IT would be easy to overlook La Mezzaluna on restaurant row on Witherspoon Street in Princeton — its storefront is narrow, and it can be overshadowed by its bigger and better-known neighbors, Lahiere’s, the Ferry House and, another block down, Witherspoon Grill. But the well-conceived menu and friendly service make it at home in this company.

   Entry to the restaurant is through a small front room that offers two or three tables with a view out onto Witherspoon Street. That space opens onto a long, rather narrow room, with booths along the one side and tables with chairs along the opposite wall. A few serving tables occupy the space between, which chef/owner Michael Morriello prowls, conferring with his staff, adding finishing touches to dishes before they are served, or completing a dessert preparation. The room is painted in bold blocks of rich color, the tables in the booths are topped with brushed stainless steel, and wavy glass divides booth from booth, creating a sleek, retro ambience.

   The menu offers a well-rounded selection of classic Italian dishes as well as creative variations on Italian themes. Hearty soup, innovative pastas, risottos (a house specialty) and robust meat-centered dishes give diners plenty of choices. Pumpkin ravioli is served with a brunoise of squash, coriander crème, and fresh sage brown butter. The eggplant rollantini is more familiar, with thin slices of eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella and covered in tomato basil sauce. Some of the salads are imaginative, notably warm braised duck with crisp goat cheese, butter lettuce, toasted almonds and agrodolce vinaigrette.

   Several classic pasta dishes are available, either as primi piatti or as entrées. Fettuccine is served with salmon, artichokes, asparagus and mushrooms; rigatoni with pancetta, shallots and tomatoes in a pink vodka sauce; and capellini with shrimp, clams, mussels and sun-dried tomatoes in a white wine sauce. Main courses include rack of lamb encrusted in hazelnuts and walnuts, finished with a mustard demi glace, chicken and veal dishes, and pan-seared sea bass with risotto and shrimp. Specials on the night we dined included roast chicken and vegetables, sweet Italian sausage with broccoli rabe, strip steak, and dorade, a lean, white Mediterranean sea bass.

   The table was set with a silvery basket holding slices of crusty, room-temperature bread wrapped in a napkin. A small bowl of olive oil accompanied the bread, but the large clove of brown-edged garlic steeping in the oil imparted an unpalatably strong flavor to the oil. Butter, a sweet alternative, was promptly provided at our request — just one example of La Mezzaluna’s deft and accommodating service. On the night we dined, most of the room was taken up by an office Christmas party, which kept the staff busy, but we never lacked for attention and polished service. Although the restaurant does not have a liquor license, the staff handled our bottle of Sauvignon Blanc professionally, providing an ice bucket and offering well-timed pours of wine throughout the meal.

   Mr. Morriello, who grew up in Naples and has been in the restaurant business in this region for more than a decade, expresses particular pride in his risottos, which are available as entrées or starters. The creamy rice in the appetizer portion of risotto al limone ($15, $28 for the entrée portion) was rich with chunks of salmon and jumbo lump crab meat, lightly sautéed in white wine and garlic, brightened by green peas and zested with grated lemon rind. A decorative basil leaf perfumed the dish.

   The evening’s salad special ($12) was the other opener for our meal. Arranged like the numbers on a clock around a bed of mixed red and green lettuces were slices of strong-flavored tomato along with sweet pear and tart apple, and two slices of fresh mozzarella, adding a delightful creamy texture to the ensemble. The mixed berry vinaigrette was thin; perhaps a dash of balsamic vinegar would help bind the ingredients together while adding palate interest to the dish.

   Our entrées were from the regular menu. Pork osso buco ($25) was finished in a veal reduction demi glace and served with what the menu described as saffron spinach risotto. The shank of pork was formidable, with the meat a bit dry, but braised until tender, literally falling off the bone. It was accompanied by mushrooms and huge leaves of basil that added a summer-fresh perfume to this wintry dish. The underlying risotto was well prepared but showed no sign of any saffron, either in taste or color. Veal ($27) was served as small cutlets, sautéed and served in a white wine garlic sauce with mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus and grape tomatoes. The dish was savory, the mushrooms and vegetables al dente, but the veal, while tasty, was tough.

   We concluded the meal with a delicious, rich chocolate mousse and gelato ($11), served with a yellow and chocolate custard sauce painted on the plate in a dramatic design and supported by gelato and whipped cream, with a jaunty mint leaf as a grace note. Well-prepared espressos complemented the dessert.