IT'S said that the sort of restaurant you are in can be told by looking at its clientele.

If their shirts are pulled over rotund bellies then the portions must be generous, if they all sport asymmetric haircuts and angular glasses, then the food is surely style over substance, and if they eat with their elbows on the table and their ties trailing in the gravy then you should expect the service to be sloppy.

In Heart and Soul, on the evening we were there, this theory panned out.

There was a group of musicians and their friends drinking in the courtyard outside (lively), a table of actors in one corner (creative) and a few assorted couples dotted around the room (intimate).

The restaurant was opened in a decaying Grade II-listed Georgian merchant's house that was on the council's Buildings At Risk register until current owner Chumki Banerjee transformed it around a year ago.

Now the bare brick walls with their empty fireplaces are complemented by plaster painted in pale lilac and large windows.

Plain wooden tables and chairs stand on the bare floorboards and there is artwork borrowed from Mathew Street's View Two Gallery on the walls.

The effect is light and airy; minimalist without being cold.

The spring menu is a similar combination of simple yet intriguing, with dishes such as organic chicken marinated in chilli, garlic, ginger and coriander, with chargrilled marinated vegetables and Lyonnaise potatoes.

There is a delicious-sounding list of pizzas and a range of grills.

On a Monday and Tuesday, however, the set menu has to be the way to go.

At just £14.95 for two courses, or £17.95 for three (and that includes a bottle of wine between two) when you can choose a main course that would normally cost £15.50, you start looking for the catch.

There isn't one. Unlike most set menus, you can virtually have the same wide selection as the a la carte diners. Only the grills, antipasti and steak with wild mushroom sauce are exempt.

Even the house red tastes like it would normally cost around £14.

To start, I chose the Thai fish cakes (usually £5.50), a generous portion of three juicy rounds made from peas, coriander and what tasted like egg mixed in with the fish. It was served with a hot, sweet and sour dipping sauce - a sharp and spicy combination of cucumber, chilli pepper and tomato that gave the fish cakes a good kick.

The side salad of leaves and olives was a nice addition, but the slivers of red onion should be avoided if the occasion is a first date.

My boyfriend, Paul, had the soup of the day (a la carte price: £4.50) - parsnip - which came piping hot in a large bowl and he described as "really creamy."

Unfortunately, there was no bread on the table, which would have been useful for soaking up the last dregs of the soup, but we were full enough so didn't ask why it was missing.

The main courses were served after a decent gap - long enough to give our starters a chance to be digested but not so long we had to begin chewing on our belts like the starving participants of Mao's Long March.

My pan-fried sea bass fillets (usually £13.75) were beautifully crispy on the skin side and fluffy underneath.

They were served with braised peas and broad beans that had been scented with fresh mint and buttery new potatoes. The combination of flavours was delicate and carefully chosen, not the overpowering slapdash seasoning that some chefs seem to think makes a dish more sophisticated.

Paul went for the breed rump of lamb with bubble and squeak, carrots, leeks and port sauce (usually £15.50). He was delighted with how juicy the meat was - pink as it should be, though the waitress did offer the well-done option.

He was also pleased with the generous portion - four large pieces of lamb covered in a rich gravy that cut through the flavour of the meat and said the bubble and squeak was delicious despite his childish aversion to cabbage.

Service throughout the meal was attentive without being overbearing and the whole experience was very relaxed - we didn't feel at all rushed.

Live music wafted through the doors opening on to the courtyard, creating the atmosphere of a balmy Mediterranean evening.

The dessert menu was a satisfying mix. My rich chocolate marquise (a la carte price: £5.50) - a large slab made up of layers of sponge and mousse sitting in a lake of caramel sauce - was a chocoholics delight.

My boyfriend was planning to choose plain vanilla ice cream but was thwarted when he spotted the Affogato (usually £4) on the menu.

This was the same dish but covered in amaretto with espresso poured over it.

The ice cream was made from real vanilla pods, and as for the combination of flavours Paul said it "had quite a kick".

It had been a lovely meal in pleasant surroundings but as if the food isn't enough, Heart and Soul also hold salsa nights, a comedy club and even life drawing classes.

Heart and Soul, 62 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool 0151 707 9276

Interior: Fresh and airy

Service: Friendly and attentive, but not over-bearing

Disabled access: Ramp at front entrance, disabled toilets on ground floor and raised platform allowing wheelchair access to the courtyard

Food: Good home cooking with a Mediterranean feel

The Bill: £35.90, for two three-course set menus, including a bottle of red wine