THERE are no half measures at La Dolce Vita - not in the decor, the presentation of the dishes or their quality.

Thanks to the big freeze of Swindon, we had the place almost to ourselves when we visited, but the large and well-heated restaurant still managed to be somehow intimate and cosy.

As ever, the decor is a major part of the Dolce Vita Experience, with paintings, fixtures and fittings a classically-styled tribute to Italian high culture.

My partner and I have a special strategy whenever we visit an Italian restaurant for the first time - or when it’s under new management, as is the case with La Dolce Vita: I order something well known and she...err...doesn’t. That way we can find out whether the restaurant has all the bases covered, from the straightforward to the more advanced.

I’m pleased to report that La Dolce Vita passed our devious little test with honours.

My breadcrumbed mushrooms with garlic dip, £5.55, were an ideal appetiser, combining taste and texture perfectly, and arrived with a generous and delicious salad.

My partner chose a beautifully arranged starter of alternating mozzarella and tomato slices, £5.95, again with a crisp and tastily dressed salad. Both starters were almost generous enough to pass as main courses.

When it came to main courses, my rich lasagne, at £8.95 proved to be the best imaginable antidote to the freezing, miserable weather outside, with succulent meat, perfect pasta and a rich, herby sauce.

My partner, meanwhile, was unable to resist the siren song of the specials board in general and the Medaglione al Barolo - medallions of beef - in particular, for £15.50.

They came with a delicious sauce and a generous side selection of vegetables.

Even with a rather good house red wine, the bill came to a very agreeable £52, which was the final pleasant surprise of a meal full of them. We would recommend La Dolce Vita without hesitation.

Eat at...

La Dolce Vita Empire House, Empire Court, Clarence Street, Swindon SN1 2OF. Tel 01793 485333.

Dining opening times: 7 days a week, 12-2pm lunchtime and 6pm-11pm evenings.