LET'S be clear this Italian-style diner is what it is – a fairly welcoming American-inspired place to grab a quick bit to eat with friends and family, probably before catching a movie at the adjacent cinema on Kirkstall Road.

It never purports to be fine dining, but we still expected something better than what we got when we popped in there one fairly quiet Saturday night.

It started badly. I asked for a milkshake (not a massive ask in an Italian/American style diner, you might think) to which the waiter responded: "Oh, well, that's on the kids menu not the adults, I'll have to ask the manager if that's ok."

What?

Anyway it turns out they were prepared to make special dispensation and gave me some flavoured milk – but that was all it was, flavoured milk, hardly a taste sensation and hardly cheap either.

It was a sign of things to come because our food was of a similar standard. I ordered cheesy potato skins which were quite the most tasteless scab-like slithers I've ever had the misfortune of consuming, while my dining partner grabbed the meatballs, which were rather chewy spheres of seemingly processed matter.

It was a thoroughly unpleasant meal and not cheap either. Altogether it was about £20, which we really begrudged paying.

It was a shame too since Frankie and Benny's is not an unpleasant environment and a great place to bring the family. It is, however, very 'chainy' – an obvious statement to make, but here it's particularly apparent.

We were immediately confronted by two of the worst 'chain restaurant' characteristics – inflexibility and sub-standard food, and these days no one has to put up with either of those things just to get something quick to nibble.

Rating: 1/5