familiarity similar to stepping into a friend's kitchen.

Possibly it's the pleasant staff, who on hearing the door swing open, warmly greet their customers (even if their backs are turned at the moment of arrival). Or perhaps it's the knowledge that the chef is not adverse to cooking meals that strictly speaking are not available on the menu, provided the ingredients are readily available. In all reality, it is a combination of all these points that gives this restaurant its homely feel.

The food is as you would expect in an Italian restaurant and there is ample choice of starters which include grilled tiger prawns, garlic mushrooms and prosciutto served chilled with honey dew melon. The mains served include traditional Italian dishes of pesce spada alla griglia (grilled swordfish) and poached salmon steaks as well (of course) as the obvious staple basics of lasagne and spaghetti bolognese.

The lasagne had a meaty succulent taste, though it didn't present any more mouth-watering flavours than if you were to bake the dish yourself at home. There are a couple of notable gaps on the menu; there are no pizzas on the menu at all and while the food offered was very tasty, it was unfortunate that the menu lacked the extra spark to entice diners to be a bit more adventurous in their choices.

What the main courses were lacking in originality was more than made up for in quantity, and our pudding of homemade tiramisu with a cup of espresso, which had us bouncing off the walls for many an hour, finished off the experience on a much stronger note.

The real highlight of La Mimosa is a toss up between the staff's friendliness and the the restaurant's location. With a pleasant chat from waiting staff as they pass your table, and lazy riverside views, it is easy to see why you would want to enjoy relaxing in the courtyard whilst sipping a glass of prosecco (slightly sweeter on both the palate and the pocket than champagne). Watching the punters float by and lazing away idyllic summer evenings, we can think of far worse ways to spend the night.