Tuus, which by the way means "Yours" in Latin, has only been open for three months having been incarnated from Foxes Brassiere.

But it has certainly brightened up what is otherwise a pretty bland end of George Lane in South Woodford.

The front left area by the door is taken up by some comfortable leather sofas. This was the comfy pre-dinner drink and smokers' break area, as smoking is not allowed in the dining area.

My partner and I were warmly greeted at the door and directed to the bar as we wanted a drink before the meal.

The friendliness of the staff was immediately apparent and we got carried away chatting to the bar staff.

Looking at the wine list it was good to see a varied selection from across the globe at fairly mixed prices.

Once at our well laid out table we were presented with the menu plus a plate of olives, celery and carrot sticks, a bowl of some moreish garlic pesto and some tasty olive bread.

For starters there was a mixed bag including spinach and feta cheese parcels (£4.95), seared scallops with garlic, ginger and spring onion (£6.50) and pan-fried sardines with cumin and tomato (£5.50).

For mains there were many tempting dishes as well like lamb shank on a bed of mash with roasted vegetables (12.50) and grilled tuna steak with a lemon dressing and tomato and coriander salsa (£15.75).

It was not to be an easy decision. However, we settled on grilled goats cheese with Provencal vegetables (£4.75) and calamari with rocket salad (£5.75) for a starter.

This was followed by grilled Halibut with mash and vegetables (£15.75) and lamb steak with a honey and rosemary sauce on root vegetables (£14.50). For wine we ordered a Jumilla Rioja 2004 at around £14.00, which went very well with the food.

The dining area at Tuus is fairly large, and made to seem even larger by a huge mirror at one end. It has a fresh, contemporary décor, white tablecloths, comfortable seating and pleasant unintrusive lighting.

Eastern Mediterranean music filled the air above the constant hum of conversation whilst the ever attentive staff fussed over diners.

Our starters were both generous sized portions and thoroughly delicious.

My calamari was cooked beautifully and very tender in a crispy coating on a bed of rocket salad tossed with fresh lemon.

My partner was equally enthusiastic about her grilled goats cheese. The cooked peppers, onion and aubergine were soft and sweet and blended well with the delicious warm cheese.

It was nice to be offered a break before the main course was served as it was good to sit back and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere - not to mention the fine wine.

The main dishes looked good in their presentation. My lamb steak was cooked just the way I'd asked and it a good size too. It was coated in a delicate honey and rosemary sauce and tasted excellent.

The halibut was very enjoyable too, though a tad on the slightly overcooked side, however not far off perfection.

The only real complaint we had was the fact that even though the meals were advertised as coming with vegetables, they were pretty minimalist. The side dish of new potatoes was generous and flavoursome.

Our waiter read off the list of desserts which included apple cheesecake and bread and butter pudding. We settled on sharing a rather agreeable portion of homemade tiramisu with an added glass of Tia Maria to pour on top.

Superb. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time out at Tuus and would certainly visit again.

l We review anonymously and pay for all our meals.