Bayswater, Italian Restaurant Guide

2018 Review: Luca Riccio’s well-established and “friendly” Italian in Bayswater’s ‘Connaught Village’ provides classic cuisine in a simple, stylish setting.

“Extraordinarily good pizzas”, “very good negronis” and “no burgers” are served at this bar, which boasts “the style of Mayfair transplanted to Notting Hill”. It’s upstairs from Assaggi, and from the same team, in the former pub they share, and these days seems the less risky bet. Top Tip – “try the truffle pizza in winter and English asparagus with San Daniele ham in summer”.

“Having been the biggest fan since the first day Assaggi opened, I’m now struggling with the prices!” – a constant refrain in feedback on this offbeat, first-floor Bayswater pub dining room, which for many years was a contender as London’s top Italian. No-one’s suggesting the cooking’s gone down the tubes – in fact some regulars believe that “standards are as good as they were fifteen years ago” – but “the room and ambience need updating”, and even many reporting an “excellent” meal nevertheless leave feeling “fleeced”.