Smollensky's, 17 Park End Street. Tel: 01865 793793

We visited Smollensky's for a quiet birthday celebration meal and, in the middle of the week, quiet this modern restaurant certainly was. Perhaps it is the sheer size of the place, but the open plan approach to restaurant design does not help to generate much atmosphere when it is coupled with a minimalist, almost clinical decorative style. Having said that, there is some novelty (or should that be trepidation?) associated with watching the chefs preparing your food in the far corner of the room (a hangover from the Savannah days, the kitchen is integrated into the dining area). Still, we had a warm welcome from the waiting staff who were very attentive throughout our visit.

The menu offers a wide selection of dishes you wouldn't normally associate with a restaurant of this kind, something both myself and my companion were particularly pleased about. A blend of popular staples and more unusual ingredients are used to good effect, ranging from gourmet burgers and salad favourites to pasta with crayfish and jambalaya (my choice, a tasty dish woefully overlooked by many an established eatery).

After whetting our appetites with bottles of Moretti beer weighing in £3, we headed straight for the main course menu. While the drinks may be a little pricey (more on that later), main courses ranged from a surprisingly affordable £7-8 up to around £18 for some of the more exotic dishes. There is something for everyone (vegetarians included) and, judging by the standard of our choices, portion sizes are not sacrificed for arty presentation (which is always a bonus in my book). While my companion felt that his crayfish pasta was pleasant but lacked a certain something, my only gripe with the fruity and colourful jambalaya was that it could have been slightly warmer. Considering that the place was not exactly packed to the gunnels, I did wonder where our plates had been on the way from the kitchen and our table.

The wine list offered a varied selection of reds and whites from around the world as well as several champagnes, dessert wines and liqueurs. The cheapest wines were around £14 per bottle, which seemed a little steep but is perhaps not unusual for Oxford. I have to admit I was deterred from splurging on champagne (it was a special occasion, after all) since even the cheapest bottle was £36. Instead, we chose an excellent bottle of Pinot Grigio 2003 at about £17, which I felt was the real high point of the meal and well worth the extra money.

With just enough room for dessert, we chose to round off the meal with a hot apple and blackberry crumble and the splendidly-named "Elmer Fudge". While I found the former to be really rather good (as well as being hot enough to melt the blob of strawberry ice cream on top in an entirely satisfying way), the latter was really just an elaboration on the traditional banana split and again lacked a certain something which would have elevated it above its rather humble roots.

The total for the meal came to a shade under £60 (not forgetting the 12.5% service charge already included for our convenience). We agreed that this total was not excessive for what we had and seemed to be in keeping with the customer bracket Smollensky's would appear to be aiming for. I draw comparisons with Brown's at the north end of St Giles, which I have to say is just slightly ahead of this restaurant in terms of quality, service and atmosphere but I think Smollensky's may come into its own for the lunchtime crowd who are after a quick but enjoyable bite in its airy surroundings at a slightly less frantic pace.

David Wright, 1.9.4