comes to great, traditional Italian food, along with a buzzing atmosphere and friendly service, Topogigio has never disappointed.

We popped in fairly early on a Wednesday night, but already the restaurant was half full – proof of its popularity.

It was nice to find breadsticks and olives on the table, as reading the very long menu requires quite a bit of time, and by the time we got to the end we were ravenous.

Choices range from a long list of pastas and pizzas to fish or meat dishes, and happily for me there were plenty of vegetarian options.

We skipped the starters, knowing how great the dessert menu is, and I went straight for the canneloni – tubes of pasta stuffed with spinach and mozzarella in a gorgeous fresh tomato, garlic and herb sauce.

My husband chose the Tournedos Rossini – fillet steak on a circle of toast, topped with pâté and served with fresh vegetables, while our guest went for the traditional lasagne and was delighted by its depth of flavours.

The steak was cooked to perfection, pink inside and meltingly tender.

To follow, my husband and I couldn’t resist the tiramisu, which was wonderfully moist and ‘alcoholic’ flavoured, with amaretto coming through quite distinctly! Our guest tried the cassata, which also had a lovely fresh, fruity flavour.

To go with the meal we’d ordered a bottle of the house red, which was perfect – smooth, with a mellow after-taste and just right to offset the rich flavours of the sauces.

The service was just right, too – cheerful and friendly but also giving us plenty of time to relax and chat. There was a bit of a wait for the food, but I’m sure it was because it was being individually prepared. And it was nice not to feel we were being rushed from one course into the next.

A lovely relaxed evening and well worth the total of £69.10 for the three of us, including the wine.