You don't have to go far in Tokyo to track down good Italian food. Virtually every neighborhood boasts its own ristoranti and trattorie these days, many of them with impeccable standards. The problem is, though, the places with the best cucina tend to be overhyped and overpriced, overweening or simply over the top.

We love cooking with flair and a sense of style. We are always willing to pay for quality ingredients, prepared with skill and integrity. But more than anything, we crave settings that put us at ease, where we can loosen our belts a notch or two and settle back in our chairs in full confidence we will be well looked after. Exactly the way it is at Stefano, the wonderful little restaurant recently opened by chef Stefano Faustro in Kagurazaka.

It's a modest place, set back from the main street and with a warm feel that immediately puts you in the right mood. Neither fussily chintzy nor starkly minimalist, it is simply furnished, with mustard-yellow walls and a few wooden beams across the ceiling. Apart from the open kitchen, there is little to distract your attention. This is as it should be -- after all, you are there for the food, and it is brilliant.