A visit to Il Carretto Italian restaurant in Coulsdon is the perfect remedy for the winter blues! The friendly ambience and colourful decor allow you to indulge in a warm Italian mini break for a few hours. My friend Geraint and I visited recently and before long we had a glass of the delicious house red wine, 'Saint Angelo' in one hand and a menu in the other, trying to decide what to have. There is certainly plenty to choose from, with a selection of 14 starters and a great choice of pizza, pasta, meat, fish, salad and vegetarian dishes for mains. Geraint chose the 'Parmigiana' (layers of aubergine oven baked with mozarella, parmesan and tomato sauce) for his starter, while I chose one of my favourites, 'Cozze della Casa', (bowl of mussels cooked with white wine, tomato sauce, garlic and a touch of chilli).

Andrea brought a basket of fresh granary bread to the table for soaking up the wonderful sauce.

For our mains, Geraint chose the 'Agnello al Balsamico' (leg of lamb cooked with rosemary and balsamic jus, served on mashed potato with roast peppers and red onion) and I chose the 'Pollo Principessa' (breast of chicken cooked with ham, cheese and asparagus in a tomato sauce). Both dishes came with perfectly cooked French beans and potatoes and were served nice and hot. Geraint commented on how attractive the food looked and said his lamb was lovely and tender. I also very much enjoyed my choice. Andrea came to chat to us after we had finished our meal and told us that they will be having a live singer performing at Il Carretto every week, alternating between Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra tribute acts and an opera singer. What great nights out they will be! For more information and to book a table call the restaurant on 020 8660 5056.