Loyal patrons of Purple Olive in the Valley were devastated when the restaurant closed its doors after more than a decade of trading.

Now in its place is Maltese influenced Italian eatery Fenek, which is the Maltese word for rabbit. Owner Wayne Stringer knows there are high expectations, but fortunately the long-time hospitality veteran has gotten off to a thumping start.

Stringer runs the floor with poise, ensuring that guests are attended to with a calm ease which only comes from experience.

The menu is equally reassuring, with a familiar range of dishes including salt and pepper calamari, arancini, margherita pizza, steak and mash, and spaghetti with meatballs.

A starter of quail features two legs wrapped in prosciutto paired with a sliver of melted, salty cheese and balanced by pea puree and fried gnocchi.

Slightly heavier, but blooming with bold tomato and garlic flavours, is the chilli prawns. Served alongside feather-light, toasted ciabatta for soaking up the full-bodied sauce, the prawns are fresh and plump, while the chilli is subtle.

Pizzas are traditional and the prosciutto version is a winner with a crisp, slightly chewy base – a signature of all good Italian pizza – and generous shavings of the cured meat, dots of fior di latte, a jungle of rocket and scattering of grated grana padano.

Also satisfying is the rabbit fettuccine, with shreds of tender meat entwined in soft pasta and a white wine, carrot and celery sauce.

A simple, Italian-leaning wine list is well matched to the food, while the decor is tidy, though replacing the old tile flooring with wooden boards would help modernise it.