Established in 1981, Mamma Mia have long been fixtures of Jericho and Summertown. And to celebrate their 40^th, they invited Daily Info for a meal, the kind of birthday present we could get behind. Particularly as, after four decades of refinement, their cuisine is some of the best in our fine city.

Having started with a garlic bread (a fabulous take on this dish with pizza dough folded into a wrap packed with cheese and garlic. Our mains were a perfect demonstration of how effective Mamma Mia is at recreating the feeling of being in a pizzeria in some tourist spot in Italy, with flavours and textures that sometimes felt missed in other restaurants that attempt a culinary recreation. Our party chose two pizzas and a pasta dish – the proscuitto cotto e funghi for the children, pollo e spinaci and a heart bowlful of spaghetti alla bolognese for my partner and I. Mamma Mia doesn’t have a children’s menu but instead offers reduced sizes on their pasta dishes and the option to take home any pizza that proved too much. There was no need for such arrangements with their shared pizza as it was appreciatively wolfed down, with the five year old in particular enjoying having a dish the same size as their mum. The pollo e spinaci was a wonderful combination of toppings on a thin base cooked to perfection, whilst the Bolognese was exactly what I was craving on a Friday evening – hearty comfort food that could have been cooked at home but certainly nowhere near as well as the meal served in Mamma Mia.

As we were celebrating this wonderful establishment's birthday, puddings were absolutely in order. Our two younger members of the party were satisfied with ice cream, whilst my partner and I went with a wider selection. The tiramisu was recommend by our waiter and was an exceptional variant of this dish, the coffee giving it a kick without overwhelming the other flavours. The chocolate fudge cake was as scrumptious as such a dish can be and would not have looked out of place in a certain scene from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. And finally the tartufo, which neither of us had heard of, proved the hit of this course. As the menu puts it “zabaglione cream centre surrounded with ice cream & covered with crushed hazelnuts & cocoa”. Or to put it more simply, deliciousness-upon-deliciousness combining in every bite taken.

A quality gained upon returning to any great restaurant of late is each visit feels like a kind of homecoming. With such a long period where dining has been, at best, a complicated process and, at worst, something legally not allowed, this critic has gained a new appreciation for any meal out. Added to this is the fact that Mamma Mia pairs exceptional cuisine with a wonderful customer service, and this was a truly fabulous meal.

A spot of pre-theatre dinner led me to Mamma Mia on the South Parade in Summertown. It was a pleasant evening and we were able to sit outside in the heated seating area and enjoy the calming atmosphere of our surroundings. This was also a necessity, due to the popularity of Mamma Mia, which gave the restaurant a breezy, bustling atmosphere that the staff were just about able to manage. It was a very welcoming place, complete with several nice aesthetic touches, including an Italian language poster for The Italian Job in the men's toilets.

My friend had selected drinks for us before my arrival; wine for him and a beer for me. The wine chosen, a Sicilian number, was a light white, a sweet and nutty variety that was rather delicious and easily drinkable, though could have done with being cooler. My birra moretti was tasty, hitting the remit I had set my friend of picking a light variety.

The menu has several pizza and pasta options and we agreed to try one of each. We shared a delicious starter of a mozzarella garlic bread. Baked to perfection and with the flavours just right, it was a perfect start to our meal. The spaghetti alla bolognese was equal delicious, a simple dish expertly prepared. The sauce was plentiful and supremely tasty, with the pasta cooked just right. Sometimes all you want is something as flavoursome and approachable as this. The firenze pizza (leaf spinach, parmesan, olives and a free range egg) was appetising, crispy with a good balance of flavours. Sadly the yoke was not runny, which prevented the pizza from achieving faultless status. But it was close. The salad was fine but there's really only so much you can do with tomatoes and onions.

Time sadly ran away from us, preventing a taste of their desserts. But with such promising items as profiteroles and a chocolate orange bombe (orange ice cream 'enrobed' in Belgian chocolate) surely a return visit to Mamma Mia must happen. I would also love to dive into their starters, which I spied on another diner's table, and which looked sumptuous.

The staff were efficient, polite and apologetic about any delays (the product of such popularity). The food at Mamma Mia is outstanding, and it is a very good example of Italian food in Oxford. I would eagerly return, either as an accompaniment to a show in the area or as a standalone meal. Although I'd recommend booking, just to be certain of a place in this intimate venue.