On the hottest day of the year, the restaurant is pleasingly cool and what a joy – white linen tablecloths, gleaming silver and glinting glasses twinkle in the sun creating the best of impressions.

There is only one other table occupied in the small room and thankfully we are not plonked right next to them – an annoying practice still common in restaurants which fancy themselves. Nor does La Bruschetta require a credit card to reserve a table, an understandable requirement for large parties but irritating for the individual diner.

Things are looking good. And, as we peruse the menu, they are getting better. Mama Mia! We have found an Italian that is not a glorified pizza joint. There is not a calzone or margherita in sight. I’ll drink to that with an old favourite we nicknamed ‘the twig’ after the piece of grape vine attached to the neck of each bottle. Montepulciano Zaccagnini is a drinkable, decent mid-range choice when the big Barolos and Amarones and fine Brunellos are so expensive. I once took part in a blind tasting of three Tesco Montepulcianos in which the cheapest was unanimously voted the best – it is a reliable choice.

Conversation is of books, history and legal developments. Scottish Legal News is one of the very few publications in Scotland to review non-fiction books. And we have noticed an insidious new trend which Robert highlighted recently in a review of the 1968 Markovic affair that scandalised Paris. The author himself described it as “not a traditional history book. It is a work of narrative non-fiction, built from the record but shaped like a novel.”

A new book on Soviet spy Anthony Blunt is also full of supposition and presumption and written like a thriller. At one time, editors and publishers would never have tolerated such practices. Is the post-truth era and the social media blurring of fact and fiction now encroaching on the world of book publishing? Let’s hope not.

The wine is going down well and perfectly accompanies our starters. My melanzane parmigiana is piping hot, just out of the oven and is a perfect cheesy melange of aubergine and tomato in a small dish, a good example of less is more. Robert’s bruschetta valtellina with prosciutto and Parmesan shavings is equally satisfactory.

As the main courses arrive, another bottle of the easy-drinking red is ordered – it’s a little too easy.

My saltimbocca is curiously devoid of sage, a key ingredient, but is excellent nonetheless. The veal is tender and finely chopped mushrooms are an unusual addition to a sauce which is soaked up by cubes of sautéed rosemary potatoes. Tip top – this saltimbocca lives up to its translation from the Italian and ‘jumps in the mouth’.

Robert’s Rigatoni allá Norcina is a hearty portion of pasta, its sausage spiced with fennel and cumin. Spinach and wild mushrooms are finished off with cream and Parmesan making it a moreish delight.

This is classic Italian fare done to a high standard. My tiramisu then is something of a disappointment – mundane and lacking Marsala wine, it’s a bit of a non-starter. Robert, however, declares his affogato ‘superb’.

So bella ciao to La Bruschetta, a return visit is in order.

Verdict: 8/10
labruschetta.co.uk