They are gods of couture – a trip to Milan will confirm this (plus how good did their shirts look compared to the other five teams in the recent Six Nations Rugby Union Championships?)

Italian males also claim to be make the best lovers in the world (sadly, I am not in a position to confirm this.)

And then we turn to food.

What the Italians seem to have mastered is the art of taking simple and uncomplicated flavours and creating (in their words) perfezione.

And perfezione (or perfection to you and me) could perfectly describe my pizza peppiniello, which I tucked into at Prego, Brighouse.

Never underestimate the power or healing properties of a pizza.

Sometimes you just yearn for something simple, hearty and fresh. And a pizza fits the bill – especially when it hasn't been mucked about with.

I am a fan of the thick, stodgy, American-style pizza. Of course I am.

But these really only serve to illustrate how a "real" pizza should be.

Three of us dined at Prego which has been in business since late July 2000. It is owned by the Bevilaqua family and recently a tasteful extension has been completed which creates a space which is imposing, but still warm and friendly at the same time.

One of us chose lasagne (always a good favourite) and she was not disappointed. It was light, creamy and with a perfect balance between the bechamel and meat sauces. Another chose pollo ala crema – chicken cooked, as its name suggests, in a rich creamy, garlicky and mushroom sauce (again a big hit) and I plumped for the peppiniello.

A thin, crispy and rustic base was garnished with goats cheese (cooked so that it has just begun to melt without oozing away completely), a fresh and piquant tomato sauce and its crowning glory – a liberal scattering of nicely toasted pine nuts.

With a side dish of simple fresh rocket tossed with shavings of pungent Parmesan, I could quite literally taste the flavours of Italy.

In order to have room for something from the tempting selection of dolce – desserts – which includes a mouth-watering chocolate fountain for dipping fresh fruit skewers, we all cannily avoided starters, although I have to confess, the basket of freshly-baked and crusty Italian bread made with extra virgin olive oil, is just too much to resist.

Munching on this, washed down with a robust glass of Italian house red, is a great way to mull over menu choices.

When it came to puds, I played safe with cheesecake, a rich and buttery confection nicely set off by a very tangy compote of fresh berries (just a tad too tart for someone with a very sweet tooth like me). I managed to clear my plate though.

The restaurant's name translates to "You're welcome" which really does sum up the way that manager Vittorio Piliu and his hard-working team treat you.

Italian restaurants always seem to have an infectious energy about them and this is true here. Chefs Giuseppe Squillari and Antonio Tirotto obviously work hard at getting it right – and that judging by the number of "regulars" the staff are constantly greeting, they are doing a great job.

Italians are also wonderfully family-orientated – something they celebrate here with Prego Play – a dedicated area for youngsters. They can happily leave their pizza or pasta in order to face-paint and play (watched by Prego staff) while mum and dad tuck in to their meal undisturbed.

Just one little criticism though - the decor with its exposed stonework, tiled floors and modern art is fabulous but all these "hard" elements can sometimes play tricks with acoustics meaning sounds are not easily absorbed. And on a busy night you might find listening to your neighbour's conversation a little tricky (even when they are sitting very close to you.)

A real plus though is that you can make a visit to Prego, a low-key, family-style and relatively inexpensive outing or you can really push the boat out, ignoring the pizza and pasta and heading for the more elaborate, bistro-style food.

With drinks, the bill for the three of us (two courses each) came in at £47.

Fact file
Name: Prego Restaurant and Waterfront Lodge Hotel

Address: Huddersfield Road, Brighouse

Phone: 01484 715566

Food 5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Service 5/5
Value 4/5