When Fratelli Paradiso arrived in Tokyo last spring, it had a mission that was both straightforward and daunting: to introduce the kind of excellent, no-frills Italian dining that's made this buzzy Sydney-based restaurant so successful in its homeland.

The formula is not complicated, says Giovanni Paradiso, the younger of the two brothers that give Fratelli its distinctive name. As he tells it, their aim is just to serve simple, modern Italian food that's driven by the seasons, but with an extra twist. Their background is as waiters, so for them it all boils down to service, making their customers feel comfortable.

"When I go into a restaurant, I want to enjoy the food. I want the waiter to say 'Try this' or 'Try that' or 'I've got this bottle of wine you might like.' I hate huge wine lists. People relax when there aren't too many choices. I just want to sit back and enjoy my food and my wine with my mates."