Bromley’s northern end is positively crammed with eateries, of almost every kind you could imagine, all jockeying for custom. It’s a tough world out there.

The Venue
So how can a restaurant attract diners? First, you need a pleasant venue, attractively presented. Check. Then you want warm and friendly staff. Check. In these hard times, people look for value for money. Check. And, of course, they’d like excellent food. Definitely check. Of which, more later.

The Atmosphere
For a Wednesday lunchtime, Ferrari’s is, if not exactly buzzing, doing a fair trade. Several tables are taken, including a party of women who are thoughtfully seated in an annexe off the main dining area near the bar, where they can be as rowdy as they like. Perish the thought. But otherwise there are several couples and a well-to-do looking gent happily tucking into a plate of pasta or two. Having opened in 1999, Ferrari’s has recently undergone an overhaul and the result is cool and tranquil: think dark wood floors, green and white walls and simple but effective black-and-white Italian prints. The kitchen is open-plan and can be seen from the restaurant — always a good sign.

The Food
Executive chef Paolo Barone changes the menu according to the seasons and sources his ingredients from suppliers as local as possible, including London’s famed Borough Market. Pasta and pizzas are freshly made and the menu includes classic Italian favourites as well as contemporary dishes.

A salad of crab and avocado (£7.50), for example, is beautifully presented as a tower with avocado on the bottom topped with a generous amount of lightly seasoned crabmeat, simply garnished. The crab is seashore-fresh and juicily sweet, and the avocado ripe but firm. A minor criticism would be that the latter is served slightly too cold. Scallops wrapped in pancetta are served piping hot, sitting plumply on a sweet pea puree and garnished with pea shoots. Four good-sized bivalves are flawlessly cooked, the white flesh just opaque, while the pancetta is nicely crisp; appropriately, with the green of the puree, this dish echoes the colours of the Italian flag. It flies the flag for Ferrari’s, too, and is exceptionally good value at £7.95.

Ferrari’s portions also tend to be on the generous side for the mains. Veal with Parma ham and marsala is well-cooked and served with smooth mashed potato. The veal is tender and the sauce nicely reduced, but the addition of sage — not mentioned on the menu description — threatens to overpower. Sage is a strong herb and, if you like it, you’ll love this dish; if you don’t, it is not a sage (ahem) choice. Much wiser is the pairing of duck and butternut squash. The duck is glazed with honey and balsamic vinegar, cooked to your liking and thinly sliced before being stacked on to sautéed potatoes and spinach. The squash is char-grilled and served alongside as generous wedges. Its nutty sweetness is the perfect complement to the rich duck. Both of these mains are priced at £13.95 - a bargain for good food in Bromley. A side of chunky deep-fried courgettes — it has to be done — serves two easily and is priced at £3.25.

In the unlikely event you still have room for pudding, do try the cassata (£4.25). This Sicilian speciality is a treat, layers of semifreddo studded with glace cherries and 'pralinated' hazelnuts, and rippled with chocolate. An attractively presented cheeseboard (£5.50) includes gorgonzola, pecorino and an Italian goat’s cheese, which is mild and creamy, and accompanied by a berry chutney and slices of toasted fruit bread. As if its competitively priced a la carte menu were not enough, Ferrari’s also offers a fixed price menu, with two courses at £12.50 or three at £14.50 for lunch, and £14.50 or £17.50 for dinner, as well as a traditional Sunday roast (£13.95 and £16.95).

The Drink
The value for money theme continues on to the wine list. As well as many wines offered by the 175ml glass, Ferrari’s provides several in 500ml carafes, a happy compromise if you don’t feel you can manage a second bottle... A Sicilian Catarratto is clean and crisp and easy drinking at £13.95, but a Gavi di Gavi looks a bargain at £26.25. The list is predominantly Italian, but a few from New Zealand, Argentina and France have been allowed in. Mercier Champagne at £32.50 is excellently priced and even a bottle of 'The Widow' (Veuve Clicquot) won’t break the bank at £49.95.

The Last Word
In the race to gain a great reputation and more customers, Ferrari’s deserves to be in pole position.

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