Aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks and snacks to prepare the appetite) sounds great in theory but torpedoed our plans a few times.

“Let’s go out for a drink before dinner,” we’d say, and end up in a relaxed bar with something fizzy and bitter.

Then, usually unbidden, an array of snacks would start to appear. Depending on the establishment and whether you paid a euro or two, you would soon have a mass of savoury nibbles in front of you.

Being of a clear-your-plate mindset, and pre-dinner peckish, we’d immediately fall upon them. If we were very unlucky, they’d then bring more.

This inevitably meant we’d get full of pastry/crisps/nuts, and the prospect of dinner would become distinctly unappealing.  Especially a high-carb dinner.

After the first few times we grew wise to the situation and either accepted that we should not eat the food (very hard) or that we shouldn’t have dinner (even though snacks do not make a balanced meal replacement).

The top photo shows my favourite, a paid selection from Razmataz wine bar (Via Montesano 17), which included hot pastry bites and even pizza!

Definitely puts the UK’s packet of crisps or dry roast nuts to shame.