Take your cue from the hanging portrait of Don Corleone,and consider a meal at Ciro’s an offer you can’t refuse.

After all,who’d turn down a bowl of crunchy,grill-marked zucchini alla scapece,zesty with vinegar and mint? Or pliant house made lasagne that really gets the cooked-down richness of the dry-aged pork and beef ragu just right?

Wood-fired pizza is the rightful drawcard,though,blistered and puffy-lipped in time-tested Neapolitan style. Small pools of basil oil bring brightness to a standard margherita,while a special featuring roasted Brussels sprouts,garlicky honey and streaks of goat’s cream shows there’s an eye for the local and seasonal.

It’s all that little bit more thoughtful here,buoyed by a generous spirit that stretches from the forgivingly priced list of cut-above natural wines to the endearingly sunny style of service. Small,yet mighty.

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