AFIRM favourite of mine for a long time, I’ve never been disappointed on a visit to La Cantina.

With its buzzing atmosphere, it is often worth booking ahead at this popular Mexican as it can get really busy at peak times.

Cosily decorated in a tasteful South American style with lots of retro photos on the walls and warm lighting, it has a really rustic feel to it.

In fact the vibrant venue is one of the most distinctive in the busy Bedford Place area and has built up a solid reputation after opening ten years ago.

It was fairly quiet while we were there, the friendly staff were attentive and efficient yet not overbearing as we perused the extensive menu which offers a fine selection of traditional Mexican food, burgers and specials.

Feeling very hungry but not wanting to spoil our appetites, we decided to share a plate of nachos for one to start.

Smothered in home-made salsa, guacamole, sour cream, jalepenos and melted cheese, there was enough for both of us.

For the main course, I opted for the enchilada with seasonal aromatic vegetables. The rolled flour tortilla is filled with cheese, onions and peppers, topped with a tangy sauce and served with Mexican rice and salsa.

It was absolutely delicious. Real comfort food – very tasty and with the perfect blend of flavours.

My boyfriend went for the homemade all-American burger, an 8oz-er with cheese.

It’s hard to go wrong with burger and chips, but served with spicy fries and chunky salsa, this one was extra special.

The portion sizes were so generous that we skipped on the yummy sounding desserts, which included Mexican doughnuts with a rich chocolate sauce and baked Aztec apple.

Popular for birthday parties and celebrations, La Cantina is well-known for its cocktails but being a weekday evening we settled for two beers and a coke between us.

Our bill came to a respectable £33.25.

■ La Cantina, 2a-3a Bedford Place, Southampton. Call 023 8022 0500.