Gizzi's

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

Previously known as Bistro du Sud but renovated and renamed Gizzi's in 2007, this bistro has a small, unassuming exterior and, inside, may be mistaken for a café with limited seating. There is more space upstairs, and the place would no doubt be full all the time if it was possible to arrange tastings at the door. For this is authentic, rustic Italian food – the menu regularly name-checks chef Carmela and her mamma, as in 'Carmela's favourite' and 'Our mum's special' – and only seasonal ingredients and well tried-out recipes are used. What seems a fairly run-of-the-mill side salad of mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes and red onion is in fact beautifully dressed with sweet, caramelised balsamic vinegar. The salmon Carmela, oven-baked in a white wine and dill cream sauce and served with asparagus tips is, as its name suggests, a dependable winner. The potatoes Dauphinoise that accompany it, however, seem a little undercooked. Desserts could be better.

• High point: Beyond the modest façade lies a menu of delights
• Low point: More attention should be paid to desserts