Recommended restaurant: Sambuca

SAMBUCA has done pretty well for itself since it opened up on Causewayside in 2001.

A busy Italian restaurant offering good food at decent prices, all in a laid-back setting - perhaps it is no wonder.

Management claim the restaurant's core value is "friendly, family-run attentiveness", with dishes made using the "highest quality ingredients" and always delivered at "sensible prices". Perhaps it is this that keeps the customers coming back . . . and back.

Starters begin as low as 2.20, reaching 7.50 at the highest end. Customers can choose from the likes of soup, salami, mussels and smoked salmon, all enjoyed in the homely setting of this neighbourhood restaurant.

Mains are very reasonably priced with pizzas costing as little as 6.50, pasta dishes around the 7 mark, and more elaborate creations, such as veal pan fried in breadcrumbs, just 12.50 at the top end of the price scale.

Fresh seafood dishes are a must, as are the wide-ranging pasta choices.

The deserts are strong and traditionally Italian, including Sicilian cheesecake (3.50), tiramisu (3.50) and mixed ice-cream (3.40).

Sambuca may not be the most snazzy of the city's Italian restaurants when it comes to decor, but its homely food, sensible prices and pleasant staff continue to make it a winner in the neighbourhood.

• Sambuca, 103-105 Causewayside, www.sambucaitalianrestaurant.co.uk, 0131-667 3307.