Hamish Coghill at La Capanna, Carmondean Centre Road South, Livingston Tel.xxxxxxxxx

There's one thing I really enjoy about a good Italian restaurant, apart from the food, and that's the atmosphere.

The test of a good host is to make you feel welcome, to make you feel you are the most important guest in the room, to make you as comfortable as if you were sitting at your own table at home, without all the hassle of preparing a meal.

That's exactly the sort of feeling which is provided in this bustling restaurant in Carmondean Centre Road South in Livingston.

A drink in the bar area gives you time to plan a meal with an expansive menu which includes such intriguing delicacies as trioppa alla cociara, an Italian tripe (Italian tripe?) with tomatoes, peppers and wine sauce, while pizzas start at £3.90 and the pasta dishes range from £4.

Then we were led in style to a table wrapped in warm pink linen, and seated in elegant high-backed chairs. This Saturday evening, the place is bustling, a sure sign of either its popularity or that there is a shortage of good eating houses in the New Town. Definitely the former, so far as the food is concerned, because never have I had such large helpings anywhere.

To the starters - piatto freddo (£4.60), a plateful brimming with tasty meats, hams and sausage was a challenge for my wife. I opted for one of my favourite dishes in any restaurant, fresh mussels, here served in tomato and wine sauce. The cozze were magnificent, lush in their shells and what a bowlful! I stopped counting after the first two dozen, but eagerly scooped them all, relishing the rich, pungent sauce and the pizza garlic bread (you can't eat Italian without the bread!).

The main course continued the seafood theme, with the good lady sampling the fritto miste di mare (£10.50) a concoction of breath-taking proportions of mixed sea food, served with a stoater of a salad. While my modino di vitello (getting near the top of the price list at £11.90), a T-bone veal steak, was magnificent, and almost too much to tackle with the bowl of salad, the chips and the side helping of mushrooms I had rashly ordered.

It was reaching the gluttony stage to plough through this lot, but what eating, and what solicitous waiters, anxious to ensure the food was being enjoyed, topping up the wineglasses with the house white (£6.90), smiling at the sighs of contentment from the pair of us, and at the quiet pauses between mouthfuls. And then a rest, a definite rest before facing the ultimate challenge of the puddings.

Well, it was an effort, I tell you. But the lemon sorbet (£2.20) helped to settle my wife's palate, as she sipped its beautiful texture, smooth and not ice-creamy like some sorbets you come across. I confess I went the whole way and had the affocato di Amaretto, an ice cream of gargantuan proportions laced with the liqueur and roasted almonds (£3.00). What bliss, and what a lovely ending to top off a fine meal.

A cup of capuccino, and a complimentary glass of Amaretto, from the bottle going round the tables, and we sat back replete and watched the other diners tucking into their huge helpings with a certain smugness that we had virtually cleared our plates. It was a night to savour, but next time I think, knowing the portions, that I might pick a bit more carefully. When some restaurants seems to specialise in giving you tiny portions which leave you gasping for more, La Capanna really challenges the eater and , like my mammy always said, you've got to eat up or the food will be wasted.

They also have a carry-out trade, and judging from the customers slipping up to the back door while we were there a lot of Livingston households were eating Italian that night.

VERDICT: We were billed a total of just over £52, including wine and pre-dinner drinks. A pleasure to leave a tip, and one further advantage the restaurant has is that it is next to Deans railway station. So rather than elect a non-drinking car driver, you might want to take the city centre to restaurant rail service.