STROLLING through Chester on a Friday afternoon I thought my day just couldn’t get better.

The sun was shining (at least it wasn’t snowing), I had the week off work and the other half was at home entertaining our two-year-old as I headed out for a girlie time with a great friend.

Ambling past the city’s cathedral the question of where to go for lunch came up, and my friend suggested Ristorante Sergio, which was just ahead of us.

I love Italian, it ticks a lot of boxes for me; it can be light and refreshing or real hearty comfort food, and I was more than willing to try somewhere new.

Ristorante Sergio describes itself as “a family run, family friendly trattoria” and this is how it feels the minute you walk through the door.

The restaurant is incredibly warm and welcoming, and effortlessly authentic.

Greeted by enthusiastic staff we were shown to a table in the centre, great for people-watching. From our table we could also see the kitchen, a hive of activity, with dough being spun into pizza bases at gravity defying heights.

I couldn’t wait to check out the menu and it didn’t disappoint. The choice of starters was longer than most mains and I was torn between calamari and stuffed mushrooms. In the end my friend and I both chose the funghi della Casa – baked breaded mushrooms stuffed with garlic butter.

On their arrival I was struck by the simplicity: no random salad or fancy foliage on the side, just a good portion of piping hot mushrooms. They may have looked ‘no frills’ but they more than made up for it in flavour. These were leagues ahead of any predecessor I’d tried and we were silent as we devoured every last morsel.

I now had very high hopes for our main courses and as two bulging dishes of pure indulgence were put before us, I wasn’t disappointed.

My dinner guest was now devouring her very generous portion of lasagna al forno, a classic dish of pasta layered with bolognese sauce, bechamel and parmesan.

I tucked in to my choice, canneloni: pasta filled with chicken, spinach, parmesan, egg and breadcrumbs. Both meals were very rich and incredibly filling and had us wishing we had not ordered our sides of bruschetta aglio olio (garlic bread) and bruschetta al Pomodora, homemade bread topped with garlic butter, chopped tomatoes, basil and oregano, which was practically a meal in itself.

Some time later we had to admit defeat, which in my case is incredibly rare.

Having let dinner settle over some gossip and giggles, I was ready to check out dessert.

The previous two courses were heavy hitters, so now I was in need of something to satisfy my sweet craving while being light. I stayed clear of the torta ‘senza
luce’ (blackout cake), which contains no fewer than six types of chocolate and opted for mousse al limone. This was fresh cream and lemon flavoured mousse, covered with gelatine on a maraschino soaked sponge base, and it was refreshing and light, a bit like a citrus tiramisu, which was also on offer.

Already impressed with my experience of Ristorante Sergio, the bill came, and I was impressed some more. We’d had quality and quantity without breaking the bank, always a recipe for success. “Bet you’re already planning to come back,” my friend said.

Oh yes. Ristorante Sergio may be new to me but I intend for us to become very well acquainted.