'La Fiaba' Italian restaurant and coffee bar in Croydon Road, Caterham Valley, has just the right ambience for a night out with friends, a romantic meal for two, or a lunchtime meeting over a cup of delicious Italian coffee.

Aldo, the owner, provides a warm welcome to his customers, many of whom used to frequent his previous restaurants in Hamsey Green and Tadworth.

During the day customers can enjoy a selection of very reasonably-priced light lunches, cakes and pastries and access free wireless internet if they are combining lunch with business.

During the evening the mood changes, and diners can relax over a leisurely three-course meal freshly cooked by Aldo using traditional Italian ingredients.

When my partner Keith and I dined there last month, we chose the house wine to accompany our meal - 'Graspello Bianco', which turned out to be an excellent choice, costing £11.50. For our starters, Keith chose the Mediterranean Prawns cooked in garlic, white wine and parsley. When the three huge prawns were brought to the table, I had one of those 'I wish I had chosen that' moments, but the meatballs cooked in tomato sauce that I had ordered proved to be just as appetising!

Keith, a steak man at heart, decided to try the swordfish for his main course, cooked in garlic, lemon and white wine sauce. In Keith's words it was "Wonderful with a great texture and moist with a nice lemon tang. I don't need to spoil it with salt and pepper!"

I had the veal escalopes with finely chopped onions, mushrooms, white wine and cream with a dash of tomato sauce - a delicious combination. The meals came with sauteed potatoes and vegetables and were wonderfully presented.

Apart from the meat and fish dishes there are pasta dishes available from just £6.90.

On this occasion we couldn't resist the wonderful deserts on offer, which were the perfect end to a lovely night out.