Zizzi has a chain of restaurants around the UK. I've been to the Chiswick one a couple of times and the food has been good.

It's still a pizza/pasta type place but better than average.

The pizza are done in their big clay oven, on show at the back of the restaurant. They are nice and thin with a crispy base, basically just how I like it.

I normally use ordering a spaghetti carbonara as the benchmark for how good a place is. Whether it comes out with the pasta all too soft or aldente, whether there is any taste to the sauce or if it is plain and lifeless all points to whether they can get the basics right.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with the carbonara. Still eatable but it sort of reinforces my attitudes towards chain based pizza/pasta places as not being terribly inspiring on most counts.

However, the crayfish, smoked salmon and rocket salad with a madaring dressing was particularly nice. Then again, stick a load of seafood in front of me and I've be fine as long as it hasn't all been burnt, which is a bit diffcult for a salad.

We did have a good time with friends there, quaffing a few bottles of wine and catching up on gossip. All in all an OK thumbs up.