WHEN you can’t book a table on a Wednesday evening in February you know a restaurant has found a winning formula.

Pizza Express is an old favourite but it doesn’t rest on its laurels. To its consistent standard of popular dishes, it adds a regular infusion of new menu items, input from guest chefs and some great special deals. It all adds up to a full house on a night which is traditionally slow.

We were disappointed not to be able to get in at the Bath Road, Swindon, branch on our first night of choice but we did manage to get a table the following day to try the new dishes created by guest chef Francesco Mazzei, who has brought a Calabrian flavour to the food chain’s menu.

New starters were Insalata Semplice (£4.95) a mix of buffalo mozzarella, Santos and vine tomatoes, rocket and toasted ciabatta tossed with red onions, chives, oregano and basil dressed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey, and - the star for me - Tricolore (£5.45), which was so good I hope they keep it on the menu. Crispy baked dough, infused with rosemary, was topped with mozzarella, marinated roasted tomatoes and a chunky, spicy guacamole.

On to the mains, we sampled Rustichella (£8.95) where the classic Pizza Express tomato, oregano and mozzarella base is heaped with crisp pancetta on marinated roasted tomatoes, fresh rocket, grana padano and a trickle of Caesar dressing and Francesco’s Calabrese pizza (£10.95) which packs a typical Southern Italian punch. It’s square, designed that way to honour the chef’s grandmother’s belief that it is how pizzas should be, and features the hottest Italian Calabrese sausage, fresh green chillies, roquito peppers, a spicy soft sausage called n’duja, watercress dressed with pesto, fior di latte mozzarella and local oregano. Another one which would make a fine permanent addition to the menu.

There is also a mixed mushroom pizza (£9.95) and a mushroom and truffle past dish (£9.45).

When we visited we took advantage of a two main meals for the price of one deal which we found online. That ended at the weekend but there are usually deals to be found.

Great food, good deals . . . no wonder it stays busy.

- JAINE BLACKMAN