We had some cracking nights in Gingers on Newhall Street so were a bit sad when it closed. It’s taken us a year to visit relative newbie on the same site, Regina’s but now we have, we’re not looking back.

For a start, the staff greeted us like old friends and managed to be just the right kind of attentive. They recommended some great wine, a heady dessert and generally made us feel a bit special, which naturally we relished.

The Mediterranean menu’s interesting. It’s nothing mind-blowingly different but it’s solid and the dishes we tasted were delicious. Chicken livers were perfectly cooked and packed with flavour, heightened by the addition of sweet grapes and a mustardy red wine sauce. It really sang, and a decent glass of malbec sealed the deal.

Arancini were crunchy on the outside, oozing with gooey mozzarella and rich ragu in the middle served atop a surprisingly fiery tomato sauce. Pasta with chicken and mushrooms in a creamy sauce could have been dull but was far from it. Rich and moreish, it was comfort food at its best.

We wanted to try the slow cooked beef short rib but it was only an hour into a four-hour stint in the oven, so we’ve earmarked it for next time – perhaps bear that in mind if you’re going for lunch. Instead a salmon fillet with the kind of crisp skin you can never achieve at home served with a tasty potato croquette, spinach and a jug of citrussy white wine sauce was great. A rogue blob of beetroot puree seemed out of place but we’ll let that slide. Our waiter recommended the inspired combination of tiramisu and a glass of sauterne to finish which was as pleasing as it sounds. We highly recommend two spoons unless you’re wearing elasticated trousers!