It was known for more than 10 years as the bustling Mexican restaurant Jimenez until relatively recently, when it became a run-down, tired old restaurant in serious need of TLC.

But with vision, passion and hard work, the owners of the award-winning Restaurant 3one7 at Parramatta transformed the building into a vibrant, modern Italian restaurant.

As well as an extensive a la carte menu of modern Italian cuisine, Millone's has a stylish new cocktail bar and function rooms upstairs catering for 50 to 100 people.

Their tried and true formula of ``quality service, affordable prices and fantastic service'' has transferred seamlessly to their new Baulkham Hills restaurant.

My dining partner and I ordered a cocktail, a Toblerone ($13.90) and a Millone's Heaven ($14.90) and proceeded to our cozy booth.

The menu is extensive and includes steaks, risottos, seafood, sizzling hot pots, chicken, veal, pastas and gourmet pizzas.

We enjoyed grilled haloumi cheese with pita bread ($12.90) and salt and pepper squid with lemon and aioli ($16.90) for our entrees. For mains, you cannot go past the crab linguini with mushrooms, olives and a creamy napoletana sauce ($21.90). My dining partner was equally impressed with the seeded mustard chicken breast with chilli and in a creamy white sauce ($25.90).

The portion sizes are very generous and the service is exceptional.

Millone's is offering a four-course seafood lunch for Melbourne Cup, including house wine, raffles, sweeps and live entertainment.

Millone's Ristorante and Bar is at 43 Old Northern Road.

Bookings, 88529555 or millones.com.au.