MINIMALIST restaurants with sparse decor and tiny portions are great for a posh night out – but sometimes nothing but a family friendly eaterie will do.

For that jovial atmosphere, traditional food and a decent sized dinner, La Mamma in Christchurch fits the bill perfectly.

A little away from the main drag, the restaurant has a pretty exterior, with overgrown greenery surrounding a pretty patio.

It may still be a little chilly for al fresco dining, but the warm atmosphere which greets you as soon as you open the door brings a smile to your face.

Despite booking the previous day, we were initially given a choice of a table either right by the toilets, or right by the door, but were quickly moved to a more comfortable position once another table became free.

Being a busy night, the staff were slow to take our order, but the food arrived in good time.

My husband opted for a starter portion of the Tortellini Alla Mamma – all main pasta dishes are available as both starters and children’s portions – and I chose melon, knowing from previous experience I would want to tuck into my generous main dish later.

There was a slight delay before we could start, however, while the waitress paid great attention to the sprinkling of parmesan on the pasta.

The melon was cold and fresh, while my husband pronounced the pasta – pasta hats filled with meat in a mushroom, cheese and creamy tomato sauce – delicious.

For our main courses, I chose a fullsize portion of the Tortellini Alla Mamma, while my husband went for the Diavolo pizza.

Again, we didn’t have to wait long for our food to arrive and it was piping hot.

Thankfully, our waiter this time was quicker with the parmesan sprinkling, so we could tuck right in.

I agreed that the pasta dish was extremely tasty, with a generous helping of thick, creamy sauce and melt-in-the-mouth soft tortellini.

The pizza – mozzarella, tomato, hot spicy sausage, chilli and oregano – had a bit of a kick to it, but the sausage added a real meaty flavour and the base was thin and crispy – proper Italian style.

I was tempted by the hot chocolate fudge cake for dessert, but thought that was being a little ambitious, so settled for some coffee ice cream.

Delicious food and a great familyfriendly atmosphere.

This is traditional Italian at its best.

My La Mamma bill:

Starter portion of Tortellini Alla Mamma £6.50
Melone di Stagione    £4.50
Main portion of Tortellini Alla Mamma  £9.95
Diavolo pizza  £9.80
Ice cream  £4.50
Drinks £10.10

TOTAL:   £45.35

The Ratings Board

Location ***

Atmosphere ****

Value for money ****

Quality of food ****

Service ***

Comfort ***

Family friendly ****

Menu choice ****

Overall rating ****