La Partenope

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £7.95 (set lunch)
   £21 (evening meal)
• House wine: £12.50 per bottle

• High point: Neapolitan charm by the boatload
• Low point: Lobster wrangling with nutcrackers is not for the faint-hearted
• Food served: Sun/Mon 5-11pm; Tue-Thu noon-2pm, 5-11pm; Fri noon-2pm, 5-11.30pm; Sat noon-11.30pm
• Open since: 2001
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Restaurateurs heading homeward after a quiet mid-week service probably cross Dalry Road to avoid seeing the packed tables beyond La Partenope's vast plate glass windows. As of September 2006, chef Paolo Tersigni is also the proprietor, but his wise 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach means that the change of ownership has been seamless enough to cause no visible dip in popularity for this casual and convivial restaurant. Fish, as before, is the favourite dish. Roasted aubergines and artichokes with rocket and buffalo mozzarella make a star starter, but there's close competition from mare nel piatto in which mussels, clams, scallops and squid play supporting roles to shell-on langoustine and crayfish in a 'Seafood Feast!!' that's well worth the menu's double exclamation marks. Mains run to a trio of nods to those who prefer meat, but the kitchen's heart belongs to the bass, the bream, the tuna and the lobster. Just occasionally, the pace takes its toll with a little overcooking here or a tomato overload there, but, overall, the atmosphere created by people who love their work makes it easy to be forgiving - particularly after a tasty lunchtime three courses and coffee for the princely sum of £7.95.