AN ITALIAN restaurant in a street called Love Lane – what better recipe for a romantic evening.

And as we headed out into the wintry air, my husband and I noted this could well be our last chance to gaze at each other over a plate of garlic bread, as we await the arrival of our first baby.

Romazzino, in Nantwich, prides itself on its "traditional Italian cuisine".

But it's not just the food which transports you to the Mediterranean coast – the atmosphere, music, staff and decor all add to the authentic flavour.

Being a frosty Tuesday evening in mid-January, the restaurant was quiet, but we took this as no reflection on the establishment, which we've seen packed at weekends.

We were greeted at our table by one of the owners, who was polite and friendly, and kindly offered to turn down the radiator for us.

After being informed of the specials, which included beef Wellington, we perused the extensive menu while nibbling on bread sticks.

As an expectant mum, I've opted to follow the rather stringent guidelines regarding what you should avoid eating.

Therefore, to avoid mum-to-be guilt, I've been steering clear of some of my favourite foods, such as brie, stilton, pate and rare steak.

But I was still left with plenty to choose from on the menu, added to which the owner was happy to provide advice and was even willing to adapt dishes to my liking.

Starters range from the chef's special soup of the day (£3.50) to Parma ham, salami Napoli, coppa and pate served with garlic crostini (£5.95).

I opted for the gnocchi in a tomato and basil sauce with bechamel (£5.95), while my other half picked deep fried calamari and king prawns with salad and garlic mayonnaise (£6.95). However, we couldn't resist sharing a portion of garlic bread with mozzarella (£2.50). After all, I have an excuse to be greedy.

The garlic bread was delicious, if a little burnt on the base, and our individual starters could have almost qualified as main courses.

The gnocchi was very tasty, and the calamari was lovely and crispy.

The main courses are split into sections for pasta, fish, general mains and pizza.

I was tempted by the slow-roasted shoulder of lamb (£14.95) and the linguini pasta with chicken (£9.50).

However, my eye was also drawn to a personal favourite, calzone (£9.95).

The owner pointed out that some of the ingredients may not be ideal for an expectant mum, so he offered to turn a pizza of my choice into a calzone, which I accepted, choosing the tomato, mozzarella, chicken and bacon topping (£9.50). My husband ordered the ravioli with mascarpone and dill in a cream of spinach and smoked salmon, flambeed with vodka (£9.95).

The calzone was large, crispy and stuffed with filling, but I'm afraid it beat me in the end and my companion was given the task of polishing off my meal. The ravioli arrived in a rich, creamy sauce – another generous helping – and it melted in the mouth.

I managed to find a tiny bit of room for dessert, as I couldn't resist the bread and butter pudding with caramel sauce (£5.50), which rounded off the meal perfectly.

And, as I waddled from the restaurant, my appetite more than adequately sated, I wondered whether I'd left any room in my belly for the baby...