A couple of doors along from one of Rome's most famous Jewish restaurants, Da Giggetto, with its tables sprawling out on the pavement, is an unassuming doorway. Inside is a Tardis of a restaurant with cool mosaic floors and a series of pretty rooms leading to a tiny walled garden. A graceful overhanging tree turns this area into a cool oasis on the hottest day, and good food and friendly service complete the picture for a memorable meal.

The menu is relatively short. The delicious selection of antipasti includes carciofi alla giudei (whole baby artichokes flattened and deep fried until crisp), stuffed fiore di zucca, olive ascolane - stuffed olives rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried - and baby mozzarelle given the same treatment. Not good for diets, but too good to miss. Order the antipasto misto della casa. (Occasionally you will also get a piece of delicious fish.)

After OD-ing on antipasti we didn't have room to test out either pasta or pizze, but the fresh fish (especially rombo con patate e tomate) is excellent and my dish of grilled radicchio was the best I had ever tasted. The tender bistecca is cooked to order on a personal barbecue.

The standard Italian puddings and sorbets were available but also, refreshingly, slices of perfectly ripe watermelon. The staff can also be coaxed into making up sgroppini - a wicked blend of lemon sorbet and vodka, which at this establishment requires a spoon. Not always available, but the limoncello served with slivers of ice is more than compensatory. Mid-price.

- Helen Wright, 8/2001