Tucked away in a part of Gungahlin, right by Yerrabi Pond, is Da Nunzio. An authentic take on good Italian food served in a casual setting.

And I have to admit that I underestimated it from the start. And that's mainly because of the tiny details before our first dish of the night even landed on our table.

Firstly, when you go to make a booking on its website, you're greeted with an outdated advertisement for last year's Father's Day. When we arrive at the restaurant, we're met with a warm welcome, but despite being two of only a few diners, we're placed at this pokey little table where the back of my chair is touching the back of another diner behind me, and my dining companion's chair intrudes on the walkway behind him. And then the interior as a whole was a little run down - large chips and marks on the wall that could have easily been patched up drew the eye.

They're all small things but first impressions count for a lot.

The menu, however, did get my hopes up again. The size of it is something to marvel at, with plenty on offer, but a diversity throughout. Sure there were dishes you would expect, but they were scattered amongst others that I had never seen on a menu before.

We start with a couple of familiar sights with the bruschetta al pomodoro ($16.50) and the carpaccio di manzo con ruchetta ($20).

The classic bruschetta did not disappoint. With two thick pieces of crispy bread, with olive oil and garlic soaking up the soft middle, and topped with juicy tomato, basil, red onion and shaved parmesan, it was the freshness of the ingredients that made this dish sing. It was bright and summery and a great example of what this Italian staple should be.

We pair this with the carpaccio - finely sliced raw beef marinated with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and finished with parmesan and rocket. The meat itself was super thin and delicate, so much so that even taking it off the plate was an indication that it was about to melt in your mouth. There was a little bit too much olive oil - it felt like it was almost swimming in it - but combination of it with the lemon and chilli worked well.

For mains we chose the tagliolini al cranchio (crab pasta, $29.50) and the costolette d'agnello alla Calabrese (Calabrian lamb cutlets, $38), with a rucola pere noce al gorgonzola (rocket, pear and gorgonzola salad, $20) on the side.

The pasta is impressive. With a whole blue swimmer crab on top - you're given a crab cracker and scraper to help devour it - it gets a little messy, even with the large bowl of water provided. Paired with tomatoes, chilli, garlic and olive oil, it's a simple dish, but delicious. The crab is cooked beautifully, with super flaky meat throughout. It was definitely on the sweeter side though, and the chilli got a little lost in the overall flavour.

The lamb cutlets were served with olive oil, rosemary, garlic and chilli balsamic glaze with woodfired oven-roasted rosemary potatoes. I wouldn't mind trying this one again when the weather cools down, because it feels like the perfect winter dish. The meat was beautifully charred, giving a slight smokiness while the balsamic glaze gave a slight sweetness that balanced out what could have been a heavy meal.

The salad was a little more disappointing. It was a classic combination of rocket, pear and gorgonzola, but the ingredients were almost plonked on the plate. The pear was also too hard, and while the menu said it came with walnuts, there were none on the dish we received.

The highlight of the night for me though was the dessert. There are certain Italian desserts that you will see on most menus nowadays - tiramisu and pannacotta are served at restaurants across Canberra. But zabaione ai frutti di bosco ($16) is something I haven't seen anyway. Like the best dishes tonight, there is a simplicity to it but it also feels authentic.

The zabaione itself is made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine whisked together and is best described as a meringue-like custard that is almost a beverage, it's that runny. Here it's placed on top of a berry compote. It's obviously a sweet dish, but there is a balance between the brightness of the berries with the caramel-like warmth of the zabaione.

As a whole, it was the type of dessert that sealed the promise that Da Nunzio has on its website: authentic dishes created with simple and fresh ingredients. When the meal is at its best, flavour is at the forefront of the Da Nunzio experience. There are certainly details that have been overlooked throughout this evening, but there are others that feel uniquely Da Nunzio, and exactly what you want from your local Italian restaurant.

Address: 76 Phyllis Ashton Cct, Gungahlin

Phone: 62556003

Website: danunzio.com.au

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 9,30am till 2pm, and 5.30-9pm

Chef: Nunzio Raco

Noise: Not too bad

Dietary: Plenty of options