IF you enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, and are looking for a truly memorable dining experience, Vesuvio at Alum Chine in Bournemouth takes some beating.

Just to be able to stroll along the beach for dinner is a wonderful start to any meal. The restaurant which boasts panoramic views of the coastline, is chic, bright and airy, with colourful mood lighting which helps to create a relaxed ambience.

We were given a warm welcome and shown to a table for two in the window over-looking the shoreline and were recommended to try the house white, Malandrino, (£17.95) a fruity pinot grigio, while we perused the menus and nibbled on some breadsticks.

For starters I chose Saccottino di Zucca e Caprino (£7.95) from the specials. An elegant filo pastry parcel, oozing with a roast butternut squash puree with enough goats' cheese to compliment rather than overpower the flavour of the squash, topped with a salad leaf garnish and surrounded by caramalized red onions with a balsamic glaze. Not only did it look impressive, it tasted sublime.

Fortunately our friendly waiter Dayron knew the menu well and was able to recommend that my other half tried the Gamberi Alla Diavola (£8.95) butterflied freshwater prawns which were served in their shells and smothered in a robust chilli and tomato sauce served with garlic ciabatta which was light and crispy.

For his main course Dayron recommended the Pollo Alla Vesuvio (£16.95), a large breaded escalope of chicken, smothered with a rich, chilli, tomato sauce, and topped with slivers of green chilli and a sprinkling of mozzarella and served with sauteéd potatoes and a little salad garnish.

This dish was outstanding in every sense and I was starting to develop a little food envy, when my main course arrived, Penne Alla Primavera (£12.75).

In a large white bowl was a mountain of penne pasta, in a creamy, white wine sauce, with a good portion of fat king prawns nestling underneath and some French beans and rocket on top.

The prawns were fleshy and succulent and accompanied with a good smattering of shrimp so you really felt you were getting good value for money.

Desserts included tiramisu (£4.95) and an array of Italian gelato ice cream which they import every week. We rounded off our meal with two shots of ice cold Limoncello.

Overall Vesuvio offers a superb dining experience in every way with a five star location, generous portions of good quality Italian cuisine and plenty of lively banter between staff and diners too.