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Tony Benjamin digs deep into his pork belly to unearth the secret behind the smart simplicity at one of Gordon’s Best Local Restaurants

Ever since they were controversially pipped for the title of ‘Gordon’s Best Local Restaurant’ some 18 months ago, business has been brisk at Prosecco. Even the recent arrival of upmarket French franchise Côte next door doesn’t seem to have ruffled their feathers - the welcome is as comfortable, relaxed and relaxing as ever.

There’s a neat, smart simplicity to the decor at this compact, family-run Clifton restaurant, which matches the food philosophy of Italian chef/owner Diego Da Re. Trained in fine dining in top restaurants across Europe, he’s ultimately inspired by the approaches of his grandmother and father, who conjured delicious food from the simple, seasonal ingredients available to them. Completely free of unnecessary exotica, the Prosecco a la carte menu fits neatly onto one side of A4, using straightforward descriptions like ‘potted smoked trout with summer pickles’.

Having decided to do the proper Italian four-course thing, but nervous as to quantity, me and The Lovely She decide to share that trout dish as our antipasti. It’s a good call, the subtly blended flavours of lemon and butter emphasising the pink smokiness of the fish flavour, while crunchy pickled asparagus wait to be found in the sweet pickle. Going ‘by-the-glass’ on wine, TLS has a big-flavoured unoaked chardonnay and I opt for crisper soave - both work well with this and the subsequent ‘pasta’ course, where Diego’s approach really begins to shine.

Whatever the phrase ‘gnocchi with creamy dolcelatte sauce’ conjures up for you, the flavoursome marshmallow-melting nuggets and their fragrant accompaniment would surely match your expectation, while pappardelle with shredded roast duck in thyme sauce is revelatory. The pasta itself is eggy perfection, while the slow-cooked duck has become a dense ragu with intense aromatic flavours. Best not to rush such pleasures, so we take our time, enjoying the combination of rich food and decent wine, pausing a while before the main courses arrive.

Given our relative state of contentment at this stage, it’s important that the next dishes look good enough to tempt us further, and indeed they do. My pork belly with three salsa accompaniments is artfully laid out, the cube of skinless meat surrounded by a neat traffic light of spoonfuls of red, yellow and green salsa, with an unfeasibly slender spear of biscuit-crisp crackling balanced on top, while her roast lemon sole is a giant of a fish that fills the plate and gleams with a sheen of chilli, lime and garlic butter.

Preparing for business, TLS tops up her chardonnay while I switch to a knockout barbera, deep red yet with perfectly controlled intensity. The food is, yet again, delightful. The pork is almost fat-free, rendered away by slow cooking, and takes on a different hue with each of the chilli, apple and ‘verde’ salsa. The sea-flavoured sole folds away from the bone, moistened but not drenched by the butter. We’ve picked chunky bread and a green salad to go with them, and the combination gives a rustic simplicity to the spread, which, once again, we don’t rush.

By the time we’re done, the room is beginning to thin out as family parties head homewards, but there’s no sense of urgency about the staff, and TLS enjoys her dessert of strawberry semi-freddo (delicious chilled fruit mousse belying its strangely spam-like appearance) while I go for the more Tuscan combination of rich, raisiny vin santo with crisp biscotti cantuccini and a shot of properly Italian espresso.

It’s at this point that the man himself appears, chatting with the remaining diners like old friends he’s welcoming into his home. Asked about the food, he’s happy to share his secrets and, inevitably, ‘simplicity’ turns out to be the result of meticulous, painstaking cookery combined with a serious understanding of ingredients. The meal has come to £90 (including drinks), but that’s what happens if you push the gondola out at one of Gordon’s Best Local Restaurants. The guarantee of such quality eating seems well worth the investment.

Prosecco 25 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 973 4499, http://www.proseccoclifton.com/

THE VERDICT

Happily, grandma’s skilful culinary secrets are in the safest possible hands