Situated in a convenient town centre location, with plenty of parking nearby, Amarone Italian Restaurant in Ringwood is a delightful place to eat.

While Amarone has been established in Ringwood for many years, it has been under the sole ownership of Turi – who is also head chef – and his family for the past 18 months.

The décor is busy, but not intrusive, with quintessentially Italian features. Low lighting creates a cosy atmosphere that lends itself equally to a casual meal with friends, a romantic dinner or family gathering.

The service is the perfect mix of relaxed and efficient – there is no pressure to order quickly, and our waitress, Anna, gave us time to enjoy our evening while being attentive when needed.

Drinks were served quickly – a Peroni for Luke, while I had a diet coke – and then we were given plenty of time to choose from the available dishes.

Amarone’s menu showcases traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine. Starters include the customary pizza garlic bread and bruschetta alongside a selection of salad, meat and seafood dishes.

I chose the garlic bread – mainly because I wanted something other than pizza for my main, but find it hard to go past anything bread- based. It was hot and crispy with fluffy crusts, exactly as I like it. Luke chose pan-fried tiger prawns with a white wine, garlic and chilli sauce, which he found delicious, if somewhat fiddly to eat. For mains, there is a choice of pizza, pasta or à la carte dishes, with chicken, veal or steak options.

I departed from my usual tomato-based pasta and tried the vegetarian risotto, which was made with mushrooms, carrots, aubergine and courgette. It was very tasty, but light at the same time, leaving plenty of room for dessert. Luke decided on an eight-ounce sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce, which comes with either chips or mixed salad – he chose the chips. The meat was cooked well and, as requested, medium rare.

To finish, Luke chose tiramisu, served with cream, while I had the chocolate fudge cake, which came with vanilla ice cream. The tiramisu was whipped to perfection with just the right balance of coffee and alcohol kick. Usually one with a preference for savoury over sweet, Luke said his dessert outshone the main – high praise indeed. The chocolate cake came warm and was a real treat, although I couldn’t manage the whole thing. Never mind – Luke was more than happy to finish my pudding too!

Without realising, we’d whiled away a relaxed few hours over a very pleasant dinner – such a treat in our usually very busy lives.

Amarone is open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from 12 noon until 2pm and for dinner every day from 5pm to 10.30pm. Takeaway food is also available, with the option to order online. Booking is recommended but not essential.