"Luby and I wined and dined in an intimate corner of Bar Estilo on Tuesday to greet the romantic month. Hidden away from mainstream Barnes, Bar Estilo caters mostly to a host of Rocks Lane locals who return loyally to an institution, which offers a variety of experiences to choose from. Our dinner in the romantically quixotic side room was well hidden from the other two areas, which offer more open space, larger tables and quicker access to the bar. So too the menu here offers you the chance to mix styles or choose from either Mediterranean or more classically Western European selection.

Luby chose the green lip mussels with garlic and Parmesan to start from the tapas menu. These were bold and buttery with a lovely fine crust of Parmesan. I had a grilled halloumi with potato, red onion and basil pancake and a rocket and alfalfa salad from the specials menu; this was a mixture of crunchy and soft, sweet and savoury, presented beautifully and tasting great.

There are around thirty tapas-style starters on offer here, evenly divided between meat, seafood and vegetarian. Many are slightly quirky; the whitebait comes with a horseradish mayonnaise and the tortilla comes with chorizio and feta cheese. I like quirky, but there are classics to choose from too including sizzling prawns with garlic and chilli.

Of the sixteen mains and three special mains to choose from, Luby had the Estilo paella with chorizo, spicy chicken, seafood and chilli. I had fillet of seabass in a warm lime and caper dressing served with roasted vegetables. Both went supremely well with the bottle of Gavi we chose from an eclectic wine list.

Jane, who manages here, is a local and loves her restaurant. Her staff are helpful and informative and her chef is a French-trained master of detail. The decor is reminiscent of Hector Guimard's Parisian metro entrances. The whole combination provides a safe heven from the mundane and predictable."

"Old, young, married, single - everyone loves this always-hopping place at the Mailbox. It's Med cusine including tapas and tostadas, set tapas lunch from £6.95 and house wine from £10.50 plus the lengthy menu is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser"

"The Mediterranean comes to the Mailbox - almost. Chain bar/restaurant with the friendliest waitresses in existence (in fact they are shipped in from a small warehouse in the suburbs and are the result of a secret genetic modification project produced by adding a newly patented cheerful gene). Yes it's out the back of a shopping centre, yes it's a chain, but the food is amazing. Many tapas dishes, burgers boasting real meat, paprika fries, more guacamole than you can shake a chicken wing at and a selection of speciality beers and sangrias which are so essential to aid the digestion of Mediterranean food. Hugely popular, especially throughout the weekend with families, but even when it's packed you are looked after while you are waiting. You could almost forget where you were..... at least until the Brummie accented waiter takes your order."

"I like the restaurant's mix of Mediterranean and Mexican dishes that are well cooked and taste wonderful. Among my favourites are their chicken skewers with tzatziki and salmon with mango salsa. But the menu has something to suit everyone, whatever their age. It's a great place to relax with friends or bring family."

    Review by Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine.

"This is one of those places that you pop into because you fancy a quick drink, somewhere a little more salubrious that your local boozer, and end up staggering out hours later, having enjoyed perhaps one too many tapas bar snacks, a hunk of lemon cheesecake or indeed a full meal, and possibly one too many delicious cocktails. Try a Hazelnut Colada - made with Bacardi, Frangelico, pineapple juice and coconut (£4.75). There's a good range of beers and wines, too."