WITH its outside deck, flickering hurricane lanterns, wicker seating and cool colonial-style blue fabrics, the ambience of Bella Rosa is reminiscent of a beach somewhere in Nantucket.

But the circular seating areas, meticulously upholstered, could be straight off a luxury Sunseeker, and the food is anything but sea-trash.

Bella Rosa is a new contemporary Italian restaurant in the prestigious Canford Cliffs area of Poole.

Fresh fish and shellfish are delivered every morning and authentic Italian ingredients are sourced whenever possible, such as the olive oil, the buffalo mozzarella, Sicilian cherry tomatoes and the pizza flour.

All hand-kneaded to order, the pizzas are already popular and are priced from just £7.

I nearly ordered the diavolo (with tomato, mozzarella, Sicilian sausage and chilli) from a menu which also includes pastas, fish, meat and salads.

On our visit, specials of the day (which were chalked up on mini blackboards on each table) included a fine-sounding bucatini pasta (like thick spaghetti) with king prawns, scallops, garlic, chilli and cherry tomatoes (£18.50).

I didn't need any persuading to order this as my main course, and I wasn't disappointed. The pasta was cooked just as it should be, and the seafood tasted as though it had been barbecued. Plenty of cherry toms sweetened the dish which had a lovely spicy kick.

Before this, my starter really was superb. It was something I wish I could make this myself, but know it wouldn't taste as good - partly because it was made with a special sort of close-textured Italian bread. Simply it was a bruschetta, with chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil, but wow, what a fantastic blend of fresh ingredients, and reasonably priced at £3.60.

My friend went for the calamari fritti (£6.95) which comprised tender, soft squid with just a dusting of batter served with a home-made tartare sauce. The portion was generous enough for me to have a few rings, and the quality was very impressive.

To follow, she opted for the pollo Bella Rosa (£12.95) - a roast chicken breast with lemon and rosemary in a white wine sauce. This was a real hit, and had all the flavours of fresh herbs with a proper citrusy zing. Vegetables of the day included green beans, roasted carrots, and the most amazing Italian potatoes with olive oil and rosemary which were butter-soft inside. These are available as a side order, too, (which is recommended as you probably won't be able to get enough of them either).

As a dessert, the home-made tiramisu was another tempting option, but as the ice-cream came highly recommended, who were we to refuse?

We shared a scoop each of coconut & lemongrass (light and refreshing); maple & walnut (rich and creamy); and white chocolate (indescribably good).

All food is freshly prepared to order which means at peak times there may be a bit of a wait, but when we visited on a weeknight, our food arrived impressively quickly. And he owner didn't need to point out that contemporary cuisine doesn't mean small portions'.

While the wine list isn't over-extensive, only authentic ones are sourced, such as Frascati from the correct region of Italy.

And that's another benefit of Bella Rosa - you can just stop by for a drink if you prefer. But once you see all the fabulous fare being served to other tables, the chances are you'll succumb before you can say molto bello'.

Bella Rosa, 37 Haven Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole BH13 7LE, phone 01202 701101.