Venice is Verwood’s newest restaurant and its arrival in town caused quite a stir among locals.

Situated off the main Ringwood Road, the Italian boasts a large plentiful menu, which certainly caters for all tastes.

The staff were very friendly and they treated us to a selection of garlic dips and olives with bread while we eyed up the menu.

I chose a delicious Zuppa di casa – a homemade Minestrone soup with broccoli, carrot and pasta while my guest enjoyed four freshly grilled Sardines on a bed of salad leaves.

With 15 pasta dishes and 10 a la carte choices, deciding on a main dish was a little tricky but I plumped for the sirloin steak which was served with a cream, brandy and pepper sauce and my choice of chips.

The steak had been beautifully cooked to my medium/rare request and was well presented.

My guest’s pan fried veal was tender and covered in a delicious cream, brandy and mushroom sauce. She chose vegetables as a side dish – broccoli, carrots and potatoes which could have been cooked for a minute longer.

For sweets we decided on a generous portion of profiteroles covered with a cream sauce laced with Baileys and a lemon cheesecake in a cream and lemon liqueur sauce.

Both were finished nicely with free liqueur.

All in all Venice boasts a good atmosphere, good service and tasty food.

Our only complaint was the bill could have been a little smaller!