BICICLETTA is a relaxed Italian café nestled in the pretty and inviting New Acton courtyard. It’s part of the Pepper Gallery Hotel and is, once again, open for lunch on weekends.

The menu isn’t extensive but I’d rather a café offer fewer options and better food than the reverse, which is what Bicicletta excels at.

You can select from four antipasti plates to share ($12 to $15), including a marinated, seared beef tenderloin thinly sliced and served with Italian herbs, rocket, parmigiano and olive oil.

The three salad options (all $16) feature a smokey duck breast with peppery radicchio leaves, crostini, pecorino and an aged balsamic dressing. Four pizzas are on offer ($20 to $23), including the traditional Margherita for those who love tasty and simple.

The kitchen creates four pastas ($22 to $24). On my visit, Bicicletta was celebrating re-opening for lunch with a couple of decent specials – any pasta with a glass of wine and any pizza with a beer for $25 (good value).

It was pasta I was after and it only took a flash in the pan for me to select the Gnocchi Funghi e Salsiccia (regularly $24).

This house-made gnocchi was light and fluffy, and the other ingredients an intriguing blend of flavours, with just the right intensity. The mixed wild mushrooms and pork sausages (crumbled) were sautéed in white wine and finished with Italian smoked provola. It was highly agreeable and a generous serve – I couldn’t finish it all.

I really must return to try the crespelle, an Italian-style crepe stuffed with beautiful ingredients such as porcini mushroom, asiago cheese and truffle oil ($24).

And I overheard staff describing to another table, just before I left, that Bicicletta’s spaghetti bolognese is a signature dish, made in the traditional “Nonna’s” way with three meats, served hot and spicy.

On my start to lunch: I popped by just before noon and was told the kitchen didn’t open for another 10 minutes. I wasn’t sure if that was a direction to leave, so tentatively asked if it was okay that I sat at a table and waited (which I was happy to do). “Sure” was the answer, so I did. I sat all by my lonesome while staff chatted inside. I wasn’t offered any water or a menu until the clock struck 12 – not exactly a warm-welcome start. Perhaps I should know better than to dare interrupt before service officially starts. Sigh.

Bicicletta’s wine list has several reasonably-priced options by the glass and the café offers coffees and meals to take away.

Bicicletta, 1/15 Edinburgh Avenue, New Acton, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days. Call 6262 8683. Licensed.