Matt and Cat want to write nice things about food chains but the bland fare, indifferent service and wipe clean menus usually make for a negative experience.

Not so Pizza Express, Newport. This newly opened pizza house in the town centre is already a firm favourite of M and C's. The décor is beautifully understated with its wooden floors, mirrored walls and open plan kitchen. No gargantuan pictures of luminous pizzas with their stringy mozzarella here.

The granite tables come with wine glasses as standard, the waiting staff are discreetly attentive and more mature than the pierced goths of Pizza Hut. And the food? It's very good. The pizzas are authentically Italian, the roast aubergine is highly recommended and, if you ask, you can get a bottle of garlic oil to drizzle over your dish for a garlic-tastic taste experience. The puddings are big enough for two to share, or, if you have a delicate post-pizza appetite, you can try Cat's favourite, a tiny but exquisite dish of sugared figs and marscapone with a cup of coffee.

The sophisticated surroundings, the drinks licence and the lack of cartoon character endorsement mean that this is a pizza parlour geared towards adults wishing to wine and dine in style.

Visit the website: http://www.pizzaexpress.co.uk/indexm.htm