Approaching Amalfi Ristorante and Pizzeria on a dark, wet evening I’m immediately heartened by the warm glow and laughter emanating from the building.

As I open the door into the snug restaurant in the heart of Nailsworth I’m given an enthusiastic welcome, and broad smiles.

Smiles that I am happy do say do not falter over the course of the evening.

One of those people meeting me is Mario Ribuffo, who runs the restaurant, and is keen to explain why the eatery is rated one of the top places to eat in the Cotswolds.

“I wanted to create something with a relaxed atmosphere similar to what you’d find in a town square in an Italian village,” he says.

He has certainly achieved that, because despite it being a Wednesday night the restaurant is bustling, filled with couples, families and friends enjoying a mid-week dinner.

Although the business has been open for less than two years, they clearly have a good reputation, I tell him.

“Yes,” Mario says proudly. “We are lucky to be in Nailsworth because everyone is so supportive here, it’s a family business and we want people to feel at home.”

Amalfi’s menu is filled with authentic delicacies from Mario’s homeland - he was born in Milan - pasta is made fresh on the premises daily, as are their pizzas and they offer an impressive selection of regional dishes too.

“Antonio Vitolo, our head chef, is from Naples but he has been with us from day one,” says Mario.

“He really enjoys putting our menu together and sharing his recipes from all over Italy.”

With over 50 dishes on the menu I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to choose - everything looks far too tempting. Mario comes to my rescue - suggesting ravioli dish with smoked salmon, prawns and Caviar.

The visually appealing dish arrives before I even have time to relax with my glass of wine, and although it looks too good to eat, when I do taste it, it doesn’t disappoint.

I’ll admit that I was slightly concerned that the flavours would overpower one another but the delicate smoked salmon is perfectly balanced by a light sauce - a burst of tomato refreshes the palate with each mouthful.

The delicate crunch of the black ink tagliatelle which garnishes the dish counters the silky texture of the sauce.

I polish the dish off too quickly to be considered dignified and, despite feeling comfortably full after the generous portion leap at the chance to try their homemade panatonne with vanilla ice cream.

I’m no fan of puddings but this was divine, Antonio may have ruined all other panatonnes for me.

I leave delighted to have found the perfect place to beat the winter blues.