It's not everyday that one gets invited to an Italian 'Gourmet Feast', so when I received an invitation from Meloncino Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront for such an event, I immediately raced to the website to see what gastronomical delights were in store.

I scanned photos of scrumptious fare from last week's 'night of lobster' and salivated at the up and coming 'night of seafood'. There was also a night of Lindt chocolate on the cards, as well as evenings featuring grappa and exotic coffees.

Nestled quietly between these calendar dates which was my lucky night — 'Night of Risotto'. The ungracious spirit inside me swelled up as I sighed, 'What do I want with four courses of rice?'

Three-courses of rice?

It is a brave undertaking indeed to design a four-course meal around risotto. But clearly, if anyone is up to the challenge, it's the three Italian imported chefs that man Meloncino's creative kitchen, and who have been wowing the crowds with their culinary prowess since the restaurant's 2007 inception.

When we'd been comfortably seated at the best table in the house, with a panoramic view of Table Mountain and the harbour stretched out before us, our waiter, Dingaan, greeted us and recommended wine that would see us through at least half the evening's fare.

It was not long before we were presented with our antipasti: Pomodoro ripeno con risotto al ragu e suppli — essentially a tomato filled with mince risotto, alongside a 'traditional Roman rice ball' — deep-fried and filled with mozzarella.

My husband, being a man of few words, described the tomato dish as 'interesting' and I couldn't help but agree that this was the first word that came to mind. The cheese-filled rice ball, however, was just plain yummy and got the tastebuds tingling for the next course: risotto served with lemon, prosecco and prawns. This for me was the highlight of the meal — a delicate blend of flavours both subtle and bold.

It was at this point that Dingaan interjected and suggested a bit of a break; we'd been careering through the courses without realising the delayed filling effect of the rice.

We spent a moment taking in the bold décor of Meloncino — sleek black counters, white couches and orange cushions that together create a contemporary, stylish feel.

The atmosphere was relaxed — a young family enjoying a dinner out, an older couple reclining on the couches sharing a pizza, a group of Italians clearly living it up in 'Rome away from home' and some colleagues having extended after-work drinks at the bar.

' ...pure, unadulterated pleasure... '

Barry and Alberto of Meloncino came to chat with us at intervals, offering anecdotes on Roman cuisine and background information to the restaurant. We didn't receive special treatment as they moved around the room most of the evening making patrons feel welcome and tending to their needs.

Alberto insisted that I tried their signature starter Prosciutto con Gelato di Grana Padano e Mascarpone — essentially hand-sliced Prosciutto ham and mascarpone ice cream drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

He was on his way to the kitchen to place the order when Dingaan stopped him; he wanted us to enjoy our secondi and was worried that we were having too much food.

I respected his father-like decision; while at that point I could have eaten it, I would never have been able to polish off the next course — Risotto Milanese with saffron, accompanied by fillet mignon cooked in brandy and red wine sauce, with such enjoyment. This dish was the pièce de resistance for my husband, who loves his red meat and ate every melt-in-the-mouth piece of fillet with closed eyes and an expression of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

By dessert, we were quite simply stuffed. I made meagre attempts to nibble away at the baked risotto tart with pine nuts and raisins, scooping up each teaspoon with an equal measure of homemade orange ice cream — a creamy affair that seemed to sooth my stomach and hypnotised me into agreeing to another serving of just ice cream.

It was at this point that Barry brought out a special treat — a honey liqueur created by Lourensford estate, which rounded off the meal superbly.

We rolled out of Meloncino having been fed and watered like Italian royal stock and muttering that if you wanted our advice, you'd forget the lobster and go for the rice. Do I recommend an evening at Meloncino? Is the pope a Catholic?

To see what's on next at Meloncino, click here.

Meloncino Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria, Shop 259, Upper Level, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Contact them on +27 21 419 5558 or visit www.meloncino.co.za.