Nestled in the centre of Old Town Hastings, Isabella is a restaurant that ticks all the boxes – lovely atmosphere, great food, friendly service and wonderful value for money. Much like the vibe of the town, the charm of the restaurant is in how despite the seemingly eclectic and disorganised nature of the place, the end-result hangs together perfectly. Begin with the décor, and Isabella immediately brought to mind the nearby antique shops. Assembled are a range of non-matching chairs and tables, a selection of ornaments and other decorations. The overall effect is welcoming and unpretentious: take us at face-value. As a formula, it certainly works a lot better than the over-contrived retro-chic that many places in London strive for. Isabella seems to employ a similar approach to food too. Admittedly we were a large group dining for a friend’s birthday, but the restaurant brought to us a (seemingly unscripted) selection of dishes, both hot and cold, suitable for omnivores and vegetarians alike. There was more food than we could manage, but it was all very good and the staff did not baulk in the least at packaging up the leftovers to take away. Highlights for me were the hummus – often an acid-test for how good Middle Eastern places can be, but here, rich and creamy – the surprisingly spicy chicken main, and the rice side with chickpeas. This was all washed down with a hearty Turkish red, a blend of Cab Sauv, Shiraz and some local verities. Throughout, the service from the team of staff (many of whom were Turkish) was friendly, with nothing seemingly being too much trouble for them. And, what a pleasure when the bill came at the end: despite copious alcohol (the wine was priced at £18/bottle), the overall cost was little more than £30/head. Definitely worth a repeat visit if in the area.