YOU could still smell the fresh paint on the walls when Zizzi opened its doors following a ten-day refurbishment for a special VIP charity event last week.

The most obvious improvement is a raised seating area with booth-style tables and chairs, which somehow makes the restaurant look bigger.

You also can’t fail to notice the vast pizza oven in the open plan kitchen at the back where you can watch the chefs spinning the pizza dough above their heads.

Diners were given a set menu, which included a sharing platter of antipasti and a number of choices for the main course.

This included four different types of pizza and pasta dishes as well as a chicken dish (chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto ham with a white wine sauce) or the Zizzi fish stew which included sea bass, king prawns, squid, mussels, smoked fish and new potatoes in a tomato based sauce.

There were also two super salads including the Insalata Super Zucca with roasted butternut squash, goat’s cheese, mint, courgette, lentils, green beans and salad leaves.

Our sharing dish of antipasti was served on a wooden platter with a selection of calamari rings, garlic bread with mozzarella and caramelised balsamic onions, tomato bread with green pesto, a smattering of mixed olives and Italian cured meats.

The freshly baked Italian breads were absolutely delicious, light and crispy, the calamari rings were perfectly cooked, and the curls of tender cured meats were excellent quality.

So far, so good.

For his main course my husband opted for the Calzone Carne Piccante which looks like a giant pasty but is actually a folded pizza stuffed with spicy chicken, mini beef meatballs, mushrooms, chilli, tomatoes and bolognese – it certainly had a spicy kick – on a par with an Indian Madras curry. I chose the Linguine ai Gamberi. This was a very spicy, robust dish with fleshy king prawns in a hot roquito chilli, tomato and lobster sauce, which left my mouth tingling.

For desserts we were given a trio of chilled puds including a wedge of tort coiccolate, a rich chocolate mousse, torta limone, a tangy lemon pie and a very rich and creamy tiramisu.

Customers were asked to pay for their drinks and then make a donation in aid of the RNLI.

If this opening night is anything to go by, Zizzi is on zee way up!