A VISIT to Pizza Express pretty much lives up to its name: a wide range of pizzas served swiftly and efficiently.

But that's doing the Bolton branch of this national chain a disservice, as there is a lot more on the menu than pizzas and service throughout was efficient, pleasant and never rushed.

Set back on a cobbled street off Bradshawgate, Pizza Express is like an oasis of calm away from the pub going crowds down the road.

The converted listed building offers two dining areas, the smaller ground floor dining room and upstairs a light and airy main room.

My boyfriend and I visited early evening and were shown straight to a table on the ground floor.

A kitchen galley looks down on diners, perhaps the chefs use their lofty position to gather some firsthand feedback on the food. They needn't worry.

The key to Pizza Express is that you know exactly what you will be getting. That's the bedrock of its success and having eaten at Pizza Expresses from London to Liverpool I pretty much knew what I wanted before walking in the door.

Sometimes you want the excitement of unknown, exotic dishes and sometimes you want something familiar and reliable. This was one of those times.

The flipside of Pizza Express' solid reputation is that if eating there lets you down, it lets you down badly. A couple of years ago there was the great 'Pizza Express Debate' when it was claimed the pizzas had reduced in size but the prices hadn't. Whether that was true or not only the Pizza Express management know, but I can tell you that on our visit the pizzas were bigger than the plates and we couldn't finish them.

Before we got to our pizzas we sampled from the starter menu which includes the famous baked dough balls (famous to me anyway), served with garlic butter for £1.95 (or 195p as the menu cleverly prices each item, making it seem even less offensive on the wallet).

I 'let' my boyfriend have the dough balls, while I stuck with another favourite: mozzarella and tomato salad. Served with a solitary sundried tomato and a sprig of basil drizzled in olive oil, this is probably a difficult dish to do badly, but Pizza Express do it really well with fresh ingredients and subtle flavours.

Other starters include bruschetta served with tomato, onion and pesto, £3.25, and baked dough sticks brushed with garlic butter, £1.95.

I would love to say I was adventurous in my choice of mains, maybe not even having a pizza but choosing instead one of the pasta dishes such as ravioli, £6.95, or tortellini, £7.10. Perhaps even a chicken ceaser salad, £6.95?

But no, I had the same pizza I have every time I go to Pizza Express: the fiorentina, £6.80.

For the uninitiated this features spinach, a perfectly cooked free range egg plopped in the middle, parmesan, olives, mozzarella and tomato.

Spinach... and egg... on a pizza. That makes it, in my mind, practically health food.

These, again impeccably fresh, ingredients are served on a light and crispy dough base, with a touch of garlic and black pepper.

My boyfriend wolfed down an American, your basic cheese and tomato combo speckled with slices of peperoni. It was, he said, a tasty pizza.

Pizzas range in price from £4.95 for a margherita to £7.95 for pollo ad astra featuring chicken, sweet peppers, red onions and cajun spice. I'm convinced there is a pizza here to suit every taste here, although Hawaiian fans be warned: this is a pineapple free zone.

We washed our pizzas down with crisp Peroni Italian beer, £2.90, and Sprite, £1.65.

The drinks menu is extensive and highlights Italian specialities. Wine starts at £10.95 a bottle and there's a choice of spirits, soft drinks and coffees.

We couldn't manage dessert but the choice is short and to the point, including: chocolate fudge cake, tiramisu, cheescake, duomo di bosco (italian summer pudding) all priced £3.25 - £3.85.

You can also get Pizza Express to take home, and some of you may have spotted a limited range in the supermarket, but I think part of the reason it tastes so good is knowing someone else is doing the washing up.

Pizza Express, 8 Wood Street, Bolton

Telephone: 01204 528 776

Open daily 11.30am to Midnight

Star rating:***