la bella Italia nella New Forest

The charming part of La Pergola Italian restaurant in the New Forest is the pergola covered in wistaria and vines which present a charming exterior profile, sufficient in itself to entice you in.
Yet, curiously, although I have driven past on many, many occasions it is not until today that a friend suggested we might eat there, that I actually ate there.
The restaurant itself was established 17 years ago and is run by an Italian family, so as lover of Italian food, who was I to decline such an invitation.
An Italian caprese salad, Insalata Caprese which literally translated means salad of Capri, set my taste buds moving. Simple — with sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and seasoned with salt, olive oil and balsamic.
And tortellini to die for. I originally fell in love with tortellini, curiously sometimes called “belly button” pasta because of its navel shape, many years ago in Bologna and Modena where it is a regional speciality. Today’s was every bit as good as I recall from all those years ago.
By co-incidence I might have enjoyed tortellini cooked at home one day last week. That was until the family read the use by date on the packet of ready prepared tortellini I had bought in a local supermarket some months ago.
But today’s last minute visit to La Pergola more than made up for that.
Methinks we will be visiting again!