Florio is just what Summertown has been crying out for, says KATHERINE MacALISTER Wallowing around all winter, trying desperately to come up with somewhere inspiring to eat, wouldn’t you believe it – as soon as the sun doesn’t come out, there’s so much going on I can’t get round quick enough.

Thus, with the urgency and dedication of an Olympic athlete, I have been careering around Oxfordshire at a speed Michael Johnson would be impressed by. Sadly the downside is that, unlike say Tom Daley, whose six-pack gleams and whose thighs put Chicken Licken to shame, my physique has, as a result of all this sudden gorging, suffered as a result.

If only Oxford’s restaurateurs had taken this into consideration when all opening at once, sending me into a frisson of excitement unwitnessed since Take That were on tour.

Which leads me nicely into this week’s entry, Florio Bar and Kitchen in Summertown, whose position is so prime, and I mean right on the money, literally, because it’s situated on North Oxford’s main drag. No longer will the rich and not-so-famous have to drag their designer bottoms down the side streets of South Parade or Jericho to get some good chow.

Now they just have to shimmy over to the old La Dolce Vita site, now an urbane restaurant and cocktail bar, perfect for all the yummy mummies and sugar daddies thronging the streets.

And to be fair to them, Florio is long overdue. Summertown has been crying out for somewhere to rest other than Joe’s and The Dewdrop, while patronising M&S and The Powder Room.

So, along with my BFs, we gave it our best shot, and even managed a dress and some lipstick on our Friday lunchtime visit. As all the downstairs table seats were booked, we framed the upstairs window, underneath an enormous chandelier, where the bar is situated, and got down to some serious gossiping.

Because that’s the thing about Florio. It has that delicious air of anticipation about it, and is positively begging for flirtation, drunkenness and laughter. On the Friday in question we settled for batting our eyelashes at joint owner Ross Buchanan, who used to run The Duke Of Cambridge and now runs Florio with Joe’s owner Rob Messinio. But enough of the whos and whys, let’s get down to the whats.

The lunch menu was simple. No starters were on offer although we did manage bread and olives and you can order the boards (smorgasbord, tapas or Trealy Farm Welsh charcuterie) as small or large portions. We had the special of the day – bavette steak with skinny french fries and a green salad (£11.95), the twice-baked mature cheddar and parsley souffle with slow roast tomato, sherry jam and rocket salad (£6.25) the smorgasbord (potted salmon, home cured salmon, white anchovies, smoked eel, caper berries, and beetroot slaw (£8.50/£12.50) and the kedgeree (£9.95).

The steak was bravely rare, as ordered, and a delicious cut of meat, the chips great. The fish platter ticked all the boxes and the souffle was really tasty, although, as it had been taken out of its oven dish, rather deflated. The kedgeree was the perfect lunchtime dish and we sat back contented, but not full.

Opting for the tempting salted caramel ice cream (£4.95) and coffee, we wafted out in time to do the school run, as all good Summertown mums do, and vowed to come back to sample the delights of the bar at a later date.

My advice is to grab a table at Florio while you still can.

* Florio Bar and Kitchen, 215 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7HQ.

floriobarandkitchen.com Call 01865 553990