ONE OF the many debates I often face when going to a restaurant is whether to have a starter or dessert with my meal.

Or both.

With a night at Pulcinella, the friendly home of modern Italian food in Southampton, there were plenty of choices for a reasonably priced starter that included a tempting calamari dish.

However, diving straight into the main course I ordered the swordfish and my girlfriend joined me in sticking to twocourses with a calzone, both looking to satisfy the sweet craving later.

We didn’t have long to wait and we weren’t disappointed either.

The grilled swordfish came on a bed of spinach leaves and a side of roasted new potatoes, and the dish was not only comfortably hot but you could taste the food was expertly fresh.

My girlfriend’s calzone was also impressive, and wasn’t just a case of folding the Mediterranean vegetable pizza in half and dressing it up.

Her plate came with the welcome addition of leaves and sauce, and the calzone fillings were very generous.

Making the huge, tasty dish one of extremely good value for anyone looking for an alternative from the meat, fish or pasta dishes on offer.

The warm atmosphere in the restaurant definitely resonated the appeal of modern Italian food, with live music later in the evening which attracts crowds to the city centre bar throughout the week as an attractive alternative to surrounding pubs clubs and bars Unfortunately, despite excellent service and reasonably priced food it seemed our luck was out on the much anticipated sweet option.

The restaurant’s standard chalkboard of sweets seemed to accommodate for everyone’s taste, but when a few items were not available on a bustling Saturday evening the list became quite disappointing.

The reliable chocolate based sweet was unfortunately wasted on anyone who didn’t like it coffee flavoured.

And confusingly, when I enquired about the possibility of some off menu ice cream – I was politely told it wasn’t available.

Only to see a serving being made to another table ten minutes later.

Happily my girlfriend chose an Eton mess, while I reluctantly braved the Tiramisu, which although a quality serving, did nothing to satisfy my sweet tooth.

And unfortunately for us both, the sweets normally served cold, both arrived on a very hot plate, which definitely spoiled the taste of the desserts.

The overall sweet disappointment made me wish I had taken up the earlier starter option, which I have no doubt would have made up for the unsatisfying end.

But thanks to the superb quality of the main dishes, the friendly service, and the opportunity of enjoying some Friday night Motown music, I doubt it will be long before I give the restaurant another go.