The full package at La Campana

Sometimes when the price is perfect, the food standard falls short, and when the food is perfect, the service is not very good, and even when you get silver service in a Michelin-starred restaurant, it’s normally all there apart from portion size.

Well, at La Campana, you truly get the full package. The food is incredible, the service fantastic and atmosphere is exactly what you expect at Spanish Tapas restaurant.

The restaurant has been in the Broadway for seven months now and is still establishing itself as a quality place to dine in Haywards Heath. Owner Albino set up the restaurant after running a similar restaurant in Croydon for 18 years. He left that one in the capable hands of his brother to set up La Campana.

Business has been good and they have already taken a lot of bookings for Christmas, and it’s easy to see why.

You get a warm welcome from the Spanish and Portuguese staff - Rafael and Flavio in our case - and there are just enough tables (12) taking up the relatively small restaurant area upstairs.

Sitting at our table listening to the Spanish music, we had to the difficult job of choosing what to have from the vast choice on the menu.

Flavio added further to our dilemma by tellling us the specials. The four of us in attendance went for Scallops wrapped in Serrano Ham with Mango sauce, Mushrooms with cheese and spinach, Serrano Ham and Melon, and Sardines with a herb crust for our starters.

We had these as a starter but could have had them plus many more as Tapas. The portion size was incredible and the flavours impeccable.

I have watched enough Masterchef to now how a scallop should be cooked, and the mine were perfect - succulent, juicy and full of flavour.

For mains, I went for one of the specials - a T-Bone steak, others went for the grilled salmon and the pork with apple sauce.

When Flavio delivered my steak, he said with a smile: “Your half-a-cow sir”. He wasn’t lying.

It was a huge piece of steak with was cooked to perfection. The salmon was melt in your mouth and pork and apple sauce was complimented by a lovely gravy.

These dishes were accompanied by beautiful sautee potatoes and broccoli and carrots.

At first sight, the menu may look at expensive (mains vary from £12-£20 and Tapas £4-£8), but the portions and quality of the food justify the prices.

But what added to the experience was the way Rafael helped keep our five-year-old entertained - including a trip to the kitchen to meet the chef. It’s little things like that that go a long way.

It must have been good for my mother-in-law to say: “I would definitely come back here.”

As I said before, people are already booked up for Christmas at La Campana, I would get in there quick if you want a good night with top quality food.