If the most important thing about a venue really is location, location, location then Maxwells should be the envy of most restaurants in London. People traffic and good money-off deals keep bums firmly on seats.

The Venue
Located on the thoroughfare between Covent Garden tube station and the piazza, Maxwells enjoys a prime location - and they make sure that they make the most of it. A large vibrant red canopy is eye catching and if you miss that the flaming fire feature is sure to grab your attention. Three small outdoor tables provide some semblance of alfresco dining.

Inside, the spacious restaurant has the decor of a welcoming American bar – the kind where everybody knows your name. Dark heavy woods dominate the colour scheme with red booths and jammed in tables with paper tablecloths. A large bar sits to the left-hand side with high stools for enjoying a drink and there’s another large dining room downstairs with a service-only bar. Nice touches include musical imagery on the walls, from Sammy Davis Jr and Frank Sinatra to John Lennon, alongside attractive mottled mirrors and a heavily embellished ceiling. Large orange lights complete the look, which is warming and sets the diner-like scene very well.

The Atmosphere
This is quite possibly the friendliest restaurant in Central London. From the manager down to the waiting staff, everyone makes a huge effort to indulge in a spot of banter, make you feel welcome and ensure you’re well looked after. And it’s not all style over substance, either. The service is quick and efficient and even when the restaurant is busy you’re not left waiting for your food for very long. As for the punters, this is a prime sightseeing and shopping spot and it’s reflected in the clientele, the majority of whom are tourists.

The Food
It’s lucky that Maxwells make such an effort to offer regular money-off deals and vouchers as the prices here are high for the quality of the food. If you make the most of the discounts – which include everything from lunch specials to kids go free deals - then you can eat here on the cheap, making it a much more attractive proposition. The menu is large and has a wide array of dishes, covering starters, burgers, salads, steaks, meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.

For starters, the fish sampler (seared tiger prawns, chilli salt squid, New England crab cakes and potato skins) is £14.95 for two people. Well portioned for two to share, the seared tiger prawns are plump and well cooked and the searing gives it a barbecue-like flavour that’s pleasant, it’s just a shame that the skewered prawns retain the tails, making them a little awkward to eat. The potato skins are also good, with fluffy potato and a generous helping of creamy cheese and spring onions. Unfortunately, the chilli salt squid is a little rubbery and the crab cakes contain a dark, unappealing brown crab meat that is tasteless and unappetising.

For mains, the sizzling prawn fajitas (£15.95) are expensive for what you get. A handful of prawns, again with their tails still on, are awkward and too hot to easily peel before building the fajita, although the idea is a good one. The theatre of this dish is appealing, arriving as three warm flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa and sour cream with prawns on a bed of onions and peppers. Unfortunately, the onions and peppers are greasy and don’t have much in the way of flavour, although the homemade guacamole is delicious with big pieces of avocado.

Alternatively, the 8oz fillet steak surf and turf is very expensive at £23.95. The beef looks good and is well cooked to specification but it lacks in flavour with a charred taste that hides the meat. The tiger prawns are the same that you get in the fish starter and for three of them for a £4 premium on the standard fillet steak they are a pricey addition. The jacket potato is well cooked and fluffy with a delicious sour cream on top and a large flat mushroom tastes pleasantly earthy, if a little greasy. A side of garlic mushrooms is good with plump mushrooms in a garlic sauce that provides a strong flavour hit although they’re a little oily. The broccoli side, however, is overly hard and undercooked.

The desserts, however, don’t disappoint. The banana and toffee fudge sundae (£5.75) comes in a tall glass and is well portioned for the price. With creamy whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, fresh banana pieces, chewy toffee fudge bits and a sweet but not sickly toffee sauce, it is a good dish that’s big enough to share.

The Drink
If you want to get into the diner spirit at Maxwells, opt for one of their thick vanilla milkshakes (£3.65) – a delicious, creamy concoction with a strong vanilla flavour.

If it’s something alcoholic you’re after there’s a lengthy list of easy-to-drink cocktails, well priced at the £6.50 mark. They also offer coffee cocktails as a lighter alternative to a standard dessert, which is a nice touch. There’s a decent choice of red, white and rose wine with most bottles well priced at less than £20 as well as a few sparkling varieties and even, impressively, deluxe spirits. If you have simple tastes then they have a good choice of seven beers by the bottle and Grolsch on tap, which is also served by the pitcher.

The Last Word
Make the most of the generous money-off deals or come here to enjoy a few drinks at the bar – the staff will ensure you leave smiling.

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