Bicicletta

'We've run out of pizza.'' It's not what you want to hear when you turn up at an Italian restaurant for dinner, but there it is, politely laid out by the waitress.

It's Friday night and Bicicletta is packed. Perhaps we should be lucky that we got a late booking - we called in the afternoon to ask whether there were any tables available and were asked to come at 8.45pm.

But OK, we can live without the pizza. It's a little disappointing but there are other good-looking things on the menu. Crisp arancini come in a small bowl, resting on a succulent dollop of tomato reduction ($10). There is a delicious deep-fried shell and a soft mozzarella and risotto inside, but they actually taste rather bland.

Conversely, a leek and goat's cheese tart with rocket salad ($14) looks a little limp on the outside, but tastes good, with the goat's cheese and quiche melding well.

Bicicletta has been all alone at the Diamant Hotel in New Acton for some time after the fire next door, but now, hipster haven A. Baker is open there, serving interesting small plates and baked goods, with a cocktail bar for Friday night drinks in the basement.

Parlour has just reopened after a two-year recovery and is serving tapas and drinks again, with the same gentlemen's club meets vintage chic. So Bicicletta has lots of company, but nevertheless is still busy: a good sign. It still sports the industrial chic look with unfinished walls and faux gas lamps.

The pasta dishes are hit and miss and, with a number of interesting new eateries just around the courtyard, it may take a little more excitement in the kitchen to bring me back.

We all order pasta main courses. These arrive pleasingly quickly, but so quickly that we haven't finished eating our entrees.

The waiter has to clear the first course around us before we can start on the second.

One of Bicicletta's strengths has always been the crespelle ($23) - a gorgeous cross between a crepe and a giant ravioli, stuffed with cheese, mushrooms and chicken. It's good, still filled with tender chicken and softened with cheese with a light, slightly crisp crepe. It's also very hearty - don't order this one if you're just after a small bite - and very rich.

There's a generous serving of spaghetti marinara ($28), with scallops, calamari, mussels in bright-red sugo and half a small crab perched on the side of the plate. The scallops are just cooked and rich, and the mussels quite earthy, but there's not a huge amount of calamari or flakes of crab to be extracted from that shell. It's a competent dish, but it doesn't set the world on fire.

More interesting is a plate of gnocchi (poetically described on the menu as ''petite potato pillows''), with cherry tomatoes and eggplant ($28). The potato pillows are suitably tender and the vegetables mix well with a simple tomato sauce.

Penne arabbiata ($20) does what it says - it's a plate of penne in a gently spicy red sauce.

Up pops the waitress again as we finish our mains. Would we like to see the dessert menu? Yes, definitely. Good, she says, but we have to order them right away because the kitchen would like to close, thanks. Again, she is very polite but her suggestion is a little abrupt.

There are several schools of thought with tiramisu ($14). Some say it should be more like a trifle, filled with clouds of soft mascarpone and cream, scooped out in dollops on to the plate. Others believe a good tiramisu can be sliced and served upright, firm with savoiardi or sponge fingers. There's a third school of thought that it should be essentially a holy vessel for coffee and liqueur, with the sponge fingers wallowing in espresso.

Bicicletta's tiramisu is sliceable, if you like that sort of thing.

To me there seems to be a certain sameness in the way that some of the other desserts are presented - they've all got a drizzle of chocolate and berry sauce and a snowy dusting of icing sugar. A mascarpone semifreddo is smooth and creamy with a hint of tang from the cheese. There's a rich chocolate pot ($14) with berry coulis and an affogato ($12) is filled with good vanilla gelato and a liberal dash of frangelico.

On this occasion, late on a busy Friday night, Bicicletta doesn't seem to have that laidback cool it once possessed. Service is a little rushed, though competent. The pasta dishes are hit and miss and, with a number of interesting new eateries just around the courtyard, it may take a little more excitement in the kitchen to bring me back.