What do you do when you want an authentic taste of Italy but can’t travel to the country itself?

The answer popped up on my social media with a flyer for a new Italian restaurant.

It promised hundreds of recipes straight from the grandmothers of the owner and two of his friends.

The flyer said the restaurant was “born in one of those wonderful villages on the Southern Coast of Italy.”

While the owner describes finding a hundred-year-old green booklet in his grandmother’s kitchen “filled with dozens of recipes and deciding to bring them into modern times.”

I love Italian food so, bolstered by the promise of an Italian grandmother’s authentic dishes and excited at experiencing a taste of Italy on my cloudy doorstep, my husband and I headed into Gravesend to try it.

Situated on the corner of Milton Road, the owner had clearly tried hard, creating an outdoor eating area with comfy seats and a relaxing ambience, but looking out on the high street rather than the cobbled streets of Italy was never going to be the same.

After being met at the door by a very friendly head waitress, we were escorted to our seats.

The traditional pizza kitchen on the back wall, the display of delicate patisseries as you enter and the chic green velvet seats kept my expectations high.

The decor was under-stated and relaxing, Italian-style music played in the background and the sound of the chef and owner talking in their native tongue gave a real sense of authenticity.

The green menu was a nod to the green booklet crammed with recipes the owner had found in his grandmother’s pantry and perusing it made it to difficult to choose what to sample.

After much deliberation over a pint of the house Italian beer for my husband and a glass of rose for me, I opted for the mussels for my starter, figuring they are delicate and less likely to fill me up before the main meal. My husband went for meatballs.

Both starters arrived looking particularly impressive. My husband was delighted with his small dish of meatballs which came in a rich, tomato sauce but no spaghetti – obviously ensuring you still had enough room for the main attraction.

The mussels arrived in a huge cauldron with around 20 beautifully open shells inside. The only slight niggle was the slightly burnt garlic bread which had been tossed on top.

As I started tucking into the not-so-easy-to-eat dish a waiter appeared with a bowl lemon wedges in water to wash my fingers. However, the strong citrus smell then proceeded to slightly tinge the taste of my food.

Looking around the restaurant, which was fast filling up as it was the opening weekend and they were fully booked, the mussels were proving a popular choice.

Now for the main meal. My favourite part of an Italian.

Should I go for something I never make at home, such as the Spaghetti Carbonara for £11.90 or the Risotto Del Bosco for £12.90?

I decided when in Italy... and with a shiny new pizza oven in my eyeline, I felt it would be rude not to plump for a pizza.

Being a cheese lover, I opted for a Quattro Formaggi, which strangely was the only option missing a price, but all the pizza was roughly the same at around £13.

My husband is more of a meat and veg man so he chose the fried chicken breast in spicy tomato sauce for £14.90.

And here is when our so far faultless time at the restaurant took an unexpected turn as after a short wait my husband’s main meal appeared looking like what I can only describe as a large chicken nugget, tinned spaghetti and some wet lettuce.

It was astoundingly disappointing. And unfortunately, it tasted not much better than it looked. “I think I made the wrong choice,” was my husband’s diplomatic response.

Considering myself a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to pizza, I was equally shocked by the appearance of my “Four Cheese” pizza which just looked very, well, cheesy.

It was like an extra big cheese on toast. Where was the tomato paste?

I have had many Quattro Formarggi’s in the past and have never seen one that looked quite so bland and tasted quite so strong.

Never mind, we thought as we perused the dessert menu. Onwards and upwards.

My mum makes a fantastic Tiramisu and I have always been disappointed whenever I have it at a restaurant, so I figured what better way to try out the promised traditional recipes than with the coffee-flavoured dessert.

With trepidation, I ordered the £6 dish. My husband went for the blackcurrant cheesecake.

After another short wait – the timing of our dishes was not too fast that we felt rushed but not too slow that we got impatient – and our plates arrived looking a lot more appealing than the main.

The cheesecake was presented on a delightfully thick-based biscuit, rather than the traditional triangle shape, heaped with cream cheese and berry sauce, whilst my tiramisu came in a rustic-looking teacup.

They both tasted delicious. Brownie points redeemed.

As we headed home feeling decidedly full, I was left with mixed reviews of a rather rollercoaster meal and unsure whether the tasty starter and amazing desserts outweighed my disappointment at the main meal.

Maybe it might be worth a return visit and a different menu choice?

Food: The starters and desserts were both delicious and reasonably priced. The less said about the main dish the better. ***

Drink: I just had a traditional glass of rose but my husband, who is a stalwart Fosters fan was pleased with his Italian beer. The prices were also reasonable ****

Decor: From the outdoor terrace to the traditional interior I could not fault the feel and look of the restaurant *****

Staff: The waitress who welcomed us at the door was smart and friendly. We were also served by a variety of men who were rather less impressively dressed in jeans and trainers. All equally hospitable. ****

Price: A meal for two including one drink each, a starter, a main and a dessert came to £70, which seemed about right. ****