An almost out-of-town sibling of the wonderful San Lorenzo of Beauchamp Place, which maintains an almost mystical attraction for high society partly due to its refusal to take credit cards, making it necessary to be seriously cashed up - or be well enough known to Mara Berni to write a cheque. Ghigo Berni presides over the Wimbledon restaurant - or I suppose would do if he was there; but on the night we went he was absent and the staff were disappointingly ordinary, trying to give us an ill-favoured table even though we were well-dressed and the place was half empty The conservatory which might have been more atmospheric was closed and the rest of the decor is generally somewhat '70's trat'.

That aside, the food was excellent: delicious lobster salad, succulent calves' liver, an exceptional fillet of beef and a mouthwatering mixed grill of fish and shellfish. We finished sharing a beautifully well-balanced semifreddo al vin santo, the meal all washed down with a decent Pinot Bianco for only £17.50. £170 for four people including service made it a pretty reasonable night out - and they take credit cards!