Pizza Express

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

As seems to be the case with much of metropolitan Britain, you don't have to venture too far in any part of Edinburgh before stumbling across one of the city's five Pizza Express restaurants. If you are looking for reliable, Italian food that won't break the bank, Pizza Express is unlikely to disappoint. With their contemporary and sophisticated interiors, helpfully child-friendly attitude and now with outdoor dining available at the Holyrood and Stockbridge branches, it's hard to find a box that Pizza Express does not tick. It would be easy to knock Pizza Express' food simply because it has become such standard fare, but in many ways this has been the key to the company's success. The menu is extensive, a wide range of well-executed starters including stuffed Portobello mushrooms, their legendary dough balls and a selection of brushchetta. Mains aren't exclusively pizza, with various salads and more substantial pasta dishes, but most people come here for the pizza. The menu offers a vast range of combinations for the more adventurous palate alongside the stable choices of old; as they've grown, so they've expanded their menu to include more interesting toppings such a Salsiccia sausage from Trento in north Italy or hot, soft salami from Calabria in the south. Staff are as obliging and helpful as ever in being flexible to customers' demands and providing speedy service to those not wanting to hang around.

• High point: Consistently high standard of fast food
• Low point: Non-variable menu