At the heart of the competitive Chiswick restaurant scene, the award-winning Sam's Brasserie is the ideal place to go when you want a satisfyingly good night out.

Cool, buzzy and friendly, with an industrial (the building is a former paper factory) yet informal feel, start your meal or simply meet friends at the long bar opposite the entrance, the restaurant's mixologists really know their stuff and the cocktails, which include peach bellini, vodka martini and the exquisite raspberry mojito, are first class.

But while the cocktails are distinctly grown up, the menu is appealing to everyone, from couples to families.

Casual dining can take place at the bar, so if you're meeting a friend for a drink and feel peckish, you can choose from a varied range of snacks and dishes. To make more of an occasion of it, grab a table in the 100 seater brasserie with its open kitchen, and drink in the atmosphere.

Owner Sam Harrison is charismatic and incredibly hands-on, so you're bound to bump into him, either upon arrival or when you're in need of another hunk of bread at your table.

The food at Sam's is fresh and seasonal, and ingredients are of the highest quality; pop in for an early breakfast, a light salad at lunchtime or a full-on three course meal on an autumnal evening.

Although there is an emphasis on affordability, standards remain high, and typical dishes on the a la carte menu range from salt and pepper squid salad with fresh chilli, braised pork cheek with sweet potato mash, and roast Icelandic cod with champ mash.

And if all this isn't enough, there's even live jazz with London's leading jazz artists, which is free to customers and takes place in the bar every first and third Sunday of the month from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

Sam's is celebrating five years this August, so for the month there will be a set menu with a choice of three starters, three mains and three desserts, plus a paired bottle of wine. There are lots of other offers and deals on the website, from 'bring your own wine' on Mondays, to 'burger and a beer' on Sunday evenings.

Sam's is the perfect neighbourhood restaurant, and if I lived a little closer I'd be more than happy to make it a regular hangout.

Sam's Brasserie, Barley Mow Centre, 11 Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick W4 4PH. Tel: 020 8987 0555. samsbrasserie.co.uk