Strada, 75 Low Petergate, York.

ITALIAN chain restaurants seem to have mastered the knack of flattering their customers.

The grand decor on display at two such eateries in the city - Pizza Express and ASK - hints at a level of excess far beyond that inflicted on a diner's bank balance.

The latest to land in York is Strada, which opened in February, and presents an upmarket take on traditional Italian fare that is no less complimentary to its patrons.

Its closest rivals, already mentioned, are housed in grand old buildings with stunning decoration, whereas the Low Petergate restaurant's previous incarnation was an ever-so-slightly drab café.

However, the interior has been transformed and Strada crafts a modern atmosphere that sits comfortably alongside antique oak beams.

The lighting is low-level and the furnishings are contemporary and chic. Glass vases filled with red chillies, garlic and peppers are positioned around the restaurant, in which a large coffee-making machine forms a centrepiece.

It feels like a trendy spot, suggesting a far more expensive venue. Strada is, in fact, rather good value.

Jay and I arrived without a reservation on a Sunday evening, worried we might not get a table.

I had been told booking was essential as people flooded in to try out the new restaurant, but although it was nicely busy, there was plenty of room.

We settled into a peaceful back room, next to an outer courtyard fitted with tables and parasols, and examined the menu.

It consisted of standard Italian fare - pizzas and pastas - along with a range of more unusual risottos and meaty dishes.

Starters include gamberoni (£6.95) - roasted Mediterranean butterflied king prawns - and bruschetta con peperonata, chargrilled ciabatta bread with goat's cheese and caramelised peppers (£4.50).

I settled on the zuppa di pasta e fagioli (£4.50), a rich tomato-based soup with mixed beans and small bits of ditalini pasta. The portion was generous and the soup was tasty, with mixed beans providing contrasting flavours.

It bore a slight resemblance to Heinz vegetable soup, but that was no bad thing - the canned variety had been a favourite of my childhood.

Jay opted for the polenta con funghi (£4.95), the cornmeal alongside sautéed mushrooms and sauce.

She praised the mascarpone, garlic and marjoram sauce, saying she liked its subtle flavours, and she said the portion was just right.

To accompany our meal, we compromised on a bottle of rosé wine, Rosato Veronese (£15.50), after debating the comparative merits of whites and reds.

There is a good selection of mains from pasta dishes, spaghetti al ragu served with braised mince beef (£8.50), to risotto all'aragosta e gamberoni with lobster and tiger prawns (£13.95).

And, as you'd expect, there is also a wide range of pizzas, with all the usual combinations, priced from £7 to £9.

I went for a Fiorentina (£8.50) that was beautifully presented with a free-range egg surrounded by fresh basil and parmesan shavings.

It was slightly too soft for my liking and could have perhaps done with longer in the oven; I prefer the Italian-style crisp and thin pizzas. But the portion was large - I couldn't finish it - and it had strong, distinctive flavours that complemented each other well.

Jay chose the pollo con funghi (£9.95), which consisted of chargrilled butterflied chicken breast and a sauce, similar to that with her starter, of creamy mushroom and marjoram sauce. It was accompanied by sautéed potatoes which she said were delicious and melted in the mouth, and a side-serving of rocket.

She felt the chicken was a little tasteless and slightly dry, but the rich sauce saved it.

We finished with two scoops of ice-cream each (£3.50 a piece), which was refreshing but was fairly standard.

The service was snappy and very friendly, although I did have to leave the table in search of a spoon at one point.

We left a good tip and the bill came to just over £50, which we thought was good value for three generously-proportioned courses and a decent bottle of wine.

Strada, 75 Low Petergate, York. Tel: 01904 672999.

Sam and Jay visited Strada on April 22.

Fact file

Food: delicate

Service: dutiful

Value: fair

Ambience: laid-back

Disabled loos: Yes