An ITALIAN restaurant in North Berwick has been named as having Scotland’s best authentic Italian menu and, for the third year in a row, as Scotland’s best Italian restaurant under 50 seats.

Osteria, on the town’s High Street, also received two further accolades at the Scottish Italian Awards, meaning it enjoyed success in four out of the five categories in which it was nominated.

The restaurant picked up second place for the best wine list and its head chef Daniele di Marco also came in second in the cuoco (chef) of the year category.

Angelo Cocchia, the restaurant’s owner, said: “There are so many Italian businesses around Scotland which get bigger and bigger all the time and we try to keep up.

“It is hard work to get to the top and stay at the top.

“I am very pleased and very chuffed – it’s quite an achievement.

“We were competing with other big businesses and big names, some have over 200 seats while we only have 50.

“It’s good to recognise North Berwick, a lot of people have said thank God we came here.”

Angelo added: “I would like to thank our customers for voting for us. We’re now going to keep working hard and trying our best.”

Daniele, Angelo’s son-in-law, travelled to Glasgow for the final of his category, cooking a pork belly dish from the restaurant’s menu.

It was judged by members of ALMA, a prestigious Italian cookery school, who judged each of the 10 finalists in a blind taste test.

The rest of the awards’ judges are prominent figures from a range of sectors within the Italian culinary community.

Osteria was the only county winner at the awards ceremony – receiving nominations were Caprice in Musselburgh and The Main Course in Gullane.