Rating **** James Shaw finds that familiarity suits a family outing.

One of the most joyful aspects of eating out at Frankie and Benny’s is its rock-solid familiarity.

No matter what the state of the economy, or the weather, or any number of other factors, you know you’re getting. Indeed, that isn’t a bad thing.

I know that dining out is often enriched by the exploration of something new, but businesses like Frankie and Benny’s know their place.

And that place is Italian America. On a traffic island in Telford.

Admittedly, the location dissuaded us from using the al-fresco dining area, but once inside, we were treated to a show-stopping dining experience. Thankfully, our children were invited, too.

Our son Louis is just what a three-year-old should be – full of energy and into everything and anything.

Luca is yet to fully discover his voice, but the pair of them still generated the kind of noise that would usually lead to a commotion. The staff took it all in their stride and judging the stream of other families sitting down to eat, word has certainly got around.

The whole place was noisy, but not in a way that would distract us from our food – instead, it generated a rather jolly atmosphere.

So what of that food?

We were all hungry enough to skip starters and head straight for the main courses.

Now this, perhaps, is where I will knock a star off. For a normal family dining pub/restaurant, the prices are around 15 per cent higher than what I would expect.

But this isn’t a normal place to eat – take the 1950s decor, music and theme, for example. So we have a bit of a dilemma. Slightly higher prices versus some really superb food?

Well, we’ll see how it turned out.

Inside Frankie and Benny’s, Telford

Claire chose the sweet-cured bacon steaks, while I had the Philly Steak Pizza. Louis had the childrens’ portion of sausage, mash and beans, while Luca was given scrumpy chicken.

Claire’s three bacon steaks had very, very little fat on them, and by that I mean virtually none whatsoever.

I managed to snaffle a bite and was immediately taken aback by the lovely sweet-cure flavour.

My pizza, meanwhile, was a curious combination, but I had little to moan about.

It was listed as having strips of sirloin steak, red onions, cheese sauce and fresh chilli.

It is easy to see why this pizza is described as a speciality – you get the impression nobody would offer this as standard.

But my temptation to wander from the usual menu proved to be a success.

I am out of practice when it comes to eating more-or-less genuine Italian pizza and struggled to keep it all on the plate, but there were few other woes.

The sirloin strips were thick and plentiful, while the cheese sauce was supremely tangy. The only disappointment, perhaps, was the lack of any evidence of chilli.

Louis, meanwhile, delved straight into his sausage and mash and left very little on his plate. Luca’s meal appeared to merit similar praise.

The next stage was to wipe away the left-over mash surrounding Louis and head for the dessert menu.

My choice was the brownies and ice cream, while Claire went for Eli’s banana cheesecake.

Although my dessert was deeply tasty, it wasn’t very big, and with a price of £4.25, I was a tiny bit disappointed.

Claire’s cheesecake was silky, mild, and drew gasps of enjoyment. She certainly enjoyed herself.

Louis’s ice cream – strawberry, since you ask –disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. What did you expect?

So after a meal that included some wonderful highs, I am definitely left with something of a dilemma.

While the food and overall experience were virtually faultless, the cost of our meal out, at £42, was a little bit on the high side.

I should, however, point out that the restaurant does have some great special menus, such as offers during lunchtimes and certain evenings.

But what the hey – it still deserves four well-earned stars, with full marks for giving our children a really great welcome.

ADDRESS
Frankie and Benny’s, Forge Retail Park, Colliers Way, Telford Town Centre, TF3 4AG
Tel: 01952 293902

MENU SAMPLE
STARTERS
Bruschetta (£4.95); Frankie’s calamari (£5.45)

MAINS
Chicken carbonara (£9.75); New York chicken (£13.45)

DESSERTS
Sticky toffee pudding (£4.95); Cookies and cream explosion (£4.55)

SERVICE
Cannot be faulted, although it became noticeably slower as the restaurant filled up with diners

ATMOSPHERE
Again, no problems whatsoever and a jolly night was had by all, including our two noisy boys

DISABLED FACILITIES
All of the building is accessible by wheelchair, with ramps where necessary