Greeted with \""Buona sera signorina\"", the sound of accordion background music, and an array of ice cream flavours as I walked through the door of La Favorita, I was instantly cheered out of my lethargic state. Not least because the twinkly-eyed waiter called me \""young lady\"" - this kind of complimentary talk earns anyone an instant tip as far as I'm concerned. This eatery is the kind of classic, traditional Italian experience which has to produce at least a smile from visitors, even if you've had the worst day at work ever/been dumped/dropped your favourite ornament/are a generally grumpy individual.\n\nI opted for the Risotto Imperiale, a tasty, well presented, affair, which came with jumbo, juicy prawns and a langoustine with one claw perched on top of a generous portion of rice and champagne sauce. My very critical fellow diner, definitely a pizza enthusiast, went for the Pizza ai due Salami, which after a few minutes of careful munching he announced was \""very good\"", definitely high praise for him, before continuing to devour the rest of his meal, (only offering me a small slither).\n\nLa Favorita has a pretty extensive menu, with all the dishes on offer you would expect from an Italian restaurant, so if you've got a craving for decent pasta and pizza somewhere different, where you're not paying over the odds, take a wander away from the centre of town and get down to Leith Walk.