A nod to mod Italian at Enoteca Ponti in Potts Point

Does the world need a lasagne spring roll? Granted, everyone loves a mash-up, but we're already inundated with cheeseburger spring rolls and lamington bacon burgers. I shall reserve judgment, because right now I'm too busy relaxing.

Sometimes a restaurant just wraps itself around you and makes you feel at home, the minute you step through the door.

It helps that Potts Point's new Italian, Enoteca Ponti, is from the we-know-this-neighbourhood team behind Bistro Rex just up the road. Put together by Ar Huis, it's an homage to the Roman wine bars of the 1950s, which sounds to me like heaven on a stick.

There's a lot going on, from arched wine shelves and a mighty red leather banquette that curls into booths at either end, to a stool-lined bar and plenty of mirrors to reflect the mirrors reflecting the mirrors – you get the point. It's yet another full-on interior for a site that has seen the crisp stainless steel of Sailors Thai, the black rubber aesthetic of Monopole, and the panelled trattoria of Ria Pizza.

The end result is busy and decorative, with an entrance of hand-cut green tiles referencing the colourful geometric patterns of Italian architect, designer and artist Gio Ponti. It could all be a bit much if it were not for the warmth and hustle-bustle.

Young gun manager Jess Saffioti is a natural host, and Lazio-born head chef Aldo Farroni (Ombretta, Shell House) and co-head chef Leigh McDivitt put out a slightly unusual but still recognisably Italian menu.

I'm keen to try a finger of brioche with mortadella ($12), although the mortadella turns out to be a mousse, under a shower of parmesan. Oh, OK. House-baked focaccia with Gran Reserva Balsamic Pedro Ximenez ($12) is a winner.

That lasagne spring roll ($12) is stuffed with beef lasagne, mozzarella and tomato, and really does taste like lasagne, although the jury is still out as to whether the world needs it or not.

Tuna "noodles" are indeed noodles of finely slivered fresh raw tuna, under a cap of verdant nasturtium emulsion ($35), a new combination to me, and a good one, until it went a step too far with a pool of aged soy broth, which drowns the freshness. Easily solved – just drop the broth.

Finely shaved ox tongue is soft and tender (you would be too, had you been brined for 12 hours and poached at 80C overnight) under its spoonful of lush salsa verde ($28).

There's house-made tortelli ($38), small parcels filled with wild and fresh mushrooms and sauced with a prosciutto-laced dashi, although I would have hoped for more than five for the price.

Rigatoni all'amatriciana ($26/38) takes me back to the "red sauce" days of my youth, and the offered parmigiano is pre-grated.

The kitchen can cook fish. Murray cod is nicely done, served on a clunky bed of lightly pickled vegetable giardiniera and a squish of cauliflower puree.

The Butcher's Special tonight is a three-week dry-aged Pure Black Angus rump cap ($54) that has been simply seasoned and grilled over coals. With a squiggle of cime di rapa and charred lemon, it's a good dish, not mucked about with.

Co-owner Josh Dunne has an approachable, Italian-led wine list, and when I order a fleshy, spicy 2019 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore ($96) from Veronese winemaker Giuseppe Campagnola, the waiter reaches behind me and plucks it from the shelf, a move that instantly transports me to the land of aioli, Napoli and cannoli.

Ah, cannoli. The shells ($21) are correctly blistered and crisp, filled not with ricotta but a loose creme brulee. Well, of course they are.

The fact that most of the diners here end up talking to their neighbours makes me warm towards Enoteca Ponti. There's good energy and hospitality, with only the occasional silliness that comes from trying too hard. You know who I'm talking about, lasagne spring roll.

The low-down

Vibe Bustling Roman trattoria with a touch of the mash-ups

Go-to dish Grilled beef rump cap with charred cime di rape, $54

Drinks Approachable, professional list of Italian varietals and a focus on aperitivi

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide.