Spencer Williams, Contributor

Neatly tucked into the back of the Courtyard at Market Place, Roma is what I'd call a gourmet pizzeria or a gastro-bistro, that happens to have a deli counter offering items such as salamis, cheeses, pates, tapenades, dried fruits, pastas and wines.

From the moment it opened last year, this restaurant keeps serving great food.

For a more casual lunch among friends, the crispy-crusted pizzas topped with fillings like prosciutto and REAL mushrooms are ideal for sharing. Throw in a couple of smoked chicken salads, drizzled with a balsamic and cider vinaigrette, and you have the finest 'fast-food' this side of Italy. And if you're pressed for time, order the baguette with grilled chicken, lettuce and tomato, which is literally the best sandwich since sliced bread! The foul in both cases seems to be seasoned with provencal herbs, and has converted a thigh and drumstick loving man onto the breast. If you've been keeping up to date with my column, you'll know that one of my pet peeves in life is that Jamaicans tend to overcook meat.

Formal

At a more formal time, one can choose among other specialities on offer at Roma. The caviar bruschetta, with concasse of tomatoes and shredded basil, topped with a small spoon of lumpfish roe, subtly teases the taste buds. Although the thinly sliced French bread is fresh, technically, it shouldn't be called bruschetta, which actually implies that the bread is grilled.

The bouillabaisse, described as being 'Neville's', is surprisingly brilliant. Accompanied by the same sliced French bread, only this time lightly spread with aioli, this aromatic seafood broth filled with mussels, shrimps, scallops, clams and snapper (or was it tilapia?) makes a delicious meal on its own. Each morsel is laced with memories of the ocean and gives way to every bite you take.

Tying in French cuisine with Indian, as the chef does in the curried shrimp vol au vents, is clever and brave. Piping hot and creamy curry sauce drips down each of the three pastry cups that are generously filled with flawlessly cooked crustacean. And just as you think that nothing else could outdo the last thing you put in your mouth, order the gnocchi alla Sorrentina. This is the ultimate nirvana in food.

Fabulous

You see, there's something about gnocchi you should know. It's either absolutely fabulous, or it's not. There is no in between. No 'It was okay, nice, et cetera'. The small potato dumplings must have the correct ratio of flour to baked potato and be handled carefully and removed from boiling water as soon as they rise to the surface. The sauce, in this case tomato and mozzarella, should coat each dumpling without masking its integrity, and be seasoned with the likes of basil or oregano. I don't care if you're full from everything else you've eaten, nor do I want to hear that you don't like gnocchi. You simply cannot pass over ordering it here.

What you can give a miss are, in one instance, the tough and dried-out sausages with lentils that carry no flavour. These sausages are essentially good quality, but appear to have been cooked long before requested. And on the other hand, don't bother with the ice cream, which is disappointingly a 'cheap' tasting brand that ruins the likes of their German Apfelstrudel. This brings, me to how one should serve it - hot, please! Although, I am quite certain that the chefs will oblige the next time it's ordered, as experience has shown me that Roma only gets betta!