WHAT'S the best way to cope with this chilly weather? According to KATHY GRIFFITHS it's good food and a friendly welcome.

WHERE

The Bistro Bar and Restaurant, Tycoch Square, Swansea.

ATMOSPHERE

January filling the long gap between pay days with nothing but chilly weather and icy pavements is the perfect time for a spot of comfort food and good conversation.

My girlfriends and I were looking to get together for the first time in 2010, and with three very different Christmases to discuss it could take some time, so comfy chairs and decent nosh were essential.

We decided to opt for the Bistro after hearing some very good word-of-mouth reports about its atmosphere and unpretentious food, and liked the idea of being able to spend the whole evening in one place rather than face the winter chill.

CROWD

Situated in Tycoch Square, the cheery lights provided a welcoming invitation. And even though it was early in the evening, a few regulars had clearly been unable to resist the lure of a post-work drinkie. A narrow bar area stretches back towards more seating, but the room's small size only adds to the cosy atmosphere.

MENU

We were shown the menu and the specials board straight away, but the friendly staff were quick to tell us to take our time and allowed us to appreciate a gin and tonic while we chose and chatted. After changing our minds several times once we finally ordered, we enjoyed a short wait in the bar before being ushered downstairs to the deceptively spacious restaurant area which runs under the bar. Although not packed, there were several other parties like us determined to beat the January blues, and it made for a gentle hubbub of chattering noises, always my favourite accompaniment to a meal – and it's the perfect mask for our cackling!

WHAT DID WE HAVE

We went for two bottles of house white wine, L'Arista sauvignon blanc at £9.99, which was very drinkable (as my head testified the next day) to go with our starter of a shared platter, which was easily big enough for three and consisted of a large plate stacked with olives, salad, cheese, garlic bread, paté, oils and bread — great for dipping and picking.

The service was speedy and unobtrusive, and the remnants of our platter were quickly replaced by our main meals. I chose the Thai chicken curry (£8.99) accompanied by boiled rice and potato wedges (judging by the menu, a firm favourite featuring on several dishes) while one friend chose a special of the ham hock in a cider sauce served with fresh vegetables (£10.29 — good choice, Ros) and the other opted for a very hearty serving of hickory chicken (£9.99), a huge plateful of chicken smothered in a barbecue-style sauce with chips. Although very tasty, she did start looking covetously at Ros's veggies about halfway through.

All were voted a big success, and just what we needed. And while the menu may not be the most extensive, it does feature crowd-pleasing favourites that are perfect for relaxed dining in easy, informal surroundings.

SERVICE

We all enjoyed our meal out and found the service friendly and efficient, especially as we were by far the last people in the restaurant — we all appreciated the staff hiding their relief when we decided to carry on with our drinks and conversation in the bar. In the time we had eaten, the place had certainly filled up with regulars who all seemed to know each other, it was almost as if we had gatecrashed a party — albeit one where the hosts had welcomed us in with open arms.

All in all a great night out with hearty food, good drinks and a really friendly atmosphere — even to the point that our bill was not labelled with an impersonal table number but instead the rather polite "three ladies", nice touch. Be warned, we will be back.

THE BILL

The shared platter at £9.99 offers good value, provided you have two other like-minded chums to split it with. Our main meals clocked in at pretty usual pub fare prices of £8.99 for the curry, £9.99 for the hickory chicken, and the ham hock at £10.29. We skipped pudding or coffee — all were available and sounded tempting, but, to be quite honest, we were stuffed. However, with our dissection of Christmas presents, in-laws and work woes not quite finished we opted for another bottle of the very drinkable house, bringing our bill to £75.23 for the three of us, including our pre-dinner G&Ts.