In the last few years Liverpool’s two TriBeCa bars have established themselves as popular picks for pizza lovers, whilst sister restaurant Neon Jamon is regarded by many as a staple for Spanish cuisine. So when I heard that the latest venture from the same culinary crew specialised in Italian tapas I was looking forward to giving it a try.

Situated next to the Smithdown Road based TriBeCa, Little Italy is a vibrant addition to South Liverpool’s already wide selection of out-of-town eateries. Its interior is bright and airy with its light wooden walls and shades of green coupled with plenty of plants and trees. There’s an Italian feel with a modern twist.

When we arrived my dining partner and I were led to a table by the window, and whilst it looked out on to the passing traffic of a busy Liverpool road, just a glance at the menu soon transported us straight to Italy.

I picked out an Aperol Spritz cocktail – a Venetian favourite – from the all-Italian drinks menu and my dinner date opted for a Birra Moretti before we began to tackle the varied and appetising selection of dishes on offer.

It quickly became clear that Little Italy was a fitting name for the venue, as we browsed our way through dishes with hints of Tuscany, Bologna and Naples to Sicily, Sardinia and Foggia – the menu offered a nation on a plate! Our attentive waitress for the evening  was enthusiastic about the deliciously different small plates (£4.95-£6.95) and talked us through the tempting meat, fish and vegetarian options.

With difficult decisions to make, we sampled some of the cheese and meat sharing boards (£12.95) while we chose our dishes, being careful not to fill up too soon. The cheeses and cured meats were authentic and flavoursome, and were accompanied by a tasty selection of carta di musica bread, stuffed peppers, zucchini rolls and mixed olives.

I finally settled on the Sicillian spare ribs – a generous helping of tender slow cooked pork ribs marinated in a beautifully sweet pomegranate sauce. They were a highlight of the meal as the meat simply dropped off the bone. I was also keen to try the stuffed courgette flowers, which came with a crispy coating, a mozzarella filling and an olive salsa. They were crunchy and refreshing.

Meanwhile my dining partner opted for the comforting beef shin pappardelle; a slow cooked beef shin pasta with creamy pecorino cheese which, again, was tender and packed with flavour. He also chose the fritto misto mix of lightly fried swordfish, hake, baby octopus, whitebait and prawns, which was well complemented by basil mayonnaise with griddled lemon.

With the help of an amaretto coffee to wash it all down, we had just enough room to share a dessert, which came in the form of baked nectarines with almond and Marsala (£4.95). It was a mouth-wateringly fruity and light finale to a meal which combined fresh ingredients and plenty of flavour with Italian authenticity.

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