We’ve all seen La Bellezza’s dramatic interiors on social media and in the flesh it’s even better.

The people who introduced Jacuzzi’s flamboyant décor to the capital have given Birmingham the Big Mamma treatment too. On the site of what was the cavernous Vinoteca, La Bellezza fills the space in a way that its predecessor didn’t.

Packed with oversized chandeliers, sumptuous drapes, thousands of backlit colourful bottles and a ladies’ loo that doubles as a shrine to Francesco Totti, it’s quite the spectacle. There’s also a serious pizza oven on display that reaches 400 degrees and cooks a beautifully blistered pizza in 80 seconds.

Cocktails are a big thing and in the case of the Jumbo Mamma, literally so. On our visit there were regular renditions of happy birthday in Italian. A candle stuck in a boozy tiramisu while being serenaded? Lovely. It’s that sort of place. It feels a bit special and perfect for a crowd celebrating something. Anything.

And what of the food? Warm focaccia was perfection – soft with a crisp crust and a hint of oregano. We piled oozing smoky stracciatella on top and hey presto, heaven. Pulled pork croquettes with an anchovy mayo were probably the star of the show. Crunchy on the outside, melt in the mouth tender and packed with flavour on the inside plus the anchovy (don’t let that put you off) mayo was delicious.

We went simple with polpette al sugo. The beef meatballs were succulent and moreish while a San Marzano tomato sauce with a generous handful of basil was superb. We ordered crunchy roast potatoes on the side which were okay but nothing to write home about while a piccola finocchio salad of little gem, roasted fennel and walnuts absolutely wowed.

Ravioli allo Strachitunt consisted of home-made fazzoletti (triangle shaped ravioli) filled with ricotta and parmesan served with a creamy Strachitunt (raw milk blue veined cheese) sauce. Due to the cheeses, the dish was served warm rather than piping hot and tasted brilliant – incredibly cheesy but brilliant.

We couldn’t face the huge lemon meringue pie the restaurant is becoming famous for, so instead shared a profiterole which is also a whopper as it turns out. Crunchy choux cut in half and filled with soft Mr Whippy style ice cream was drenched in a hot chocolate sauce. It tasted as you’d expect, blooming lovely.

Before our visit we worried the restaurant might be a bit style over substance and happily, we were wrong. It’s a massive asset to the city’s food scene and well worth a look.