Try naming a restaurant. The atmosphere, the food, the clientèle, the experience, your dreams – all contained in one word, one phrase. In Sofia, we now have Incanto, which means "enchantment, captivation" in Italian. It joins the ranks of numerous restaurants with the same name worldwide, from San Francisco to Amsterdam, a recent album by Andrea Bocelli and an Italian brand of clothing and lingerie.

Our Incanto, which started welcoming guests in early summer this year, is in an historic house on a quiet street, with a large patio in the back and inside seating on two storeys. Primarily Italian food is joined by less than a handful of local options like shopska salata; even the snezhanka is seasoned with anise and ouzo.

In other words, the chef is dedicated to bringing Italian cuisine to the table, and, thankfully, the menu stays focused, with a variety of salads, appetisers, a few pastas and rice dishes, and some meats, all at prices that go from modest (tagliatelle formaggi: homemade pasta with four cheeses, 10.20 leva) to extravagant (T-bone steak with marinated vegetables and sautéed potatoes, 40.50 leva).

There for lunch one workday, something light and fresh seemed in order, so we selected salads and beer and fish. Only bottled beers are available, and when the waiter delivered our Zagorka, he asked if we wanted them with or without foam. Maybe this is standard elsewhere, but it was a first for me in Bulgaria.

Our salads, a caprese (slices of fresh mozzarella and peeled tomato, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and pesto, 9.20 leva) and a horiatiki (lettuce, with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, toasted triangles of pita bread and a delicious soft cheese blended with fresh garlic, 7.50 leva), arrived at the same time, always a good thing. The freshness and flavour of the vegetables lived up to the classy presentation of the dishes.

The lightly seasoned herbed trout (14.50 leva), too, was eye-catching in its presentation, the fish fillets arranged like sculptures on a sea of spheres of sautéed potato. Portions are average-sized.

The only disappointment was the tiramisù (5.50 leva). One would think that, particularly for an Italian restaurant, such a prevalent dessert would have to live up to a certain standard. This one failed miserably. Cloyingly sweet, what should have been a mascarpone crème was more like a gritty (because the sugar was not dissolved) buttercream frosting made with vegetable shortening.

Overall, though, first impressions of Incanto were positive, particularly because the service remained attentive and unobtrusive.

When we went for a recent Saturday dinner, the restaurant was again quiet, so quiet, in fact, that when we arrived, they turned on the music for us – which was completely unnecessary, since we both prefer talking at a meal instead of listening to soft hits from the 80s, 90s and today. No matter, someone quickly turned down the volume to a reasonable level when we asked.

This time, we ordered a half-bottle of Lovico Suhindol merlot (five leva) and shared the tuna salad (a mix of lettuces with tomatoes, sweet corn and canned tuna, 9.20 leva), which was a nice combination of tastes, but some of the lettuce leaves could have been better washed.

On the other hand, the wine glass was an appropriate balloon glass. A note about the wine list: the majority good Bulgarian cellars (and at very intelligent prices, too, starting at less than 10 leva for a bottle), it also includes international labels. This wine list alone, in such a peaceful, refined setting, would encourage me to return.

For main courses we ordered the risotto milanese (with pieces of chicken, flavoured with saffron sauce and parmesan cheese, 9.20 leva) and the rabbit with wild mushroom sauce (16.50 leva, served with plain risotto). Again, both dishes arrived at the same time. Both the rabbit and the risotti – mine resembling a miniature version of my friend’s – looked like they had been formed in timbales. The rice was well-prepared, but instead of arborio rice, which is requisite for risotto, the kitchen had used long-grain white rice. But otherwise, all was good and so was the rabbit.

Throughout the meal, the waiter was present, available to bring balsamic vinegar and olive oil to the table, to fill the wine glass, to answer a question. One could almost forget that he was there, such was the professionalism of his service.

Two things to watch out for: though we asked for tap water (I refuse to create more waste by drinking bottled water), we were charged 1.50 leva each for bottled water; and, the pepper does not come out of the holes in the pepper shaker. Be careful when taking off the lid. Each time we managed to have a pepper explosion.

High-quality cooking and service, and a pleasant atmosphere, make Incanto a reliably worthwhile restaurant, if not yet fully enchanting.

Overall 4/6
Service 4/6
Atmosphere 3/6
Food 4/6
Price $$$ ($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva pp; $$$ 20 to 35 pp; $$$$ 35 and over pp)

Address:
13 Tri Ushi Str, Sofia
Tel:089/ 69 69 900
Open: 11am-midnight
Credit cards: yes