There are many considerations that come to mind when choosing a restaurant – location, style, quality, parking maybe – but I’ve never found myself in a situation where I said to myself, “I wonder which places stand up to the mafia”

It is what initially attracted me to Antica Focacceria San Francesco in Rome though. This is a Sicilian institution and started in Palermo in 1834 serving hearty food to locals. More recently, the owner and his sons stood up to the mob and refused to pay protection money any more. Their testimony in open court was instrumental in sending crime bosses to jail for a long stretch. To this day, there is a police car stationed in front of their premises and the owner is still in hiding.

I couldn’t help but be intrigued by such a story and when in Rome, I decided to try their branch there.

The location is in a small pedestrianised piazza just off the main Via del Corso shopping street and is barely a 10-minute walk away from tourist attractions like the Spanish Steps. It is not too large and the well-heeled Romans who had popped out of the office for lunch were crowding the interior and chatting away.

I nestled next to one of the large windows, taking the black-and-white decor that was highlighted with touches of bronze here and there. It is not spartan, but the focus clearly is on the food, which is where it should be. Any restaurant that tries to distract from the food is one to be avoided, according to me.

The menu is short and focused on traditional Sicilian food. I started with the Timballini di anellettini al forno which is pasta rings baked with eggplant and a ragu sauce. It was perfectly cooked and topped with generous amounts of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

The room is small (what an estate agency might call ‘cosy’) and this means that you are never too far from someone else’s plate or gossip. I don’t mind this as it is common in Brussels and I’m used to it. The two suited men on my right kept giving me furtive looks as they discussed some issue at the office. They lowered their voices from time to time, making me wonder what they thought I would do about the fact that Giovanni prevents them from using the office copier.

I followed that up with Arrosto alla palermitana – a breaded steak that was surrounded by roasted seasonal vegetables. The food is good, hearty stuff; all as expected from the concise and well-crafted menu.

Given the location and the price (EUR 26 for a two-course meal including a glass of wine, water and a coffee), this is a great option if you’re in Rome. I would advise booking a table though, to beat the Roman rush.

My only disappointment is that there was no police car outside, so any frisson of excitement I was expecting didn’t materialise.

However, as I paid by the counter, I was distracted from the sight of home-made biscuits and cakes by the music which, until that point, had been low enough to be almost unknowable. It was a mix of 1990s House music from Mat Unwin who I follow on SoundCloud – here you go Mat, you’re famous in Italy, it seems!