I hate recommending restaurants in Italy for two reasons: they change quickly, and my preference may not be yours. Two old favourites - the pizzeria Li Rioni near the Colosseum and Ditirambo in the Campo Dei Fiori - have been pretty poor of late and are definitely off my list.

But here’s a very unusual place that’s never let me down, and last night was on its customary sparkling form. Sacro e Profano is situated in the former church of San Giovanni del Maroniti in the narrow Via dei Maroniti, little more than an alley behind the Trevi Fountain. The interior is wonderful - joky ‘classical’ paintings of a heaven and hell theme on the walls, a few tables outside, a ground floor entirely devoted to cooking around a wood fired oven, then two floors for diners, the highest next to a fake organ, possibly where the real thing would have been.

The food is southern, with a lot of Pugliese and Calabrian influences. So the 15 euro starter (one is more than enough for two) has fresh swordfish and tuna dishes, and searing hot njuda (sausage cream) and peppery fish row among other items. The wood fired oven is used for pizzas which are among the best in Rome - and very economical at eight euros or so up. Get a table with a view of downstairs though and you get a free show too.

Here one lone chef does the front of house cooking. Some dishes, such as pasta, happen out back. But for the most part this solitary chap is busily cooking pizza, bread, vegetables and other dishes, while stoking up the fire with logs too.

I hope they pay the chap well. He was hard at work when we walked in at 8.30, and still at it when we left at close to eleven.

The food was the best found anywhere on this trip to Rome. Highly recommended: wild boar casserole with wild asparagus covered in gorgeous smoked scamorza cheese, one of the most expensive items on the menu at 17 euros.