Nasreen Halim tucks into some superb Italian food

�When we arrived at Tomo Pizzeria in Hornsey, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the menu and all it had to offer. The restaurant is warm and inviting, and has a cosy, friendly feel – it really is a delightful family restaurant.

The walls are adorned with some amazing art, some of which is for sale, and some funky tunes put us in the mood for a fun night.

Our waitress promptly showed us to our seats and served us with pene della casa – home- baked bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The smell alone was to die for. It also came with really fresh marinated olives, which were slightly sweet and not at all bitter.

We also ordered a bottle of fruity and sweet prosecco, which went down nearly as quickly as it was brought out.

For starters, somewhat greedily after munching on the bread and olives, we had calamari fritti – breaded squid rings.

I must say they were some of the softest squid I have ever tried in my life, and I am a girl who enjoys her seafood.

We also tried the gamberoni – garlic butterfly prawns that tasted so good I never wanted them to end.

For the main event, my dinner date had linguine pollo e funghi, or chicken and mushrooms in a light creamy white wine sauce.

I was a little jealous as it tasted absolutely amazing. I promised to order it myself next time.

I opted for pizza as it would have been rude not to sample the delights of the wood-fired oven, which filled the restaurant with warmth and the kind of smell that would keep you there all day and night.

Topped with bacon and mushrooms, it was an enormous, tasty meal. So big, in fact, that I was able to take some home for a classy breakfast the next day.

For dessert, we shared a very rich tiramisu.

Having eaten so much, a touch of guilt started to kick in – but the food was so good we couldn’t stop ourselves.

Finally, we enjoyed a coffee laced with Tia Maria and an Ameretto on ice.

Tomo Pizzeria is an absolute credit to owner and chef Adam. We will be back soon.