Looking for a manga that's different?  How about a sophisticated cast of characters residing in the restaurant world of Italy?

The setting is Rome, Italy. Nicoletta, a young, dark-eyed woman, arrives in Rome looking to confront her mother.  The cast is Italian, most of them over 40 at least. Quite unique for a manga, this is what Viz Signature often produces. This unconventional manga really illustrates the extensive variety in the medium.  The story revolves around Nicoletta, who as a young adult heads to the city in order to find the mother who left her long ago so that she could live her destiny, which didn't include a child. Nicoletta was then been raised by her grandparents, whom she still turns to for support.

Olga is the mother, now married to the owner of the restaurant Casetta dell'Orso.  Pretending that Nicoletta is a daughter of a friend, she is brought into the close knit group as a trainee in the kitchen.  The other employees are a suave group of older gentlemen that  are really there to impress the customers. They draw a crowd just as much as the food does.

Secrets  complicate things as relationships develop and people find their way through the maze of life.  All of this is done in a pleasant and warm environment. The drama is fairly low key  and pretty realistic, although most of the cast is more understanding and gentle than the real population. This book is about self-discovery, relationships and living a life that you are meant to live.  Many times a character sifts though conflicting ideas and wants, letting us see that things aren't just one way or the other. There are many shades of gray.

Overview

I'm just not sure what category to put this book in.  The cover lists it for older teen and I think that there isn't anything they need to avoid, but I'm not sure they would be interested.  I think the story and setting would be favored by 20 year-olds and up. Perhaps parents of Manga fans want to see what their kids are into, and this would be an easy jump from Western literature.  This could be the "missing link".

A thought provoking read, a good pace, it keeps one wondering what is next.  Since it is so different, nothing is obvious.  Some of the story  is completed, but some is left open ended leaving the door open.  Gente, the People of Ristorante Paradiso is a related book.

The artwork seemed very different  to me than other manga.  Crisp and clear illustrations, often relying on facial close-ups. Much is expressed in their faces and in the looks that they give each other. That is what really impresses me about this book, "the looks". I've not seen this represented so well before.  In real life , we can convey so much with just a look and for someone to master that in drawings is incredible. It's almost like movie still frames were captured and put in print.

ComicsOnline gives Ristorante Paradiso 3.5 bottles of Italian wine out of 5.

Look for this manga at Amazon!