City centre Italian has a good crack at becoming Cardiff's best pizzeria

Cardiff's dearth of good Italian restaurants has long been a mystery, especially given the city's high quota of Italian families. The few restaurants which we do have, with one honorable exception, drown in absurdly complicated menus and shocking service. Grumpy waiters may lend a certain authenticity, but fussy food certainly doesn't. Good Italian food excels with its attention to good, fresh ingredients, and utter simplicity.

And simplicity is where La Vita scores. Massively. And I guess it has to with a kitchen most likely smaller than the one in your house, and only half a dozen tables to alleviate the pressure when the pizzas emerge from the oven. There are some simple menu options too, including two lunches for a tenner and some highly affordable set dinner options too.

Simple food is risky though. But much of what La Vita has to offer wins you over with Berlusconi-like flamboyance, such as tonight's starter of aubergine soup plus tomato and chili. This was Italian food at its best, full of flavour, and with a thick, nourishing texture which any mama would be proud of. There was a beautiful homemade tiramisu on offer too, dripping with the house blend of spirits and tantalizingly creamy. But there were disappointments too. Olives were as tasteless as we've ever experienced, and sadly the pizzas really did need a bit more of a kick. There's a good range of them on the menu, and they are lovingly made by a chef who's concentration on the oven is so great that he wouldn't notice if his shoes caught fire, but they just didn't press many buttons in the eating.

In one area La Vita really would disappoint an authentic visitor - the waitress/owner is utterly charming, and very possibly the best in Cardiff. Nothing is too much trouble, whether it's turning off the malfunctioning (droning) air-con or changing a bottle of wine even when you say you like it, but clearly not in a convincing tone of voice. Wow.

So hats off to La Vita and its sparky owners. More jammy dodgers on the way when the food gets a touch more perky, but we heartily recommend a visit in the meantime.