Lunching around London's metropolitan stations is usually far from glamorous but here in the locale of Victoria, ASK pizza is a good value and surprisingly exuberant option.

The Venue
Situated just a sparrow's sneeze from Victoria Station, ASK pizza offers an inviting alternative to a tepid pasty and a can of lager on the train home. The ultra-modern glass frontage hides a spacious, almost-Rococo interior filled with ornate cornices, large mirrored walls and a dominating white spiral staircase leading to a vast dining room upstairs. The open kitchen in the corner puffs out delicious pizza-y wafts around the dining room. There is a selection of tables for every occasion from the cosy tete-a-tete tables for two to leather-bound half booths for four or more. Upstairs is great for office parties, bright and airy with large sash windows overlooking the busy streets below.

The Atmosphere
This is a busy branch of this popular pizza chain and is usually filled with commuters and office workers from the local area. And rightly so too, it's not often you find such an attractive pizza parlour, adding a touch of glamour to a simple supper. The staff are efficient enough although a swift trip to charm school wouldn't go a miss with the odd one or two.

The Food
The ASK menu is a varied affair with a good selection of salads and pastas alongside the standard pizza options. The salads include the delicious starter-sized insalata with mixed leaves, tomatoes and topped with warm sauteed mushrooms and grated grana padano cheese (about £4). The garlic bread is also pretty impressive; deliciously crisp pizza bread is covered in butter and shaves of fresh garlic, of which the scent of arrives before the bread even reaches the table.

The pizza selection includes all the usual varieties plus a couple of more inspirational options like the Vesuvio with pepperoni, red peppers and fresh chillies. The thin and crispy Fiorentina (about £8) with fresh baby spinach, garlic, olives and topped with an egg is a little dry and needs the house chilli oil to moisten it up. The egg is overcooked which is a shame as the usual mix of silky yolk, cheese and spinach is the highlight of this popular pizza.

From the pasta selection, you have all your old favourites such as lasagna and spaghetti bolognese as well as some fancier dishes like the Spaghetti Gamberi e Rucola (about £9) with marinated king prawns cooked in a caper butter and a white wine and tomato sauce. There are a handful of desserts available including the hugely popular honeycomb cheesecake (about £5), a creamy cheesecake with crunchy chocolate-covered honeycomb thrown on in abundance.

The Drink
The drinks menu is almost as extensive as the food menu with mainly Italian wines available by the two glass sizes and the bottle. They start at about £12 for a completely palatable dry white Trebbiano from the Marche region. The reds do include one Aussie crowd-pleaser but generally some good grapes from Tuscany, Veneto and Piedmont. For those celebratory occasions a bottle of Mercier champagne is a steal at under £30. Strong, sobering coffees are all available and for an extra £3 can be accompanied by an interesting Italian liqueur such as grappa or limoncello.

The Last Word
ASK Pizza's reasonably priced, decent Italian food and transport-friendly location makes it a very attractive mid-week supper option.

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