Jolly joint with a hint of old

He also came to the likeable conclusion that: "Nothing matters very much and few things matter at all." I don't suppose this jolly Italian-ish neighbourhood restaurant was named after Arthur. Quite a few things do matter in getting a restaurant right and the owners of Balfour have managed most of them.

Near the revamped Brunswick Square, an independent venture shines like a good deed in a world otherwise sustained by restaurant chains. Young, attractive staff work with enthusiasm and a blackboard menu of specials which change daily enhances a printed list with some dishes that feed Italian restaurant nostalgia.

Consider insalata tricolore; melanzane Parmigiana; escalope di pollo Milanese. My friend Dee did and she started her dinner with angels on horseback - king prawns wrapped in bacon and fried - and followed those little fellas with the bread-crumbed chicken escalope served with spaghetti in tomato sauce.

What differentiated the assembly from its historical antecedents was that the chicken was juicy, grated Parmesan seasoned the breadcrumbs, the spaghetti and tomato sauce was freshly prepared - not out of a tin - and with it came a little rocket salad. More rocket, lots more, turned up in the daily special of lamb chops with Greek salad. Cos lettuce would have been more appropriate but it was a good idea putting feta with grilled lamb.

Two different ravioli specials were tried, one of porcini in arrabiata sauce and the other of roasted duck and spring onion with a citrus sauce. A recent survey of Britons revealed that two-thirds believe that arrabiata is a sexually transmitted disease. It is in fact an intense tomato sauce spiked with chilli and a very good foil for bosky dried wild mushrooms. The unlikely-sounding duck filling evidently worked well. When I turned round to taste some, the plate had been cleared.

Surroundings are simple - bare wood tables, bentwood chairs, paper napkins - but there is pretty detail in red and green tiling and old black and white photographs of how Marchmont Street used to be. When Starbucks and Strada didn't exist.

Balfour
Marchmont Street, London, WC1N 1AP