It's as though the food here has been infused by the Italian sun and the Italian landscape with its red pantile roofs, white-walled cottages and green vine-covered slopes, which in early February in the middle of Harrogate is patently absurd.

Although by no means far-flung, San Martino is just outside Harrogate's central restaurant zone, and therefore misses on the passing trade others seem to effortlessly collect. This slightly out-of-the-way position must surely have accounted for the fact that on the Wednesday night I visited only three other tables were in use. That, or the region's eating-out population was taking the night off.

Thinking selfishly, it might not have been a bad thing. The dining room, a little lower than street level, has a low ceiling and if the place had been crowded the noise would have been terrific. As things were, there was sufficient hush to be able to hear the pleasing hint of operatic arias being sung in the background. The sound level, like so much else here, is nicely judged.

The floor seems to be laid with large square metallic plates, screwed down, but the huge screw heads are, the affable manager Tonino admitted, fake. The décor is understated, with curving floor- to-ceiling wooden screens separating the dining room from the bar area, and immediately noticeable is that on every table there's a large silvery chalice with a bottle of wine in it. The label says it is a Rosso vin del Boschetto, and it turns out it is made from the restaurant owner's vineyard in Tuscany. He is Costanzo Martinucci, and there's an enlarged aerial photo on the wall of his house and the vines. He also produces a white.

The hand-written wine list is extensive, allowing you to splash out £47 on a Barbi Brunello di Montalcino if you so choose. At £15, the Boschetto wines look very reasonable. And indeed they are. Tonino let us try the red and the white, and our preference, by a small margin, was the very dry, very fresh, Frascati-like white.

Costanzo had restaurants in London, in Chelsea and Crystal Palace. But it became too hectic, and so this 69-year old opened up San Martino in Harrogate with his son Tommaso running the kitchen. He produced for us a Bocconcini di melanzane e mozzarella, consisting of aubergene parcels filled with buffalo Mozzarella (not the Yorkshire version, said Tonino) with fresh tomato, olive oil and basil. It was this which makes you despair of ever getting anywhere close to the distinctively Italian character of an expertly-made dish. The abundant flavours in it were nothing short of sensational.

My starter was sumptuous, delicious and imaginative. It combined half a papaya with crab meat in Roberta sauce, a slice of strawberry and four blue berries. Getting at the papaya fruit was hard work with a spoon – but the struggle was rewarded.

A salad was shared during the wait for the next course. Costanzo does the mixing of the salad dressing in the dining room, and he sprinkles on a little of this and a little of that with a magician's close concentration.

With palates refreshed, it was time for the squid sauteed with fresh tomatoes, capers, garlic and black olives (Calamari con pomodoro, capperi, olio, aglio, olive nere). It came with broccoli and
fiercely peppered spinach and sauteed potatoes which were superlative. The flavours were again all sunny green hillsides, blue skies and the sound of laughter, the sort you can't easily hope to re-create at home.

I had "Cutlets of lamb (English) Thomas manner", and I have to say that Thomas knows how to get the best out of his lamb cutlets. The first taste actually made me sigh. With the meat were the potatoes, broccoli and spinach as before.

For dessert, home-made tiramisu and home-made vanilla ice cream were accompanied by a dark, sticky Balsamic vinegar sauce. One view thought it too sharp, but it seemed a perfect companion to me. And along with the crab meat and papaya, it showed that Tommaso Martinucci is willing to put together adventurous combinations.

An "optional" 10 per cent service charge is included, but the service was so charming that I had absolutely no objection to that. There is also a £3 charge for the home-made bread rolls, butter, dish of olives and napkins.

Again, I didn't resent it on account of the bread and the marinated olives being so delicious.

Our bill came to a little under £80, and included coffee and a glass of home-made limoncello.

San Martino is open weekdays from noon to 3pm weekdays; from 5pm for theatre goers, and serves a full menu for other diners from 7pm, closing at 10.30pm. Unrestricted on-street parking after 6pm. San Martino Restaurant, 28a Swan Road, Harrogate, HG1 2SE. Tel 01423 5081110.