After two weeks of gloriously unseasonable sunshine, spring hadn't quite sprung, so it was a welcome relief from the nippy wind to enter the cosy confines of Toscana Dame Street, a Tuscan orientated Restaurant and Pizzeria. Immediately one is awakened to the distinct hum of atmosphere, an extremely busy (for Tuesday evening) buzz of chatter and laughter that cries out regulars. That's not to imply that tourists aren't having fun when they visit our fair city but here were large groups of people, of all shapes and sizes, socializing in a way that suggested they either were intimate friends, family or work colleagues. And why are they here? Well, whatever anyone says, from the moment you cross a restaurants threshold you're in judgment mode, so a warm welcome from staff counts big-time and Toscana has it in bucket loads. All the floor staff are from the motherland but speak good English so you have oodles of concise, informed charm. Subtle lighting and foliage mutes the space into a satisfyingly warm room which, although isn't huge, is cleverly arranged to suit customers both intimate and overt.

The menu is large, offering plenty of chicken, meat, fish and vegetarian options as well as the standard pastas and pizzas. A nice touch is their children's dinner which comes in at €8.50 inc. dessert and a drink. We suppressed the kid in us and opted instead for starters of crab claws cooked in garlic and herb butter with salad and an Italian classic, antipasto all' Italiano, a monstrous plate of cooked meats, cheeses and veg. The crab was succulent; a generous portion of ten claws well seasoned and tenderly cooked. Mains were great; Spiedini alla Marinara was an action packed skewer of perfectly cooked chunks of salmon, hake and prawn with crunchy vegetables, while my Cotolette D'agnello was four choice lamb cutlets bathed in a creamy rosemary and brandy sauce, served as ordered, medium rare with sautéed potatoes.

Eschewing the carb accompaniment, my plate was laden with salad which detracted from the dish. Knowing there was a decent chef in the kitchen however we ordered tiramisu for dessert and we weren't surprised - the biscuit fingers were left whole and protruded from the mascarpone/chocolate sauce like a raft on the water - but the taste was sumptuous.Full marks to the pastry chef! Our wine was a tangy half bottle of Orvieto Classico Castellani, perfect for the fish yet weighty enough to sit with the meats. Our bill came to €86 excluding tip.

VerdictRecommended ****

Open 7 days, 12 Noon till late,