Italian food from good souls

Bella 'Mbriana has the odds stacked against it. Situated in Clattersea (not quite Clapham Old Town, not quite Battersea), the locale proves a hurdle. And given that it has tango walls, plastic tablecloths and tinny, conversation-prohibiting Mexican music, it's all the more remarkable that by the time you leave you'll have nothing but fondness for it.

Bella 'Mbriana means good soul, and this informs everything about its execution, from the food (generous pizzas, creamy pastas, fresh fish) to the hospitality (letting us sample wine, accommodating our musical taste and insisting on a digestif before we braved the outdoors).

Portions are gargantuan. Our antipasti - parma ham with quality buffalo mozzarella, and carpaccio of robustly red beef on an Everest of rocket - would have been more than ample mains. Pizzas - thin crust, wood fired - are a speciality, but in the spirit of Neapolitan gluttony we plumped for the heavyweights.

My date opted for the male duck breast - a rather fatigued fowl enlivened by some pan-fried shallots, a brandy glaze and cream. I chose a beautifully plated sea bass cooked with cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary, chilies, olives and whole garlic cloves, filleted and beheaded table-side with flair.

Such flourish, a skilled kitchen and a lot of familiarity go a long way. The price is right (£72 for two including two bottles of wine) and happily the hospitality is warm enough to outshine even the most garish shade of orange.

www.bella-mbriana.com

Bella 'Mbriana
22 North Street, Clapham, SW4