Cooking aromas swirled throughout the seating area as the chef whipped up wonders in the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant.
Initially struck by the invitingly Italian atmosphere in Ristorante Piatto, with a wonderful ambience and homely feel, we took our seats.
My companion and I, fortunately, have a similar palette and without hesitation agreed on a camembert (£12.95) and a bowl of olives (£4.95) to share as a modest and marvellous appetiser to whet our palettes, ahead of a carb-loaded main.
And my goodness, what a choice.
The gooey camembert (though not a staple Italian dish) was a delight, served with slices of warm homemade bread to dunk, rocket and cranberry sauce.
It was warm and creamy in texture, with a punchy and powerful flavour - and the perfect size for two. Armed with the bowl of olives, a synchronised 'swapping system' was in place, alternating dunking and nibbling.
The olives were beautiful, with strong salty and garlic flavours.
Our palettes whetted, we eagerly anticipated our mains.
I ordered the gambretti con cozze (£16.95), comprising of king prawns, mussels, homemade spaghetti and a delicious tomato sauce.
The mussels were mouthwatering; so tender and succulent that they fell out of their shells, with each rich bite tingling my senses.
If I closed my eyes I could feel the warm sea breeze of the Mediterranean through my hair, yet we were in an enclosed small building in Beccles.
The prawns were colossal, living up to their name. Though in terms of flavour, they were dwarfed by the compellingly scrumptious mussels.
What must not be overlooked is the tomato sauce which provided the moisture and creaminess necessary to process the starch-heavy pasta, which I greedily slurped down with aplomb.
My companion ordered the pollo e formaggio alla spinaci (£15.95), a mozzarella sauce with spinach and cherry tomatoes, topped with a dolcelatte cheese-filled chicken breast.
Though the flavour of the dish was tasty, and with each bite inviting, the chicken was on the chewier side. Nevertheless, a clean plate cannot be a bad sign.
With stomachs on the verge of explosion, we took a mutual decision to share a personal desert favourite of my own - tiramisu (£6.95).
The sweet, mousse-like cream was gorgeously fresh, with undertones of booze, but dominated by a strong aroma of coffee, which packed a powerful punch.
It was sweet and rich, just as you would expect from a traditional homemade tiramisu - a divine way to conclude an excellent evening.
With this independent restaurant, what was startlingly brilliant was the authenticity of the food.
The pasta and spaghetti were homemade, the tiramisu was homemade, and the bread was homemade.
This is a special touch. Something which you will not encounter dining at a chain restaurant; in fact, it is insulting to mention Ristorante Piatto with a chain in the same sentence!
Setting
Prepare to be catapulted to the Amalfi coast, in what is an intimate, romantic and charming restaurant.
The cosy setting was decorated in true Italian style with artwork and posters of American/Italian figures such as Robert De Niro to create an authentic feeling.
There too are images of the half-Italian restaurant owner (who now resides in London) in his youth, with grape vines to help aid a green and warm feeling; the dimmed lights add to create the snug and comfortable ambience.
All in all, Ristorante Piatto, is a lovely and atmospheric restaurant which would make any evening feel special.
The restaurant is situated at 23 Smallgate, Beccles NR34 9AD
Drinks
We started with a glass of medium glass of house red for myself (£7.95) and a bottled Peroni (£4.55) for my companion.
It was hoped that these two drinks would be enough to see us through our meal but having guzzled them before the starter was complete we soon realised that a bottle of red wine was necessary to share...
So we pounced on the January offer on the red, Valpolicella Classico Sartori, usually priced at £30.95, but, slashed to £26.95.
The rich and fruity wine washed down our remaining food wonderfully and although it propelled us a little over budget, was definitely worth it.
Service
Our hostess was lovely and attentive with a beaming smile, she had a good sense of humour and was very tolerant of my often interrogative and awkward questions. Couldn’t fault the service.
The evening was very unhurried, homely and at a tempo which we dictated. There wasn't any pressure to move on to the next course until we were ready.
Price
The total bill for our evening came to £97.20.
Had we not splashed out on a bottle of wine for £26.95, the sum would have been incredibly reasonable, and with the additional glass of house red and Peroni we had with our starters, I think we missed a trick not ordering the wine to begin
The total food value was £57.75, considering two hungry people left with full stomachs, having eaten some delicious homemade and authentic food, I think this is very reasonable.
For the quality of food, £15.95 and £16.95, for our mains is excellent, unbeatable, value.
Accessibility
The restaurant is small, but should you book in advance.
The restaurant is all on a single floor, without stairs, the toilet is on the ground floor too, so the accessibility is good.
Toilets
The toilets were clean, on the ground floor and well equipped with varying soaps, with everything you would expect.
Disclaimer
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
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