The concept of Aqua is simple, derived from the three main principles of the owner which are purity, light and honesty, writes James Robins.

These principles are clear as you enter the restaurant through the double doors that create a buffer to the outside world, and are warmly greeted by Betim or one of his team.

My wife and I took our son to this modern European restaurant and, although he had eaten earlier in the evening, he soon found room to try the warm bread and olives.

From his vantage point of the highchair provided by Betim, he could observe the huge fish tank in the wall, well-arranged eating area and staff working hard in the open kitchen.

His mother and I were impressed with the menu and extensive wine list. My wife opted for the Valle Dorado Merlot and I went for the usual Peroni in a tall glass.

My wife then ordered the fritto misto, which comprises whitebait, mussels, prawns, calamari and tartar sauce and, following Betim’s recommendation, I chose the pan-fried scallops with asparagus, leeks and five spice.

Although not having eaten scallops before (I’m not a seafood fan), I was impressed with the texture, taste and presentation and would thoroughly recommend it.

However, my wife is a huge fan of sea dwellers and her starter was soon reduced to shells and spare parts. The dish made a real impression on her.

We then chose our mains. My wife went for pan-fried magret duck breast with chargrilled butternut squash, spinach, and roast new potatoes with red wine jus and I went for the sautéed veal rump with fricassée of forest mushrooms and roasted new potatoes. Both dishes were extravagantly presented and extremely pleasing. I could not fault mine.

For all the time we were at Aqua, we noticed the constant stream of customers entering the restaurant and tables were soon filled yet the service never waned. It is clear Betim and his team take a lot of pride in their work.

We decided to share our dessert and chose the sticky-toffee pudding with vanilla-pod ice cream and a couple of espressos. Luckily, the youngest person at the table was asleep at this point so his penchant for all things sweet didn’t get in the way of our final culinary experience.

Aqua is a restaurant for all occasions. Take your mother there on Sunday, March 14 for an attractive three-course set menu at £18.95pp or get a few friends down on a Monday for a 50 per cent discount on all a la carte steaks. Aqua is also recommended for Sunday dinner with its superb family atmosphere.

Two courses are £12.95pp and three courses are £14.95pp. And Aqua is happy to deviate from the set starters or desserts, if required.

This fact alone underlines the great service and ambience of Aqua, a restaurant achieving a perfect balance of family dining with superb cuisine.

Aqua 33 South End Croydon CRO 1BE Tel: 020 8667 0070