Joseph Vargetto’s CBD sibling to Kew’s Mister Bianco has written a fine new chapter to one of the city’s storied spaces (many may remember it as the old Benito’s). Named after his son, Massi is timelessly handsome — leather inlaid dark wood tables, black leather booth seating along a striking Fornasetti-wallpapered wall — while the cooking is timelessly elegant.

A short pasta section is a highlight — chewy-ribbed cavatelli tossed through a rich pork ragu is a recipe for happiness; the pillows of ricotta-stuffed pansotti in a sauce of mushrooms and chestnuts is a recipe for dreams that come true. A cheesy, wet polenta with expertly roasted cotechino-stuffed chook is another fine addition to the city’s obsession with roast chicken, so leaving room for dessert may prove difficult — but the wobble-tastic mascarpone panna cotta with coffee syrup should not be missed.

Service is as sharp as the pricing is fair, with interesting Italians by bottle and glass complementing the shelves of Campari that make taking a place at the bar with a plate of salumi such an appealing proposition.

Must eat dish: pansotti with chestnuts and mushrooms