Restaurant Review: Milanos Pizza & Pasta

On the menu: A wide selection of pizza and pasta dishes along with traditional and tasty seafood starters and a range of salads.

I'll have: For starters, calamari with aoli on salad greens ($12.50). Easily some of the nicest calamari I have eaten. For mains, carni pizza - barbecue sauce, onions, garlic and a selection of meats. It was tasty, fresh pizza, available in three sizes. For dessert, panacotta with a berry coulis ($12). This was decadent, a nice size and the perfect ending to a great meal.

Medium gluten free pizza bases are available for an additional $3.

She'll have: Seasoned prawns with dipping sauce ($14.50), a generous serving of succulent and juicy prawns with a divine dipping sauce. Cannelloni ($22), a very flavoursome dish. A delicious, rich chocolate brownie for dessert.

For the adventurous: Seafood lovers will enjoy the tasty calamari or seasoned prawns starter followed by a marinara pizza topped with mussels, scallops and prawns.

Value for money: Pizza and pasta dishes are traditionally filling but a single serving of pizza for just $12 makes for a very reasonably priced main course.

The coffee was: From local company Fusion.

To drink: A varied list featuring wines from Crab Farm Winery in Hawke's Bay and Mount Maunganui wine makers Bird Wines, whose grapes are grown in Marlborough.

BYO wine with corkage of $6.50 a bottle.

The staff were: Very helpful and friendly. Offering a relaxed, beachside restaurant experience.

The service was: Prompt without being intrusive.

The buzz: Lovely intimate atmosphere. Warm and cosy, well-suited to family groups or couples. Outdoor dining area available for summer.

The verdict: A great dining experience. The food was beautifully cooked, full of flavour and the servings were generous.

The details:

Milanos Pizza & Pasta

Address: 399 Oceanbeach Rd, Mount Maunganui

Hours: Wednesday - Monday from 5pm til late. Closed Tuesday. Summer open 7 days.

Price range: Starters from $6.50 to $14.50. Pasta from $19 to $25.50 and large pizza from $22 to $26.50.