I Latini

Whether they came to toil in the mines of Mons and Charleroi or trawl the corridors of power at EU headquarters, the Belgo-Italians have made sure that they are never far from food that, while never quite as good as mama makes, is at least good enough to soothe their hunger for home.

I Latini has been serving classic Italian food with an emphasis on fresh ingredients since Antonio Mastrogiovanni saved the 17th-century building from demolition over 20 years ago. Located downtown off the Sainte-Catherine square, it is decorated in warm Tuscan shades with Venetian plaster work that incorporates exposed brickwork and oak beams from the original building along with church frescoes and commedia dell’arte motives.

Service is friendly, attentive and expert, with the waiters off ering their personal tips on what to eat and what to drink with your meal. The hot and cold starters include green bean salad with rucola, pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette; Milanese minestrone; and baby cuttlefish sautéed with zucchini and vongole. Personally, I recommend trying a selection from the antipasti bar, which features delicacies like grilled peppers and courgettes, insalata Caprese with buffalo mozzarella and finely sliced fennel.

For mains, you’ll be equally spoilt for choice. Alongside traditional Neapolitan pizza, the main course menu includes plenty of original pasta dishes like agnolotti with foie gras, wild mushrooms and black truffles or spaghetti alla bottarga, known in English as cured mullet row.

In addition, there’s a regular rotation of seasonal dishes, including the excellent seppie in guazzetto – cuttlefish cooked in tomato and white wine and served with aubergine and fennel. We also opted for a full-time feature, the cacciucco alla livornese, a rich, red fish stew from the Tuscan coast that came complete with mussels, clams, monkfish, squid, shrimp, langoustine and a shoal of other firm, white fish. The waiter assured me my choice was “magnifico” – and he was absolutely right. To round off our delicious meals, we asked for a light red wine and got the perfect match: Passione from the Marrone vineyard in Piedmont. We finished with a cheese platter of tangy taleggio and gorgonzola served with rucola salad; a creamy cappuccino mousse; and goblets of complimentary grappa. It’s wise not to take the car if you’re heading here.

1a & 2 place Sainte-Catherine, tel 02 502 50 30; www.ilatini.be