King prawns arranged like synchronised swimmers in a pool of vivid green, basil-scented oil and thin slices of veal fillet drizzled in a lattice of tuna and caper sauce make trustworthy, fuss-free precursors to the primi. And it’s here where the ‘innovation’ comes in: alongside linguine tossed in a sweet lobster and cherry tomato bisque, Kobe beef carbonara is a deliciously quirky surprise, coating thick tubes of paccheri with the same silken, fatty richness of the Roman specialty, while being just a touch more savoury. A distinctly parched serving of beef fillet is this Italian holiday’s rainy day, though a deeply saucy merlot-braised veal osso bucco with crisp saffron rice is a life raft. That and the table-side pistachio tiramisu — which I would grab on to any day.