Derek Suffling is pleasantly confused at Ask, Old Amersham.

IF a waitress brings you the wrong dish it's normally a cause for complaint. So it's a tribute to the convivial atmosphere, friendly service and fine food at Ask that a mix-up over my main meal was just part and parcel of a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Old Amersham's newest Italian restaurant has transformed the interior of what used to be The Griffin pub in The Broadway. The old oak beams remain, but the inside has been given a contemporary sprucing-up which somehow makes the place seem funky, fresh, rustic and romantic all at the same time.

One of a flock of attentive and good-natured waitresses informed me that Ask is a restaurant chain with 40 other outlets in the UK. I'd never heard of them before, but I'm glad I have now.

The concept of the place is simple. It's Pizza Express with knobs on. In other words, inexpensive but tasty pizza and pasta dishes, served up with the ambience of a more upmarket eatery.

They say the Italians have the healthiest diet in the world, and live longer as a result. I had visions of the TV advertising campaign in which a bunch of elderly Sardinians take on their local rugby club at tug-of-war, and thrash the living daylights out of them. Admittedly, they turn out to have been aided by a cunningly concealed tractor, but you get the general idea.

If eating Italian food makes you healthy, then surely eating a bucket-load of Italian food should make you healthier still, I reasoned. Worth a try, at any rate.

As soon as fellow bon viveur Julie Voyce and I entered the building, we knew we were going to like the place. The foyer is bright and colourful, with an assortment of funky armchairs for reclining in if you have to wait for a table. There's also a stylish and well-stocked bar right in front of you to help pass the time.

Julie and I went on a Sunday night, about 8pm, which proved to be perfect timing. We hadn't booked, but were told "no problem." The place was busy enough to have a great atmosphere, yet quiet enough for us to be seated at a table within seconds.

The service was a bit overwhelming at first. Waitresses seemed to be coming at us from all directions at once. This was the gastronomic equivalent of a motorcycle display team. We ordered wine from one, first courses from a second, and main dishes from a third. I half expected one to abseil down from the ceiling to take our dessert order.

They lost track of what we ordered, we lost track of who we'd ordered it from, and I think we both ended up with the wrong meals. But we didn't care. We loved everything we ate and, by the end of it, would have been happy to select items from the menu with a blindfold and a pin.

The starters were a particular delight. I ordered Ciabatta bread and olive oil. The bread was beautifully fresh and the oil (at the risk of getting all Jilly Goolden) grassy-tasting and deliciously warm. Julie's bruschetta bread was resplendent with marinated, beefy-tasting tomatoes. Both starters were mouth-wateringly inexpensive.

The problem with the main course is that pasta dishes tend to look very much alike. I ordered Penne al Tonno and had eaten half of it before I found out there was no tonno in it. Having realised something had gone amiss, I alerted the staff.

I was actually loathe to give the dish up, as it had been going down very nicely indeed, but I thought, for the purposes of a review, I ought to know what I was eating. Call me old fashioned if you like.

After the swap, Julie became convinced that I had been eating her meal. We never did get to the bottom of whose dish she'd been tucking into. But I have to say, that, once we spotted the error, our waitress (not sure which one) sorted the problem out with the minimum of fuss and maximum charm.

In fact, I'm going to do it on purpose next time.

Ask Pizza and Pasta, 12 The Broadway, Old Amersham (01494) 729559.

Ciabatta bread: £1.95

Bruschetta: £2.95

Penne al Tonno (Tuna with mushrooms, olives, and garlic in tomato sauce): £5.85

Mystery dish: No charge.

Penne con Pomodori Secchi (Sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, basil, green chillies and olive oil, in a light tomato sauce): £5.90

Tiramisu: £3.25

Banoffee Pie: £3.50

Two half bottles of house white: £9.70.

Total: £33.10

Quality of food: Tasty bread-based starters were a real treat. The banoffee pie and tiramisu for afters also scored highly. We're not sure what we had for main meal, but it was nice.

Quantity of food: Well, I had one-and-a-half portions of the penne dish, and you can't really complain about that, now, can you?

Staff: They were great -- all 75 of them.

Would you recommend it: Yes -- it's in tune with the times. Quality and a sexy atmosphere at affordable prices. In Old Amersham, no less.

Prongs on a fork: Five. Throw in a spoon as well, just in case you have the spaghetti.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.