Chapel Allerton, Italian Restaurant Guide

This “relentlessly excellent” family-run spot on “an anonymous corner in Meanwood” is “starting to get the attention it deserves” as “a place where a kind of magic can be experienced in plates of delightful Italian food”. “Russell Norman lives on in north Leeds!” – a reference to the late founder of Brutto and before that Polpo in London, where Rosario Leggiero worked before opening Zucco with his chef brother Michael over a decade ago. Michael’s wife Clare is also part of the team, and their sons Matteo & Joe are being groomed to take the reins.

This “Headingley institution” has provided good-quality pasta, pizza and Sicilian specialities for almost 50 years. John & Gip Dammone were both awarded MBEs last summer, having spent their entire working lives at the restaurant their father Salvatore founded in 1976. They sold up in 2023, and the new owners are not making big changes.

In a picturesque village near Wetherby in Yorkshire, this branch of a glitzy Cheshire-based Italian operation is strongly rated across the board – owned since 2020 by Sir Malcom Walker of Iceland, the group recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special menu of dishes such as Wagyu beef and truffle lasagna.

“A local establishment offering consistent Italian dining” – this family-owned fixture has survived the passing of chef-patron Stefano Lancelloti, who died suddenly in 2023, shortly after celebrating the 25th anniversary of the restaurant he named after his hometown in Emilia Romagna. His son Nico is now part of the kitchen team looking after his legacy. Top Tip – “great for celebrations”.