From a first date to a post-work dinner with friends or a family event, the allure of an Italian is invariably a crowd pleaser.

As I walk through Bayswater, I notice the grand, two-floor glass front of Tortello. After ascending a few marble steps lined with young olive trees, I greet the host. I am led past sage-green wood panelling and monarchical pillars, each covered in zellige-glazed tiles of a matching tone. Glass panels between the pillars gently separate the split-level dining room. Cream linen cafe curtains provide discreet privacy in the airy space.

We roost at the bar for a stretch before our table is ready, where a marble counter meets a handful of soft-pink tub bar stools, brass fixtures, and a light-oak and mirror backbar filled with Italian liquors and spirits. Through the dining room, minus the libations, an open kitchen with a few chef's table seats holds the same aesthetic. Its vibe is clean, modern enough to be energising without losing its warmth, endearing yet breezy.

I order a slightly off-menu spicy mescal margarita. While waiting, I admire a mural of lemon branches on the wall. My request is gladly accepted, and my well-balanced cocktail soon arrives.

Next to me, an early diner enjoys a hazelnut tiramisù. The dessert is rich but airy, made of coffee-and-salted-caramel-soaked sponge fingers, layered and topped with piped cream and cocoa-powder-rolled crushed hazelnuts. Served on an oval plate, it is a dessert for two, yet luxuriously enjoyed by one person.

Once at our table, we can immerse ourselves in the menu of fresh, hand-made pastas in different shapes and sizes, with verdant sauces or rich ragus; ripiena, or stuffed tortelli pasta, of the restaurant's namesake, with silky emulsions; British and Scottish seafood, slow-cooked meats, and decadent salads.

We start with bruschetta of the day: a large slice of garlic-rubbed toasted bread, topped with fluffy, creamy whipped ricotta, a light crunch of frizzante lettuce, and the balancing salinity and bite of Castelvetrano butter olives.

Antipasti included Orkney crab served in charcoal tortelli, with a saline, brothy langoustine bisque. A bright parsley butter sauce drizzle adds both colour and zest to the crab-forward dish, gorgeous alongside a crisp glass of the Pinot Grigio Stocco.

I had marvelled at a high-piled salad that arrived at our neighbours' table, only to find it was a shaved Brussels sprouts salad and to be urged to try it (and since to make it at home, too). Delicate, fluffy cruciferous ruffles of raw sprouts are tossed and topped with toasted buttery Marcona almonds, finely grated egg, and finished with a citrus vinaigrette and pecorino. It’s herbal without bitterness, creamy without heaviness or reliance on a sauce. Honestly, it’s perfect, and I could have merrily enjoyed it as a main, but alas, we continue.

Pasta Fresca, tonnarelli with cavolo nero and Dorset mussels

With another round of tortelli too hard to resist, we dive into pillows with a nutty delica pumpkin filling, served in a sage-imbued brown butter emulsion. The balsamic reduction adds an umami, whilst a smattering of toasted hazelnuts gives bite, and mirrors the sweet squash.

We round out our meal with a dip into the pasta fresca with the tonnarelli, a squared-off spaghetti handmade from sheets pressed over a chitarra, or guitar-string frame. Its slightly meatier texture gives generous space to catch its dressing, and pairs beautifully with its herbaceous cavolo nero purée atop the dish, a surprising and beautiful accompaniment to the Dorset mussels in white wine and chilli and crisp, seasoned breadcrumbs.

Taking to the secondi with the slow-cooked braised beef cheeks, its tender, melting texture is umptious atop a tight, potato and celeriac mash. The full-bodied port wine sauce features a hint of tomato with a mellow acidity, and cavolo nero adds a gentle, balancing tartness to the dish. Overall, the poise between elements is quite perfect for what can easily be a heavy dish alongside its counterparts.

Despite the risk of not being able to move, we eye up the torta chocolate, a divine slice of brownie-esque cake, dusted with powdered sugar, served with a generous dollop of vanilla gelato on a bed of golden, toasted almond flakes. But, in the end, it's limoncello and an espresso.

Now, a cosy trattoria Tortello may not be, more so, a grand restaurant that one might find around Rome’s Via dei Condotti. But if you happen to be around Bayswater (and we highly recommend you do), this new eatery is boldly redefining the modern menu of Il Bel Paese, for a meal and a moment that will take you straight to a long, hot weekend in the Eternal City

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