Westerham, Italian Restaurant Guide

This smart neighbourhood restaurant and bar from Stuart Gillies, for many years Gordon Ramsay’s right-hand man, “never lets you down with quality, value or service – can’t get enough of this place”. The menu offers a mixture of classic British and modern European cuisine, with bottomless brunch on Saturdays and traditional roast on Sundays. There’s now a sibling restaurant on similar lines, Number Eight in Sevenoaks.

Lucky Lee residents have this “fabulous family-owned Italian eatery” as their local – Enzo Masiello and his team turn out accomplished wood-fired pizza, home-made pasta and breakfast with a Calabrian twist (shakshuka with nduja, for instance). The restaurant is named after Enzo’s papa.

2024 Review: 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”.

“Situated just off Streatham High Street”, this “tiny little place” is “filled with heart, serving amazing pizzas and spritzes that transport you straight to Italy”. “They regularly have interesting specials on the blackboard, but the normal menu has plenty of choice for all tastes”, including “by far some of the juiciest and most flavourful pizzas ever”.

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.

Proof there is civilisation in Gipsy Hill – this well-established venue is a bright culinary spot in the SEs where you can enjoy well-priced, traditional Italian cooking. Further attractions include a small outside terrace in summer and regular fun music nights featuring assorted ‘tribute’ bands.