Chez Giovanni, Clarence Place, Newport. Tel: 01633 259003

THIS Italian offers good, simple food in a restaurant with a friendly and unpretentious feel to it.

As well as providing the standard fare, the menu also has some surprises to offer with a French and Cypriot flavour.

With plenty to choose from, my partner and I decided to go for the funghi con gambaretti, garlic mushrooms and prawns (£5.25) and the fried calamari (£4.75) to start.

For main course we had a fillet of beef Burgundy (£14.95) and king prawns Pernod (£13.95).

The service was friendly, although it looked as though we had chosen the restaurant's quietest evening of the year after arriving late on a wintry Thursday night.

Treated to the almost obligatory musak soundtrack in the background, the only other customers was a single table of four.

The dessert menu is very good and we ordered the tiramasu.

The wine list is a little limited but did contain an excellent Merlot (£14.95).

With other drinks - a beer and a coke - the bill came to £65.45.

Chez Giovanni offers good food, an intimate setting (on a cold, quiet Thursday night) and a highly enjoyable night out.