Scarlet

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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

Scarlet claims to have 'feverishly good food', and the menus and signage decorated with eye-catching designs of berry sprigs continue the eponymous red theme. The antipasti misto is possibly overpriced at £6.75, especially when no butter is provided to spread on the slices of bread it comes with, but, nevertheless, this mound of salad with cold meats, olives, artichokes and sunblushed tomatoes tastes light and fresh. Chunks of deep-fried mozzarella come with a rich sauce made with tomato, red onion and coriander. Pizzas are slightly small and almost all the toppings include some kind of meat, but this is balanced with good helpings of vegetables and mozzarella, as on the pollo pepperonata, which is topped with chicken, peppers and onion. The restaurant's own 'Penne Scarlet', a mix of chicken, mushroom, sun-dried tomato paste, cream and tomato sauce, features flavours that are rich but not too overpowering. An intriguing-sounding dessert of champagne and passion fruit jelly arrives bearing a slight resemblance to a slab of yellow soap, but, using shot glasses to present the accompanying coconut ice-cream, raspberry purée and chopped-up passion fruit is a charming touch.

• High point: Warm, welcoming décor
• Low point: Toilets slightly shabby