Blackfriars, Italian Restaurant Guide

“While I do go to this place and enjoy it, I question whether it is good value for what it is: it’s safe and reliable but couldn’t be said to be top-notch” – the verdict we deliver pretty much every year on these civilised Italians in Chelsea and the City, which, so long as you are fairly cost-insensitive, provide a “smart and buzzy” environment for meeting a pal or holding an informal business lunch, with Italian cooking that’s “generally well done if a little uninspired”. Top Tip – cute, heated outside terrace in SW3.

“You can practise your Italian language skills” at this “genuine, quirky Puglian restaurant in busy Islington, with great service from real Italians who know the region”. Even some fans concede that culinary results can be “mixed”, with hits and misses reported in a single meal. Nevertheless, it’s “always buzzing” and “might benefit from some sound absorbers as it can get very noisy”. They also have a lesser-known spin-off near St Paul’s.

On the ground floor of what was once the Daily Telegraph’s Fleet Street HQ, a sister concept to Emerald Hospitality Group’s Como Garden. This late 2025 opening will house a salumeria (Italian deli), restaurant, bar, and 60-seat terrace.