Restaurant Review: Word of mouth

I'M BAFFLED. I've been to the same building at the back of Bridge of Allan three times in the recent past, and each time I've found a different restaurant there.

Ten years ago, it was the fearsomely expensive Kipling's, which served top-end Scottish cuisine. Next came Chambo, a place that specialised in local produce served with a French or Italian twist. Now, since last year, it has been home to Vecchia Bologna, an unashamedly Italian restaurant run by the flamboyant Claudio Menichetti, a long-time resident of the town.

The restaurants may have offered a diverse range of cooking styles, but all three have one thing in common: being packed to the gunwales virtually every night of the week. We arrived at Vecchia Bologna during what should have been a quiet period, only to find that the place was not only full, but there were would-be diners waiting in the bar in the hope a table might become free.

According to Menichetti, most of his customers come from the immediate area – and the vast majority from well-heeled Bridge of Allan itself. This douce little Victorian spa town is stuffed full of wealthy commuters whose disposable income doesn't appear to have been hit by the credit crunch – yet. It's not that the place, which is up a back street, is particularly well-advertised. A friend who lives nearby didn't even know of its existence. It's astonishing that such a low-key restaurant does so well in such testing times by relying almost completely on word of mouth.

Success, however, is often self-fulfilling. Vecchio Bologna is a hubbub of noise and activity that makes eating there a hugely social occasion. And with an enormously long menu that takes in meat, fish, antipasti and pasta dishes, it's possible to have a glass of wine and something to eat for not much more than a tenner.

The layout is little changed from the days of Chambo, with a small bar area, a wide airy corridor and newly built stone conservatory that has huge picture windows looking out on to decking and the garden. There must be upwards of 100 covers in all, yet the staff buzz about the place with a sense of purpose that is reflected in swift and efficient service.

Within 15 minutes of arriving, we were tucking into our starters. Michael had ignored options such as venison carpaccio and roasted vegetables in a brie fondue, choosing instead the prawns and smoked salmon, served with salad and tomato and chilli dressing. I opted for baked mushrooms with garlic butter breadcrumbs, and more than the promised hint of gorgonzola. Both dishes were on the big side but were otherwise fairly conventional – although I had marginally the better dish, with a nicely nuanced sauce that just lifted it beyond the mundane.

If our starters were run-of-the-mill, our main courses stepped up a notch. Michael once again eschewed some of the more obviously Italian dishes and plumped for an unfeasibly healthy dish of two grilled chicken breasts in creamy pesto sauce with pine nut kernels and green beans. I decided to go as Italian as possible, opting for the house speciality, the spaghetti al cartoccio, which is tossed with seafood and fish wrapped in baking parchment.

If Michael's chicken was competently cooked and provided an interesting mixture of textures and tastes, my spaghetti was outstanding. Studded with big prawns, langoustines, mussels and clams, it was fit to grace any beachside trattoria on the Adriatic coast. This was Italian comfort food of the first order.

I would normally have rounded off the meal with a bowl of zabaglione al gelato con amaretti, a beautiful dish in which egg yolks are gently cooked over a low heat with white wine and marsala, then served with amaretti biscuits and ice-cream. But that was a two-man job. Instead, taking our waitress's instruction once again, I went from an intensely Italian experience to one closer to home, and chose an Oreo cookie concoction that was basically a sickly sweet chocolate cake drowning in cream: nice enough, but not a patch on my main course. Michael finished with a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, which certainly put a smile on his face.

Vecchia Bologna may not be rewriting the culinary rulebook, but it's easy to see why it is following in the footsteps of Kipling's and Chambo, giving the good folk of Bridge of Allan what they want – tasty, relatively inexpensive food with an emphasis on choice and cheery service. What's not to like?

Vital statistics

Vecchia Bologna

Mine Road, Bridge of Allan, Stirling (01786 833617, www.vecchiabologna.co.uk)

Out of pocket

Starters £3.60–£7.20 Main courses £7.60–£17.90 Puddings £3.20–£4

Rating 7/10