THE Topogigio mouse has been smiling on Wimborne for many years. But then so has proprietor Nino, who has been the cheery human' face of the restaurant in Mill Lane since he opened it nearly two decades ago.

So, why such enduring popularity?

Well, in my opinion, it's a place for just about every occasion.

I have known discerning 50-somethings hold hands over a Topogigio table on Valentine's night. Business women swap gossip over coffee. Solo diners feel comfortable.

When my brother introduced his future wife to our family, we gathered here to celebrate.

There's also something very comforting about good, honest Italian cooking. It seems to embrace simplicity and tradition at the same time.

The menu is impressive, covering all the hearty favourites that no Italian restaurant should be without.

When I say there are nine different types of pasta, I mean that's before all the different sauces and methods of cooking.

Pizzas of course feature heavily, from a simple Margherita to an all-singing, all dancing Topogigio special with all the works. You can also add extra toppings to any of the pizzas to suit your particular mood of the moment.

The carne' selection includes chicken, veal and various steaks (either simply char-grilled, peppered or with a range of sauces). Not forgetting the pesche' (fish). The boneless trout and the garlic king prawns caught our eye almost immediately.

On a recent visit to this newly refurbished restaurant, I chose the pork liver pâté (£5.10) to start, which was smooth and tasty with huge chunks of lightly toasted bread.

My friend chose mozzarella in carrozza (£6.50)- deep-fried mozzarella cheese wedged between slices of bread and lightly crumbed. This was comfort food at its best and had no hint of greasiness whatever.

To follow, I had the penne al salmone (£8.50) - penne pasta in a tomato and cream sauce finished with Pernod and the biggest chunks of salmon I've ever seen in such a dish. The Pernod's slight aniseed taste complemented the fish very well. In all, a real winner.

The chicken breast in my friend's pollo cacciatore (£13.50) was moist and juicy without a scrap of bone or gristle. Its sauce was busting with Italian flavours, including tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaves, rosemary, olives and white wine. Bellissimo.

Accompanying vegetables included gorgeous cubes of potato, roasted with a light scattering of herbs. And the green beans had the zing of capers and a twist of garlic, too. Unusual but delicious.

A range of sweets included home made cream caramel, zabaglione, and gelato di tartufo - a truffle ice cream.

Nina went stateside with New York style baked cheesecake (ba da bing!) but I stuck to Italy with a lovely light, moist tiramisu (shame this didn't seem home made though).

A couple of excellent coffees rounded off a lovely evening. So here's to Nino and his staff (and the smiling Topogigio mouse of course) enjoying a couple more decades in the centre of Wimborne.