AFTER listening to my friends rave about Ciao for months I decided I’d had enough. I needed to try out this new Italian pizzeria for myself.

Ciao, which means ‘hello’ in Italian, was very welcoming indeed. As the only diners at this small but accommodating restaurant, my two friends and I were practically smothered by the attentive waiters who hovered over us expectantly.

“Hotel California” blared from the speakers as we argued over which pizza looked best. We decided our safest bet would be to go for margarita (K4000) and quattro stagioni (mozzarella, ham, tomato and mushroom for K6000) with spaghetti bolognese (K4000) on the side.

The half-hour wait gave us plenty of time to study the restaurant’s unusual décor. The abundance of fake bamboo stalks looked slightly out of place amongst photos of pizza and paintings of famous Italian landmarks, but suited the music just fine.

When our meal finally arrived we were treated to some surprisingly tasty and authentic Italian cuisine.

The crust of both pizzas was cooked to perfection and what the margarita lacked in toppings it made up for in its quality base and perfectly balanced spices.

The quattro stagioni, while good, was too vinegary for my taste. The spaghetti, covered in a delicious chunky tomato sauce, was excellent but it is obviously the pizza that lures the crowds.

The biggest drawback about the place, we all agreed, is the lack of refreshments. Other than Coke and seasonal fruit juice there is little in the way of drinks.

All in all, despite its small quirks, Ciao's pizza is the best I have tried in Yangon by a long shot.

The friendly staff and reasonably priced, flavourful Italian cuisine will definitely have me coming back for more. And more. And more.