Westerham, Italian Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: This September 2019 yearling in the heart of the town (occupying a former NatWest bank, hence the name) is notable for its owner: Stuart Gillies is the former CEO of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant group, and has launched this venture with the help of wife Cecilia. Previously a chef, Gillies has devised a ‘European small plates’ menu for the two-floor wine bar.

“A fabulous neighbourhood restaurant”… even more so given that the neighbourhood in question is Lee. “Kitchen competence far outweighs the modest location”, delivering high quality home-made pasta and wood-fired pizza. The Luciano in question is owner Enzo Masiello’s father.

Diminishing feedback in recent years makes it hard to recommend this “noisy and fun”, family-run Sardinian on Brockley Rise quite as resoundingly as we used to. Fans, though, still say it’s “a super, local Italian trattoria, with a great menu: especially the quirky ice cream and sorbet flavours”.

2021 Review: “Amazing pizzas” are a culinary highlight on the sizeable menu (moules, salads, pasta…) at this early-wave microbrewery in Blackheath which celebrated its 20th year in 2020, and where you can also sample, of course, a wide variety of brews fermented in the adjoining stainless steel tanks. Over the years it’s spawned spin-offs in Cardiff, Reading and Bristol.

This Streatham fixture punches way above its weight, having drawn pizza-hounds from across London for more than a decade. Neapolitan-born co-founder Andrea Asciuti is also behind Peckham Rye’s 081 Pizzeria.

2023 Review: “All ages have a great time in true Italian style” at this Sydenham fixture, a “family-owned trattoria with a devoted following of regulars” who come for the classic, fresh-cooked pasta and pizzas.

This “local Italian” independent is a Gipsy Hill staple, excelling for “well-cooked and presented traditional dishes and interesting specials” – “everything is freshly prepared” and “good value for money”. It offers regular live music nights (plus also catering, custom cakes and Sicilian olive oil).