Going Loco down Blackheath

Having watched Tony Allan's unpretentious way with food on TV cookery show Tony & Giorgio, we had high expectations for his new Blackheath eatery. Arriving on a Wednesday night, it was clear we weren't alone: the large, high-ceilinged space was completely packed.

The menu promised classic Italian dishes with the emphasis on good quality ingredients.

A marinated seafood salad with chilli, garlic and chives was a large plate of beautifully dressed leaves topped with achingly fresh squid, octopus, tiger prawns and mussels. It was all I could do not to lick the plate.

Across the table, my dining companion was busily smacking his lips around a toothsome antipasti misti: salami, caponata, roasted peppers, white asparagus, red onions agrodolce and a dome of mascarpone. My fillet of sea bass was huge, the perfectly cooked flesh resting on a bulb of fennel braised with carrots and parsley, the accompanying broth both flavourful and soothing. A side of spinach came flecked with roasted garlic.

The only duff note was a swordfish steak, overseasoned and slightly overcooked, which came with the same roasted peppers as the antipasti.

We both had the affogato: a ball of home-made cinnamon ice cream in a conical metal dish, with an espresso and shot of Frangelico to be poured over and supped. Then we found ourselves washing the whole glorious lot down with vin santo and the best home-made biscotti, replete with candied fruit and pistachios.

With a bottle of good Soave, water and service, it came to £101. It's not hard to understand why the locals are flocking in; we'll certainly be back.

Loco Restaurant and Bar
1 Lawn Terrace, SE3 9LJ