It's a good thing Zizzi is supposedly Italian rather than French, as 'zizi' means something a bit rude on the other side of the Channel.

The place, which is owned by Ask Restaurants Ltd, was smart without being memorable (but upstairs a large and fiery pizza oven proved eye catching).

The staff wore jeans as well as work shirts; the menu contained no surprises; most of the customers were in their 20s and 30s; the background music was quiet and chilled out.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE?

I went for the tuna niçoise and a glass of white wine, while my friend ordered the chicken salad and some water.

My course was tasty, but there was no sign of the anchovies the menu had promised. My friend was pleased with her chicken salad, particularly enjoying the scoop of caramelised onion that came with the slices of bread and cheese.

WHAT ABOUT THE SERVICE?

Alas, while the drinks were brought speedily, we had to wait more than 20 minutes for our main courses - annoying, as we were due to go to the theatre, and the delay meant rushing our meal. Despite the restaurant being at least half full, this seemed less than impressive, especially as other customers who arrived later than us were brought food sooner. I also asked for a beer which never materialised.

VERDICT: There are other places in the city centre where I'd rather go if I was in a hurry, given the prices.

THE BILL: Small glass sauvignon blanc £3.75 Chicken salad £8.25 Tuna niçoise salad £8.25 TOTAL £20.25