Our favorite dish at Rosemary's is the Porchetta - slow-roasted, boneless slabs of premium pork infused with garlic, herbs and spices. It's properly fatty to bring out the full flavor of the meat, and served with a colorful spread of roast vegetables. Add a couple of seafood appetizers, some fresh-baked foccacia, a bottle of Italian red wine, and life is good.

Manhattan-based Rosemary's is a fun spot for a night out - a taste of casual New York-style Italian dining in busy Shinjuku. The dining room is attractively laid out, lively without being cacophonous. The wine list is well assembled and reasonably priced. Most importantly, the cooking is solid and unpretentious, with plenty of healthy vegetables.

The multi-part "deli platter" makes an invigorating start to a meal. It's an assortment of four cold vegetable-centered delicacies like eggplant caponata, marinated beets, cole slaw with pecorino romano cheese and nuts, and marinated chickpeas and dried tomatoes - all with fresh Mediterranean flavors designed to perk up the appetite.

Among the regular starters, the jumbo-size spears of grilled asparagus are a real treat, livened up by a tangy home-made mayonnaise. Calamari Fritti (fried squid) is tender and garlicky, and the liver pate is rich and deeply flavored. Salads like the Kale Celery Caesar are perfectly dressed and big enough for a table of four to share.

The bread at Rosemary's is an excellent home-made focaccia, served with toppings like mozzarella, basil, and tomato; mushroom-cheese; prosciutto, arugula and seasonal fruit; or a simple rosemary and salt.

The Sauteed Salmon with Chickpea Sauce is a reliable main course if you're not in the mood for Porchetta, or you're sharing with a group. (Everything here is meant to be shared, though prix-fixe menus are available if you'd prefer not to.)

The mostly Italian wine list offers more than three dozen wines by the bottle, starting at under Y4,000, plus more than a dozen choices by the glass. Other drinks include fresh-herb cocktails, a range of mocktails, several non-alcohol wines, and Brooklyn Lager.

The dining room has well-spaced tables and offers a pleasant view of the greenery-filled terrace. We found service to be friendly and attentive. Budget around Y5,000-7,000 for food and drink at dinnertime - surprisingly inexpensive for this level of quality. Reservations are accepted by phone from 2-5pm, or online at any time.