Jamshed Miah is the first to admit he opened Barts before he was ready.

The Wokingham Road grill and restaurant, in the former Colleys Supper Rooms, opened in January but owner Mr Miah accepts business was not what he had hoped.

To compound his problems the small car park in Palmer Park – virtually opposite Barts – was made disabled-only.

Mr Miah, owner of four Indian restaurants in Reading, realised Barts, an English/European grill and restaurant, gave out a mixed message about its place in the market.

Business ebbed away but now the website, menus and some of the kitchen equipment have undergone an overhaul. While the target market remains quite broad, the emphasis is on making the overall experience as positive as possible.

Helping shape the new improved Barts is chef David Faucher, formerly of the Great Cumberland Hotel in London. He’s been the driving force behind the new menu.

Now the task is to get the message out.

My visit was the first time I had been in the building. The red decor is spotlessly clean and the interior bigger than you might think, with three main areas – one which can be easily reserved for groups – and a bar.

Starters in my view should be light and a tomato and herb soup proved to have both decent taste and texture while not being too filling.

My companion chose a similarly modest tomato and mozzarella salad which she said was enjoyable without being so heavy it would have spoiled her main course.

Both starters were carefully and artistically presented too and they set the tone for what was to come.

For my main, I went for lamb shank with big chips and a side order of vegetables.

I like my meat well done, although chefs don’t, and this was cooked to my requirements and most pleasing to the palate.

I tend to prefer skinny chips but since they probably belong more with fast food than fine dining, fat chips were more the part.

They were extremely good and, being fat, they don’t go cold quickly.

Similarly my companion’s rump steak was big and tasted good.

And if you want ketchup, they’ll supply it.

Our desserts were dark chocolate ganache for me and bread and butter pudding for my companion.

The ganache was delightfully simple, although you might fear the number of calories if you’re watching your waistline.

Again presentation was pleasing. Be warned it’s rich and should be eaten slowly.

The bread and butter pudding, although tasting good felt quite heavy after our main meals and my companion struggled to finish it.

The food was of a standard you might expect at the best of independent restaurants, both for presentation and quality.

Our waiter was polite and accommodating but since there were few other diners it may be hard to judge service in general.

And therein lies the task for Mr Miah; increasing the numbers – which obviously has its challenges in 2012 – and making it known that above all, Barts wants each customer to be delighted by their experience.

His plan to get people through the door is monthly events.

The first, in late September, will be a wine tasting evening with canapés and possibly some meal deals. Subsequent events will have different themes, allowing people to sample Barts for less.

Barts manages to remain smart enough for the business lunch but informal enough for families and couples and prices are comparable with other decent independents.

Also worth exploring is the taxi home facility planned for Christmas. Current thinking is a ‘pick up and drop off service’ for four people within a five-mile radius for £7.50.

If you are driving there is some street parking in St Bartholomew’s Road and plenty more in the Palmer Park Stadium car park.

The effort being put into Barts is considerable and if you want to sample it look out for the special events on the website – that way you can judge it for yourself.

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