Mensa comes from a trio of heavyweights of Adelaide’s Italian dining scene.

The open kitchen is turning out traditional and fancified Italian dishes, including a selection of pastas extruded in-house daily. There’s a classic rabbit ragu with thick ribbons of pappardelle; a knockout orecchiette with chicken livers, marsala and crisp-fried guanciale; and pumpkin-filled pasta triangles with butter and sage.

Otherwise, you can snack on pasta fritta (fried pasta) with honey, ’nduja and mascarpone; Abruzzese-style crumbed and fried olives stuffed with pork mince; and a rustic plate of chickpeas in olive oil with grated ricotta salata. Or go large with proteins like Rannoch quail with lentils and grapes.

For dessert, you might go for Sicilian cannoli, rum baba or a two-tone zuppa Inglese (Italian trifle).