THE real key to great-tasting Italian is a chef's excellent knowledge and use of ingredients, and I'm pleased to say that is exactly what you will find at the Adriatico Restaurant in Woodford Green High Road.

I and my partner headed to this fairly pleasantly located eaterie at around 9pm on Friday, and while we hadn't booked, we certainly didn't expect to find such a large establishment packed to the rafters.

After a friendly welcome and the offer of drinks while we waited for a table, however, we decided that the food might just be worth the wait.

After about ten minutes we were seated and were left to mull over a fairly extensive and wide-ranging menu that was also supplemented by a reasonable specials board.

Following some careful deliberation I decided to go for the mussels in white wine sauce, while my partner plumped for the cream of tomato soup.

And after being given some fresh-tasting bread to begin with our starters arrived fairly sharply. I was happy to see that, unlike some places, Adriatico provides a spare bowl to place unwanted shells in, as well as a finger bowl.

I have to say that my starter was stewed to perfection in the white wine, garlic and herbs.

My partner also found her soup rich in flavour, which set us up nicely for our main courses.

For this I decided to go for the veal in cream, mushrooms and wine sauce, while my partner opted for the chicken breast filled with butter and garlic, both of which we ordered with saut potatoes, petit pois and mushrooms.

Both of the dishes, aside from their freshness, offered the rich flavour that is always critical to the offerings of a sophisticated Italian kitchen.

Despite our full bellies I wanted to see if Adriatico could hold its own with tiramisu.

While not being the richest tasting one I've ever had, the dessert was still a nice way to end an enjoyable meal.

The bill, which also included my partner's homemade chocolate ice cream dessert and a £17 bar bill, came in at a fairly reasonable £60.40.

And while like most Italian restaurants it was a little pricy the quality of food still offered good value for money.

The Adriatico is situated at 423 High Road, Woodford Green. To book a table or for more information call on 8505 7324.