My favourite touches are the film noir memorabilia and the classic black and white photos of families in Europe – on a motorcycle touring about, eating, laughing, drinking, eating, laughing, drinking …

There’s a charm about the place and, if you take the time to explore, you’ll encounter wonderful art deco elements, a mix of raw material and smooth finishes and a real effort to make this restaurant a home, with the kitchen the piece de resistance.

It was a glorious, sunny Saturday afternoon, however, and we were after a position in the sun, not a table inside.

The menu is Italian through and through, featuring simple, rustic food steeped in tradition, with many dishes made from age-old family recipes – tradizionale cucina Italiana. Yumbo.

If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful, Belluci’s is not the place for you. But our dishes were delicious, well executed and served by attentive staff who know the customer is their bread and butter.

To kickstart our lazy lunch, we shared the ocean trout carpaccio with a wedge of lemon and crostini ($13). The trout was melt-in-the mouth (although I like it cut more thinly) and a nice portion for two.

I ordered from the specials’ list – hand-made parpadelle (hand-made is big at Belluci’s) with rabbit, created Calabrian style and served with baby onions and parsnips. Southern Italian cooking is famous for its simplicity and this philosophy inspires dishes such as this at Belluci’s. But at the same time, the dish was robust and the rabbit and parsnip a match made in heaven.

The Galleto alla Diavolo ($32) was inspiring. Grilled spatchcock with the right amount of fresh chilli, garlic and unfiltered olive oil – flavours that command attention. It came with plump, ripe tomatoes, but it wasn’t quite enough so a small side salad was ordered.

Other Il Secondo dishes include citrus glazed duck maryland ($34), slow-cooked lamb shoulder ($36) and grain-fed fillet of beef ($36). Pasta dishes start at $25 and top off at $30.

It was a lovely lunch, made all the more special by a restaurant-owner friend who made an impromptu visit and joined us for a glass of wine. We agreed the Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc 2009 is a great all-purpose French drop that goes down easy in warmer months.

Some say there’s a formula to the Canberra restaurants spearheaded by Soc Kochinos and there may be some truth to that line of thinking. But Belluci’s Manuka, although the prices are getting up there, is still a pleasant place to dine.

Belluci’s, corner of Franklin and Furneaux Streets, lunch and dinner, seven days. Call 6239 7424.