Britain’s top Italian restaurants
Published 20 March 2024

A dark frontage punctuated by full-length windows reveals a spare-looking café-like interior, a narrow room with plain white walls and a constantly changing chalkboard menu – in short, Artusi is a ‘perfect neighbourhood restaurant’. Down some steps at the back, there is a chef's table for eight, with views of the open kitchen. This is Italian dining, Peckham-style, and none the worse for it.

The infectious straightforwardness of the approach is reflected in a dinner menu that offers three choices at each stage, with a couple of intervening pasta options. Start, perhaps, with a pretty plate of roasted fennel, Russet apples, ricotta and walnuts before moving on to cod with butter beans, purple sprouting broccoli and preserved lemon aïoli or braised featherblade of beef accompanied by confit garlic mash and cime di rapa. Don't want to miss the pasta? Ravioli di erbette (stuffed with wild greens, ricotta and sage) may well have your name on it. The Italian way with carbo-desserts then produces an irresistibly toothsome pistachio and chocolate cake with crème fraîche.

Lunch is a simpler affair (but similar in style), while Sunday brings a great-value set menu. Wines are not exclusively Italian, but those represent the best way of entering into the spirit. They've also got some oranged-up Sicilian Catarratto, if Pinot Grigio now seems a little vecchio cappello. A second outlet is now open at the Underbelly Boulevard in Soho.

Run by a group of artists, this idiosyncratic Welsh take on a Venetian bacaro is all about off-the-wall nibbles backed by a prodigious line-up of obscure wines, craft beers and limited-edition ciders. The repertoire is constantly changing, so be prepared for crostini topped with the likes of candied spicy jalapeño, whipped ricotta and bergamot or goat’s cheese, chocolate and almond (great with a Starlino rosé spritz). Their version of the classic ‘sardé in saor’ (sweet-and-sour sardines) is served cold on polenta – perfect with a glass of Sicilian Grillo. Also nab one of their porchetta rolls doused in fennel sausage gravy if they’re on. Staff are lovely, and the affordability is ‘next level’. 

When sleek, handmade pasta specialist Bancone opened its first branch in Covent Garden back in 2018, it scored an instant social media hit with its ‘silk handkerchiefs’ – soft, glistening rectangles of fazzoletti dressed with walnut butter, sprinkled with nuggets of chopped walnut and topped with a golden confit egg yolk. While still the stars of the show, they share the billing with other tempters such as pappardelle with Herdwick hogget, soy, Thai basil and chilli or cappellacci with Cornish crab, corn, chives and sea herbs. Start with cauliflower salad, smoked almonds and pecorino sardo; finish with fior di latte or crème caramello with coffee and buckwheat. Prosecco and Italian regional wines go down a treat. 

More spacious than the Covent Garden original, this Soho offshoot of Bancone has a lot going for it – including a semi-secret basement that doubles as a cocktail bar, a bevy of smiley staff and a menu that majors in faultless hand-crafted pasta. The Insta-grabbing ‘silk handkerchiefs’ of fazzoletti with walnut butter and confit egg yolk continue to impress, although the line-up of fresh, flavourful specialities might also run to tagliatelle with spicy pork and ‘nduja ragù or charcoal tagliolini accompanied by squid and pickled jalapeño. The main event is bookended by the likes of fried artichokes with romesco and desserts such as pistachio cannoli with candied orange. Keenly priced Italian regional wines too.

At the bottom end of Timber Hill in the centre of Norwich, this gem of an Italian restaurant looks nothing like the trattorias of yesteryear, but is instead a smart long room done in gentle teal, hung with pastel-hued paintings and furnished with unclothed, well-spaced light wood tables. Oliver Boon's menus reflect his lifelong love affair with Italian foodways, and highlighted names on his classy CV include Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux Jr. Expectations are high and you won't be disappointed, with thrills turning up in every corner of the menu. Indeed, it's worth fitting in a couple of the nibbles before setting about the antipasti – perhaps creamy-rich croquettes of 24-month Parmesan or sweet-crusted garlic brioche with whipped garlic butter. Beef carpaccio with Harry's Bar dressing will whisk you off to Venice in a trice, but hake Kyiv with 'nduja, baccalà and coppa is more of a mystery tour. 'We couldn't resist it,' a reporter confesses, 'and I'm glad we couldn't.' Pasta is beautifully rendered, whether for bottone of ricotta with courgette, basil, chilli and puffed quinoa or black bucatini with bottarga and a Calabrian version of XO. Main-course meats such as lamb shoulder or Blythburgh pork are always top-drawer, while the garnish for roast salmon, tomato and clam panzanella – tempura-battered soft-shell crab – is a truly inspired touch. Does 'dulce de leche tirami-choux' sound like a bit of a mash-up? Au contraire, insists our correspondent who describes it as 'jaw-droppingly delicious'. Otherwise, a combination of yoghurt panna cotta with a cannoli of blackberries, sorrel and pistachio exercises quite a lure in itself. Drinks include cocktails and a short but serviceable selection of Italian wines.

With a warm welcome and classy cooking, this neighbourhood Italian honours the family behind Bristol’s successful and ever-growing Bianchis restaurant group. The unpretentious and relaxed dining room has a laid-back, lived-in look with a scuffed floor, low lighting, a 60s soul soundtrack and bottles of wine stacked on all available shelves. Comfy seating and damasked tables add to the sense that you are here to enjoy yourself and eat well. With a belt-busting four courses on offer, it is perhaps advisable to start with a light antipasto of, say, radicchio salad (with smoked ricotta, courgette, red onion and pumpkin seeds) ahead of, maybe, a bowl of gnocchetti nero in bisque with crab, kohlrabi and soft herbs. The pasta here is so good you may be almost reluctant to move on to a 'secondi' – grilled pork tenderloin with soft polenta and cime di rapa, for example. Be brave, it's worth it. Puddings are mercifully modest, though such is the density and richness of a chocolate and hazelnut tart served with intensely savoury crème fraîche that a little goes a long way. A fine selection of cocktails and an extensive wine offer, including ‘Aldo’s list’ of serious (and seriously expensive) vintages will lubricate your evening, while the chatty, informal but very efficient staff make you feel that you are dining among friends.

‘We've celebrated weddings here, birthdays, happy times and sad times ... it’s the best food for the soul!’ declaimed a regular visitor to Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder’s ‘little Italian kitchen’ in Margate’s Old Town. Simona’s cooking really does ‘feel like home,’ and this friendly, unpretentious space embodies the relaxed and ‘honest’ nature of the food – namely, ingredients-driven, rustic dishes rooted in the culinary traditions of Simona’s fertile home region of Sannio, north of Naples.

It’s a showcase of food born of necessity and ingenuity (what the Italians call cibo povero) but made with produce of the highest order: grandma’s recipe for verdura e fagioli (greens and beans) is a permanent fixture on the menu, likewise polpette di pane al sugo (bread balls with tomato sauce). Nibbles and ‘small(ish)’ plates are delivered on earthenware crockery – perhaps salt cod with blood orange and celery or buffalo mozzarella with cime di rape, smoked anchovy, chilli. After that, indulge in a serving of superlative hand-made pasta, say spaghetti with wild garlic, basil and cashew pesto or wholegrain ziti with a slow-cooked ragù of fennel sausages, home-preserved tomatoes and grated Corra Linn sheep’s cheese.

To conclude, torta caprese (chocolate and almond tart) or Italian rice pudding with plum jam make a fitting finale. The predominantly organic, biodynamic and natural wine list heralds some of the best producers in Italy, and staff are eager to provide helpful advice for those less familiar with low-intervention viticulture. Don’t forget to stock up on artisan Italian provisions at the adjoining shop.

Mixing a come-as-you-please vibe with upbeat cooking, loud music, a sense of fun and unquestionable value (note the £5 Negronis and spritzes) – the late Russell Norman’s formula for a good restaurant was always guaranteed to win over the local populace. Now run by Russell’s wife and son, Brutto is as popular as ever, with the checked tablecloths, Chianti bottles and typewritten menu (in Italian and English) summoning up the spirit of a traditional Florentine trattoria.

There is much to applaud here. A plate of anchovies with cold butter curls and St John sourdough is a good starting point, and we are big fans of the pork tonnato with caperberries. Elsewhere, there’s exemplary pasta (perhaps pappardelle with rabbit and lemon or maltagliati with oxtail ragù), plus a punchy, fall-apart beef shin and peppercorn stew, and an 800g Florentine T-bone steak that was shared by three contented diners and pronounced ‘fantastic’ – even the house red they washed it down with ‘was more than acceptable’. Brutto's roast potatoes are also 'something special', too. 

Desserts are no slouch either. We can recommend the tiramisu, but it's also worth looking out for the panna cotta with English strawberries or poached apricots with aged Parmesan. The young front-of-house team is superbly drilled, and there’s an attractive list of mainly (but not exclusively) Tuscan and other Italian wines.

* From September 2024, Celentano's will become a restaurant with rooms following its acquisition of the adjoining Cathedral House hotel.*

Celentano’s is inspired but not constrained by Italian cooking and chef-owner Dean Parker is something of a food alchemist. He experiments with ingredients and preservation techniques while fusing different culinary influences into his own individualistic style. Don't be surprised to see kombucha and kimchi keeping company with classic coppa and carpaccio. Celebrating small, sustainable producers and with zero-waste values, the menu balances rustic authenticity, technical precision and an element of surprise. Standout snacks include the fried porcini lasagne and the rare-breed home-cured charcuterie. Follow that, perhaps, with an almost Venetian linguine, traditional surf clams embellished with cod cheek and kombu butter. The restaurant's ethos manifests itself in Loch Etive trout tail (perfectly baked on the bone with a simple whey butter) or a caressingly tender lower-carcass cut of local Dexter beef. To finish, an affogato gets the full 'comfort food' makeover with malted barley and chocolate crumb. The flexible format allows a mix-and-match approach, though careless choices might result in feeling either underwhelmed or over-faced. The multi-level, open-plan dining room sits within a quirky turreted building (formerly the Cathedral House hotel) and has a bustling but informal feel. A heated garden terrace overlooking an atmospheric necropolis might be the perfect spot for enjoying homemade vermouth or coffee liqueur in a signature negroni or espresso Martini.

* This branch is closing for good at the end of service on 11 October 2024. The Hove outlet remains open.*

With its sun-trap terrace, bright abstract artworks and a menu of firm Italian favourites, this corner site is one of Fitzrovia's premier attractions. It operates a monthly changing menu at kindly prices, served in an atmosphere of warm southern hospitality. There is plenty to ignite the taste buds in a repertoire that roams from burrata with fried polenta, peperonata and hot honey via risotto nero with soused cuttlefish to roasted chicken in its own rich broth with caponata and runner beans. 'The duck ragù,' affirms an experienced correspondent, 'is better than sex.' Other plus points include vegan and gluten-free menus, a midweek dinner offer and a serviceable Italian wine list. 

‘I love the authentic Italian flavours and the creative dishes made with fresh, quality ingredients,’ is just one ringing endorsement for this ‘small and super-stylish’ eatery. Counter seats bring you up close to the action, with enthusiastic staff buzzing about, slicing hams and pouring drinks while the chefs can be seen cooking pasta al dente and roasting prime cuts of meat and fish. Alternatively, there are some high tables at the back if you want something less frenetic.

Light and aromatic rosemary focaccia delivers the goods, and you should be prepared to share the seasonal small plates because that’s the deal here. Crisp, moreish arancini are a fixture (Venetian duck ragù with parsley and garlic emulsion, say), salads are fresh and zingy, and handmade pastas could range from rigatoni with flaked chalk stream trout, mussels, kale and spiced sofrito to tortelli of sweet potato with truffle sauce, amaretti and sage. If you fancy something meatier, how about Sussex beef rump and a rotolo of slow-cooked shin with Gorgonzola, spinach and roasted shallot, all in a rich beef sauce.

To finish, tiramisu or a Piedmontese chocolate, caramel and amaretti pudding compete with a trio of Italian cheeses. The five-course ‘chef's menu’ is an opportunity to take a more traditional path through the repertoire (with separate gluten-free and vegan options), all offered with optional Italian wine flights drawn from an impressive, knowledgeably assembled list.   

Quite the ace to have up your sleeve when you’re looking for somewhere casual, this dramatic double-height space, a former banking hall, houses a true urban eatery, an all-day Italian caffè. While busy and buzzy, the room feels classy: soaring pillars, ornate ceiling, grey walls, striking bright-pink dangling lampshades, massive central chandelier, and a lively baroque fresco covering part of one wall.

It ‘feels special’ and feeds the mainly Edinburgh crowd from breakfast to dinner, whether snacking, just having a drink, enjoying one dish or more. Any time and any dish will do, whether it’s a plate of trofiette pasta with sausage, cremini mushrooms, dried porcini, fresh cream, rocket and Parmesan, or rump of Highland lamb with cannellini purée, pan-fried puntarella and salsa verde.

If you’re into the sweet side of things, Contini’s tiramisu is the ultimate soothing treat, although other equally indulgent temptations beckon – from panettone al forno to gelati and sorbetti. Liquid refreshment covers all bases too, with the good-value all-Italian wine list opening at £25.

A cosy bolthole with a great atmosphere in the centre of Bristol, this wine bar and kitchen feels more informal than sister restaurant Pasta Ripiena on the same street, while offering impeccably sourced, beautifully cooked Italian food of the same quality. Originally La Sorella (a deli and aperitivo bar), then Bar Ripiena, plans to reimagine the space as a lasagne bar were knocked off course by the pandemic. Cotto emerged in early 2022. The old wine bar, with its countertop seating and high tables for two running along one side of the narrow room, now flows into next door where larger groups can eat in a slightly less atmospheric dining room. While you can still pop in for just a glass from their wide-ranging, carefully chosen selection of Italian and other European wines, it's easy to be tempted by the short, daily changing menu of keenly priced culinary delights. Small plates of, say, panzanella with buffalo mozzarella are large enough for two, while a large serving of rigatoni cacio e pepe or chicken cacciatore with pappardelle is a satisfying and sophisticated meal for one. Order another glass of wine to complement a scoop of gelato or a savoury finale such as homemade 'carta da musica' flatbread with mustard fruits and an oozing slab of Taleggio. The welcome is as warm as a ray of Italian sunshine.

'A perfect venue for a warm atmosphere and stunning food – whether you’re taking the full family or having a date night,' says one lucky local enthusiastically. With generous outdoor space available, Olivia Robinson was able to continue service during the various lockdowns. Even now, on a pleasant spring or autumn day, it’s tempting to eat lunch outside, but the stylishly converted dyehouse – iron beams, stone floors and lofted roof – has considerable charm too. Hailing from the region of Marche in Italy, Olivia has made a few changes – the deli and bakery have gone, but the ‘fabulous’ menu remains the same. Antipasti might feature prosciutto and burrata with celeriac rémoulade or scallops with eight-hour braised pig's cheek, budino nero purée and apple crisp. Moving on to secondi piatti, you’ll find the likes of chicken and pancetta risotto or braised lamb shoulder and mushroom tortelloni, but regulars recommend ordering liberally from cicchetti, say ham hock garganelli (homemade pasta with 12-hour braised pork) or 'nduja fritters. Elsewhere, a fritto misto delivers king prawns, calamari, whitebait and haddock in a Menabrea beer batter with saffron aïoli, while a classic panzanella involves three kinds of tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella and torn marinated focaccia to mop it all up. There are huge pizzas too. To drink, the espresso Martini and the Side Car to Italy come 'hugely recommended', and the wine list is an all-Italian affair.

This lively Sardinian restaurant, bar and deli, takes up much of the ground floor of the Eagle Works, an old red-brick former steel mill in a regenerated area of eco houses and commercial spaces known as Little Kelham. The sizeable dining room retains hints of its industrial past and and there's a large terrace for drinks and aperitivi – perhaps a sharing plate of, say, cured meats and pecorino with truffle honey and walnuts. Sardinia’s thin and crispy pane carasau ('music paper') bread comes nicely blistered and arrives with a creamy, cheesy dip. The menu is extensive, opening with a choice of bruschetta ranging from simple tomato, basil oil and garlic to aubergine, caramelised onion, figs and roasted almonds. They also offer a wide choice of antipasti, including well-made Sicilian arancini filled with beef ragù, peas and melting Taleggio or deep-fried king prawns with a crispy carasau coating. There are salads and pizzas too, while pasta features Sardinia's own culurgiones – fat little parcels filled with potato, cheese, mint and garlic, here finished with a pecorino and truffle sauce. Owner Raffaele Busceddu's fish stew is renowned and, with 48 hours’ notice, he will prepare a feast of roast suckling pig with all the trimmings. Desserts come into their own with a classic tiramisu, ricotta-filled cannoli and affogato, the vanilla ice cream drowned in amaretto and further drowned in a shot of espresso. This is generous, hearty, bold and crowd-pleasing food with not a micro-leaf in site – all backed by a list of Sardinian and regional Italian wines. 

Clare Lattin and Tom Hill, once of Ducksoup in Soho, have migrated to the sub-Dartmoor stretches of south Devon and pitched camp on the T-junction that more or less is Ashburton. It's a small room with an agreeable buzz and square tables (some for sharing) supplemented by wicker stools at the counter and window that are probably best reserved for younger, more resilient backsides. Just add a thrifty, serenely industrious kitchen, plus a wine-store (for retail) half-hidden behind a curtain, and a frequently changing menu that works within its own modest capacities to produce contemporary, Italian-inflected small plates and mains. The special of the day on our lunch visit in the long linger of late winter involved chunks of sublime red-rare hanger steak in a mound of roasted Tropea onion with salted ricotta, capers and oregano. Others were scarfing up the broad-ribboned pappardelle with a ragù of ox cheek and black olives, as well as marinated gurnard in an aromatic livery of golden raisins, almonds and saffron. Appetisers are a little more prosaic (a couple of splots of white Gorgonzola with lightly pickled pear; shaved pickled fennel in oregano and chilli) but there is good charcuterie, and even the minimal choice of two desserts will provoke agonies of indecision. The dark chocolate mousse with ginger and oat crumb looked the business, but altogether flawless was our blood-orange and pistachio tart with crème fraîche. Only a select few of the wines emerge from behind the curtain onto the list, but they are enterprising and interesting Italian regional stars: a tobaccoey, Merlot-based Gambellara, perhaps, or a skin-contact Sicilian from Grecanico-Inzolia. Aperitifs run to a take on the Bellini earthed up with rhubarb juice.

A Scottish/Italian marriage made in Glasgow, Giovanna Eusebi’s jam-packed deli/café/restaurant hybrid cherishes the time-honoured traditions of her homeland and leavens them with ample supplies of seasonal Scottish produce. Occupying a colourful red-and-white corner site, the venue scores heavily with breakfast and brunch, served to a merry throng of workers and shoppers in the ground-floor space. Come for squash crostini, eggs ‘energia’ (with avocado, chiili and lime purée) or one of their Roman sourdough pizzas; alternatively breeze in for coffee and a sweet treat. If you want something more substantial, graduate to the downstairs dining room for nourishing plates of ‘yesterday’s lasagne’, crab ravioli or fettuccine cacio e pepe – or, perhaps, one of big main courses such as pan-roasted cod with salt-baked celeriac, autumnal mushrooms and cavolo nero pesto. After that, the line-up of dolci has plenty of indulgent swagger, from tiramisu to Capocci vanilla gelato with Amarena cherry and chocolate brownie. Regional wines from the old country (£23 upwards) keep company with classic aperitivi, vermouths and spritzes. Eusebi’s slogan is ‘Food, Family, Life and Passion’ – which just about sums it up.

Picture credits: Gerardo Jaconelli

* The restaurant has closed as of February 2025. The two Forza Wine sites (in Peckham and at the National Theatre) continue to trade as normal. *

Back to life after its previous iteration (in a Peckham warehouse) was cancelled by the first lockdown, Forza Win (without an 'e') is an utterly comfortable and welcoming spirit-reviver in its own right. If you don't feel good about focused Italian flavours, Sicilian wine on tap or cool-but-kindly service, better check your pulse. Behind peachy arches overlooking Camberwell Church Street, the kitchen wears its technique with ease; for every serving of breezy spaghetti with clams and mussels, there's a bowl of fluffy Florentine topini with the intensity of mushroom stock and morels, or a masterfully breaded and fried lamb cutlet draped with anchovy fillets and served with chunky salsa verde. The selection of four secondi might range from a summery green vignarola (Roman vegetable stew) to a piece of pork belly sliding gently into its accompanying chickpeas with San Marzano tomatoes and capers. Such a satisfyingly compact menu will always be seasonal, although the house 'custardo' is non-negotiable – an affogato made with custard rather than ice cream. For more heft, the chocolate and apricot cake (shades of Sachertorte) or a blowsy take on tiramisu both deliver.

After years of pop-ups, this Italian-inspired restaurant group is firmly established south of the river with permanent spots in Peckham (Forza Wine) and Camberwell (Forza Win). Now a third venue – its most ambitious project to date – is to be found on the second floor of The National Theatre. The concrete, wood and glass 160-seater is the place to pop in for drinks – Forza’s special cherry Negroni leads the cocktail charge and there’s an interesting list of approachable, modern European wines including plenty by the glass. From the kitchen comes a compact, seasonally aware list of Italian-style small plates to share. To begin, we enjoyed a generous serving of cauliflower fritti with aïoli, as well as a satisfying plate of potato, pancetta and porcini mushrooms. As dishes arrive when they are ready, we happily discovered that roasted Delica pumpkin set atop a pool of creamy pearl barley and sage worked really well with pink, well-flavoured slices of lamb shoulder, celeriac and salsa verde. Each of these items was simply executed and tasted deliciously of its excellent well-sourced ingredients, although not everything we sampled passed muster. However, there was nothing awry about our milk soft serve with roasted apple and a topping of candied walnut; the famed ‘Custardo’ – an affogato made with custard – is not to be missed, either. While on-the-ball staff check if you are dining pre-theatre, such is Forza’s following that few people depart when the final call sounds for the Lyttelton Theatre one floor down – the atmosphere remains lively. It's also worth checking out the pleasant, partially covered terrace looking onto the river and Waterloo Bridge.

At heart, tiny Giulia is a neighbourhood restaurant, one where Endris Kerbizi’s bold, assured Italian cooking draws back locals again and again. A passion for quality runs through every aspect of the place, and the menu embodies the capital's take on Italy – a pared-back aesthetic, a short, regularly changing repertoire and a light, contemporary touch. ‘Never had a duff dish,' just about sums it up.

Seared octopus with cauliflower, creamy potato and 'nduja sauce is a never-off-the-menu must-order, but in season the baked courgette flower filled with ricotta and served with a courgette salad is not to be missed. To follow, there’s plenty of love for the veal cotoletta alla milanese, while the roast lamb rack with braised shoulder, peas and asparagus is reckoned to be as good as anything in London. And if you're craving some handmade pasta, the seafood paccheri is a standout.

Focaccia and gelato (both made in-house) have been praised, while one fan insists that 'they have the best tiramisu I have ever tasted (and I’m Italian)’. However, we have a soft spot for the lemon tart with caramelised apricot. Giulia Quaglia heads the small front of house team, a ‘smiling, friendly presence’ who always finds time to chat and talk food. To drink, there are some classic cocktails and a short list of affordable all-Italian wines.

Tucked away at the bottom of a steep valley that feels lost in time, this 'absolute hidden gem' of a farm-to-table restaurant is an entrancing prospect complete with prettily planted sun-trap terraces, while inside beautiful oak beams and terracotta walls hung with gardening tools give a stylishly rustic feel. There's much praise, too, for chef Matthew Briddon's 'modern, imaginative' Italian menu, showcasing vegetables from the estate's walled kitchen garden alongside locally reared meat. Everything from the bread to the ice cream is made in-house. You may know Iford Manor for its excellent ciders and cans of apple soda (both of which feature on the drinks list), but there is much more to admire here. Briddon's care and attention to provenance and process pays dividends on the plate, whether in a starter of pickled beet salad with rocket, croûtons and a wonderfully refreshing apple/fennel gazpacho poured at the table, or a main of tender, juicy grilled pork with a hasselback potato, a roast head of fennel and a fabulously tangy lemon, anchovy and tomato salsa. Our late spring lunch crescendoed with a limoncello curd, raspberry and mint tart topped with a generous swirl of burnt Italian meringue. Committed and friendly staff combined with the restaurant's community-minded ethos create a warm welcome, and there's a short European wine list to round things off. Note that the restaurant is only open for lunch (accompanied by live jazz on Saturdays); they also host occasional supper clubs. Next door is the private Georgian manor house and the extraordinarily beautiful and romantic Grade I-listed Peto Garden (open to the public April to September), which you must book separately to visit.

From knitting classes and supper clubs to ice cream sandwiches and country dancing in the street, this ‘green oasis’ is a genuine community hub – and second home to many of its regulars. At its heart is a deli and café selling all sorts of provisions alongside a short menu of Italian-style sandwiches filled to the brim with seasonal goodness – think mortadella with grilled sweet peppers, pickled fennel and aïoli. They also serve pastries from the Little Bread Pedlar at the weekends and ‘the most amazing panettone’ to go with Monmouth coffee, Kernel beer and other drinks. Tables and chairs are laid out on beautiful Bonnington Square if you fancy alfresco. Check Instagram for opening times.

Poppy Cartwright and Matthew Shelton's supper club in the tiny basement of their terraced house was a hard-to-book hot ticket, so the move to Hebden Bridge's main street has given locals more of a chance to bag a table. The couple have created a really stylish, pared-back space – all white walls, scrubbed floors and exposed beams, plus an open kitchen with Carrera marble worktops. The furniture is Ercol, the tablecloths crisp white linen and the music smooth – Hebden has got the stylish, elegant restaurant it didn't know it needed.

Poppy's background as an ex-fashion student then lecturer at the Royal College of Art may explain her near-forensic attention to detail in the kitchen; Matthew deftly presides front-of-house. The old supper club ethos has been carried over, so expect a fixed-price set menu with a strong nod to the Italian 'Slow Food Movement' as well as Poppy's Sicilian heritage: a pork and fennel ragù, for example, sings of a long, slow cook although it's leavened by a dollop of ricotta shot through with lemon zest. The non-meat choice might be pappa al pomodoro with herb tordelli. Butternut squash velouté with pickled squash opened the menu on the night we popped in, while dessert was Madagascar vanilla panna cotta (with precisely the right wobble) served with strawberry gel sorbet and a lacy tuile.

There are two sittings on Friday and Saturday, while the excellent-value four-course Sunday lunch includes the likes of beef shin and Chianti ragù followed by blossom-honey parfait. The all-Italian wine list is short but carefully curated.

There’s a lot more competition than when Lardo first opened its doors in 2012, but this industrial-chic venue remains a favourite among the local families and well-to-do professionals of London Fields. While the pizza oven is busy turning out blistered-crust beauties, the kitchen demonstrates 'ristorante' skills with dishes like pig’s head croquette, soft ricotta gnudi as well as creative vegan options. Classic Italian desserts include affogato, tiramisu and panna cotta, while a short, stylish wine list starts with tempting bottles from £28.

Visitors consistently praise the ‘welcome and engaging’ service at this laid-back pasta emporium that has come a long way since its days as a pop-up. Watch owner Chris Davis beatifically shaping a seemingly endless ribbon of pasta in the restaurant’s shopfront window workspace. Inside, the lived-in decor of rough wood floors, bare tables and salvaged chairs, plus high shelves housing trailing plants and bottles of wine, creates a relaxing vibe.

The short menu naturally showcases Davis’s freshly made pasta, though starters could be anything from monkfish carpaccio with orange and shallot to a wonderfully moreish white bean, fennel and sausage ragù with chive butter. Mains are expertly crafted, precisely cooked and lavishly dressed delights, say a generous plate of half-moon casoncelli stuffed with roast celeriac and Parmesan and bathed in honey, butter and chopped pickled walnuts or tagliolini with prawn-head sauce, chilli, basil and butterflied prawn. After such a high, desserts (including traditional favourites such as tiramisu and affogato) can be a bit of an anti-climax.

To drink, a modest list of almost entirely Italian and French wines offers a decent selection by the glass. Visit Tuesday to Friday lunchtime to take advantage of the great-value set menu (three courses for £26 at the time of writing).

Originally conceived by the owners of the Clove Club, this ‘Britalian’ restaurant is almost as well-known for its bar as its restaurant –so it was with some reluctance that we bypassed the Negroni-based fun in favour of the dining room. Until we clapped eyes on the space itself, that is: a stunning covered garden worthy of a Roman palazzo. Seating is divided between an attractive cosmopolitan room and a terrace complete with a fireplace, cobbles and foliage (you can specify where you sit when you reserve). For the Luca-on-a-budget experience, try the bar, where lunch is currently £32 for two courses. Otherwise, those with cash to splash can knock themselves out with four courses, Italian-style, and a bottle or two from the impressive Italian list – specialist subject Barolo (sub-£50 bottles are few). Vitello tonnato may now be ubiquitous in London but we’ll never tire of it when it's as satisfying as this. The veal is more well done than is fashionable – a good thing – but is tender and flavoursome beneath a generous spoon of tonnato mayonnaise and a frisky celery, artichoke and lemon salad. Terrific stuff. Fresh pasta is a standout: mezzi paccheri with a pork sausage ragù gains depth from anchovy and freshness from mint, while green and yellow variegated ribbons of tagliatelle with rabbit, lardo and green olives are comforting and luxurious in equal measure. Secondi at inspection include Hebridean lamb with caponata, Hereford beef fillet and short rib, and a dish of John Dory with mussels, mousserons, Jersey Royals and a frothy lemon verbena sauce. Tiramisu, like your nonna might make, is a bravely unfancy finish; vanilla panna cotta with Yorkshire rhubarb is a nicely executed pairing, if lacking the ‘Luca’ signature that characterises the restaurant's best dishes. Overall, a confident operation. Credit, in particular, for setting a tone as conducive to business as it is to pleasure.

Nico Pasquali has been serving excellent Roman pizzas, pastas and pastries for over 10 years, and even though his homely little all-day trattoria is now located in the incongruous setting of an industrial estate, there is still a steady flow of customers who persevere and find their (slightly bemused) way here.  A wooden extension has doubled the number of covers, but it’s still limited and worth booking ahead.

The vibe is friendly, unfussy and unpretentious, although Nico’s regulars also come for his precisely cooked traditional dishes made with prime ingredients flown in from Italy or fresh from his allotment. They are the perfect antidote to the standard Anglo-Italian repertoire, and the glitzy but vacuous styling of most high-street chains. Popular (and reasonably priced) dishes might range from rigatoni with guanciale, chilli and pecorino to arancini, suppli (deep-fried pizza balls) and Roman Jewish artichokes. There's also a list of specials that may feature orecchiette with Italian fennel sausages and romanesco broccoli, as well as whole baked sea bass cooked with cherry tomatoes and olives. 

To drink, there's a modest collection of artisan Italian wines, as well as cocktails and Italian beers. The coffee also receives rave notices, but it’s the X factor that makes Lupo stand out: 'It's rare these days to find someone who not only runs the place but also takes the time to chat with guests, share stories and make sure everyone feels at home. And the food – wow.' 

Frequent queues stretching out of the door are testament to the daily popularity of this trendy modern Italian, which is marked by an ornamental boar's head suspended above the entrance. Manteca is that sort of place, a Shoreditch resource named boldly after a variety of fat – lard, to be precise. Ground floor seats offers views into the open kitchen, while downstairs refrigerated cabinets of home-cured charcuterie whet the appetite (salumi and prosciutto are tip-top and not to be missed). An infectious buzz animates the whole restaurant, augmented by piped tunes that some may find passably funky.

The kitchen is deadly serious about sourcing from the best suppliers, menus often change several times a day, and the chefs have the autonomy to put new dishes together on the fly. The result is a much less formulaic repertoire than is often the Italian case. A plate of line-caught sea bass crudo dressed with green strawberries was a seasonal treat on our most recent visit, while a dramatic swoop of rich, silky duck liver parfait was served with black date jam and a pile of craggy chargrilled bread. Hand-rolled pasta stars in fazzoletti with duck-fat pangrattato or tonnarelli with brown crab cacio e pepe, ahead of mains from the wood-fired oven – perhaps John Dory, plaice or a premium cut of longhorn beef. Finish with a doorstop helping of almond cake with stone-fruit and vanilla gelato.

A minimal-waste approach sees some of the beef fat turning up in the fudge with coffee, while the copiously unusable bits of globe artichoke might eventually find their way into the house cynar liqueur. Service is temperamentally patchy – mostly hail-fellow, occasionally glum. However, eminently kind pricing earns the places bonus points, especially as Italian wines on tap start at £5.50 a glass. Adventurous imbibers, meanwhile, should home in the sections of the list entitled ‘down the rabbit hole’.

Deptford High Street has a jewel in its midst; not a shiny blingy one, but a precious little gem called Marcella. 'The art of simplicity' is their mantra, and this sister to Peckham's Artusi is the sort of unpretentious local Italian joint you find yourself returning to again and again. There's an almost canteen-like sparsity to the interior, but a contemporary Scandi-inspired one, with blackboards revealing where the heart and soul of this place resides. It's a short menu, with trios of starters and mains, plus a couple of pasta dishes available in two sizes (Sicilian casarecce, the twisted one, with spicy 'nduja and mascarpone, say). The produce arriving in the kitchen is evidently sourced with due diligence, from the UK and Italy. In summer, you might find Grezzina courgettes braised in Parmesan broth with Risina beans, or grilled Sucrine lettuce matched with ricotta made from sheep's milk (plus potatoes and peas). Tender pork belly rocks up with Tropea onions and anchovy in a full-flavoured main course, while cod is paired with smoky aubergines and peppers. To finish, dark chocolate mousse gets a sweet kiss from salted caramel. The all-Italian wine list opens at £29, and includes helpfully concise tasting notes. 

Brixton has a reputation for exciting startups and on-trend eateries, so it’s curious to find a traditional Italian neighbourhood restaurant in this part of town. The venue itself is done out in minimalist style (think exposed concrete, mirrors and dark wood accentuating a couple of large-format artworks) and named after the Maremma, an unspoilt region in the south of Tuscany famed for its sparkling seasonal produce (and its luscious Super Tuscan wines).

The kitchen shows its mettle with a repertoire of classically prepared dishes that are ‘deeply Italian’ rather than ornamental. Pasta is a good call, and it's done to a high standard, from pumpkin pansotti with butter and sage or chestnut tagliatelle with cavolo nero, chilli and new season’s olive oil to pappardelle with a velvety wild boar ragù. Elsewhere, rare-breed meats feature on the specials board and there’s prime seafood in the guise of, say, seared rosemary-encrusted tuna with rocket and aged pecorino. Desserts also offer temptations galore, from Stockwell honeycomb gelato to an ‘epic tiramisu’, while cheeses are artisan Italian beauties served with chestnut honey.

You can see the chefs at work, and everything is served without pretension by a knowledgeable, welcoming team. Reasonably priced Italian cocktails are well worth sipping at the counter, and the all-Italian wine list offers some ‘fantastic selections at affordable prices’. The owners also run Il Maremmano, an ‘apericena’ bar just round the corner on Tulse Hill.

Enveloped in the restaurant quarter of Baldwin Street, a few metres from one of the river crossings, Marmo has been making waves with cooking that takes Italy as its base, but glides into effortless orbit from there. Shared tables and window perches are the drill, and the menu is a single-section document that begins with appetisers and progresses to mains without the joins showing. To start, we were wildly enthused by a single fried gnocco filled with cheese and topped with a melting diaphanous film of lardo – a salty, fatty treat.

Good sourcing of local raw materials is the foundation stone, producing dishes that major on flavour impact rather than twee presentation. A heap of roasted artichoke, radicchio and clementine looked a bit of a jumble, but at the bottom was a slick of delightful hazelnut butter that unified the lot. Meat delivered superlative, properly hung venison haunch in a light stock with celeriac purée and pickled quince in a harmonious support act, while the must-have dessert is a rectangular brick of milky chocolate mousse topped with just-set, cocoa-powdered Chantilly.

Wines by the glass prompt the diner to try out some interesting combinations. Jean-Philippe Fichet's Bourgogne Aligoté made short work of the theoretically tricky artichoke, while the half-fermented fizzing Garnacha at which we baulked initially had its buff tannic muscle flexed by the venison. The full bottle list is impressive, though prices may sit a little uneasily with the hearty informality of the place. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Marmo's new apero bar is open for nibbles and pre-/post-prandial libations.

A fixture of the local restaurant scene since 1984, Reuben Murray’s personally run neighbourhood eatery, wine shop, bakery and deli is just a short jaunt uphill from Clevedon’s pretty Victorian pier, at the top of a pleasant shopping street. The large glass frontage, silver-birch wallpaper and high ceilings give the place a light, airy feel that chimes perfectly with a menu of authentic Italian food featuring local and imported artisan produce.

Excellent pizzas and temptingly filled sandwiches satisfy the lunchtime crowd, alongside more sophisticated dishes such as a cicchetti-style starter of roast Delica pumpkin with chilli Clevedon honey, caciocavallo cheese and sage crisps or a pasta course of wild boar tortelloni with red pepper sauce. Substantial secondi might feature roast chicken leg with braised harissa chickpeas, potatoes, red onion and mint yoghurt, while desserts are traditional staples such as coffee panna cotta or warm Sicilian pannetone bread and butter pudding.

Fixed-price pizza/pasta deals liven up Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and there's a traditional Sunday roast too. On weekend evenings, the courtyard garden turns into an ‘enoteca’ with its own menu of cicchetti and antipasti to accompany choices from an impressive list of Italian wines, many of which you can also buy to take home from the adjoining deli.

When Ombra opened its doors by the banks of the Regent's Canal back in 2011, today’s gentrification was a long way off. Now this former retail site is custom-built for a taste of Venetian-style bacaro cool. Drop by on spec, have a drink and a snack with some fresh bread from the owners’ bakery Forno – whatever you fancy. It's the perfect setting with its edgy but wonderfully whimsical interior design, tinted floor-to-ceiling windows and heated terrace for alfresco socialising.

Chef Mitshel Ibrahim (ex-Clove Club) conjures up some rare inventions, taking his cue from the traditions of regional Italian small-plates grazing, but adding flavours that are all his own – how about Carlingford oysters topped with startling cherry mustard? As for his light and crispy crostino topped with the most translucent home-cured pancetta, it ranks as ’one of the singularly most delicious mouthfuls I have ever tasted,’ drooled an inspector.

Other prize nibbles might range from a ‘cauliflower mushroom’ (sparassis) with Calabrian chilli and egg yolk to cured mackerel tartare with fennel and blood orange, although you must leave room for some silky hand-rolled pasta. Tagliatelle with well-judged anchovy butter and a generous amount of shaved truffle is a ‘triumph of less is more’, while crab tortelloni with crab ragù and hen of the woods brings delicacy as well as flavour to the table.

The menu also includes a couple of heftier ‘secondi’ too (a show-stopping dish of melting sweetbreads in perfectly balanced pea and mint velouté, say), while classic ‘dolci’ could herald panna cotta with poached pears or chestnut and roasted quince semifreddo. Since ‘ombra’ is Venetian dialect for a weeny glass of wine, it’s no surprise that drinkers have a ‘really interesting’ choice of Italian low-intervention tipples to sample. There are cool spritzs and aperitifs too.

Intimate and informal, with small, closely packed, square wooden tables ranged along either side of the dining room, this cool, modern Italian offers a short, daily changing menu of fresh stuffed pasta dressed in moreish sauces. The chefs in the open kitchen conjure magic from simple ingredients, say the ox cheek ragù that's used to fill casoncelli parcels (served on a bed of celeriac purée, garnished with bresaola and Parmesan). Antipasti includes fantastic sourdough focaccia and a salad of Italian tomatoes, ricotta, balsamic vinegar and deeply flavoured grass-green virgin olive oil. Dessert might be a perfectly wobbly panna cotta of pistachio and more of that wonderful olive oil; otherwise, opt for a generous slab of Italian cheese with homemade flatbread and mustard fruits. Though not quite as popular as big brother Pasta Loco, booking is advisable, especially if you want to take advantage of the extraordinarily good-value fixed-price lunch. The dozen or so reds and whites on the carefully chosen wine list showcase Italian vintages, although France, the New World and even Essex get a brief look in. 

On paper, this rustic restaurant starts at a disadvantage. Located at the back of an old greenhouse in a plant nursery, with dirt floors and wobbly old tables and chairs, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Add to that, the difficulty of getting there: it's a decent half-hour walk from Richmond station or a tidy step from the closest bus stop; arriving by car is actively discouraged. But everyone is beguiled by the sheer style and beauty of a place that is brilliantly and artlessly filled with rustic antiques, flowers and foliage. Sit among the urns and furniture in winter; on warm summer days, the whole restaurant is transported outside, where guests dine in a vine- and wisteria-covered courtyard redolent of a Tuscan garden. The Italian-led kitchen, which trumpets sustainability and its affiliation to the Slow Food Movement, uses the nursery as a source of herbs and lettuces, but has access to produce from an related farm in Sussex, while fish is from Cornwall and Italian specialities come direct. Expect clean, fresh flavours and beautiful presentation: carpaccio of monkfish dressed with crème fraîche and chilli has wild fennel and borage petals scattered across it; slivers of artichoke are first chargrilled before the addition of capers, parsley and great chunks of crumbled Parmesan. A sirloin of organic beef from Haye Farm in Devon will be simply grilled and served with a spiky rocket salad; salmon might be salt-baked and accompanied by samphire and spinach. Portions are generous, which makes puddings a little superfluous – although the likes of peach trifle and panna cotta are not the kitchen’s strongest point anyway. Really hungry visitors will do better with the succulent, crunchy garden fritti as an accompaniment to their bellini aperitif rather than saving themselves for the last course. The stiffly marked-up wine list is Italian by inclination – though with a touch of English or French where appropriate.

If you’ve had your fill of Whitby’s fish and chips, it’s well worth the trek out of town to this buzzy pizza hot spot high up on West Cliff. Formerly a kooky science museum called the Whitby Wizard, the long, low building has been transformed into a stylish modern eatery bursting with colour and energy. Baskets of fruit, veg and breads adorn the bar, there are potted plants everywhere and when the windows are flung open, bracing whiffs of ozoney sea air waft in. Everyone can watch the wood-fired sourdough pizzas being freshly prepped in the open-plan kitchen area, and the innovative line-up goes way beyond margherita and caprese. The ‘bacon cheeseburger’ riff with gherkins and mustard is a meaty prospect, but also check out the version with broccoli, dolcelatte and confit garlic, or ‘nduja with burrata and chilli honey. Appetisers are equally creative, from mackerel with tomato and pickled radish to wood-fired lamb chops accompanied by tzatziki, and there are a few pastas too (feta and spinach tortellini with brown butter and sage, say). Round off with Italian cannoli or English strawberries with clotted cream. Almost everything on the short all-European wine list is available by the glass or carafe.

Housed in Apparel Tasker, a sustainable garment factory in Bow, this Italian café is a cosy corner sealed off by glass so guests can observe the production line while enjoying their coffee and cake. Humble home cooking of Italian and Austrian origin is on offer for weekday lunches and a Friday evening supper club. The simple, affordable menu ranges from soups and sandwiches to pizza and pasta. It changes daily, so don't come expecting anything specific  though you might be rewarded with Sardinian wild fennel soup layered with pane carasau and cheese or fettuccine alla romana with chicken offal.

With its rough-hewn brickwork and bare café tables, Jon Lawson's small but jumping joint off Old Street suits Shoreditch down to the ground. There's a Moorish, as well as moreish, air to some of the dishes, backed up by rock-solid Italian credentials founded on pasta made fresh in-house each day. Upstairs is a more conventional restaurant setting, but the counter seating on the ground floor, with chefs in the thick of it right before your eyes, is where the beating heart of the action is.

Up-to-the-minute flavours are strewn across the menu, from grilled tenderstem broccoli with egg yolk and pecorino to Dorset crab salad with merinda tomatoes and bottarga. High rollers might opt for seared tuna steak with Umbrian lentil and rosemary dressing or grilled ribeye accompanied by celeriac, cavolo nero and horseradish, although it would be a mistake to ignore the pasta – perhaps agnolotti with pork cheek and porcini butter or gnudi bianco (‘naked ravioli’ of ricotta and cavolo nero sauce).

Finish with burnt Basque cheesecake and baked apricots or honey panna cotta with rose-petal advieh (a Persian spice mix). The short wine list includes the expected clutch of skin-contact whites and a bevy of high-octane Italian reds.

When the wind is whistling through Notting Hill, but you still doggedly want to sit outside, the Portobello has a retractable-roof terrace with heaters and blankets, so you can get well bedded in and let the weather do what it likes. It's just one of the reasons this place has such a loyal following, though the benchmark pizzas might have something to do with that too. Properly puffy in texture, the raised edges blistered a little from the wood oven, their toppings are all about pedigree Italian produce – Spianata Calabrian salami, 20-month Parma ham, creamy burrata, buffalo mozzarella, piccante Gorgonzola. A whole one is fairly filling, but if you've arrived with an appetite, there are preliminary pastas such as spaghetti vongole, or paccheri with veal ragù and pecorino, to prime the pump. Simply prepared fish and meat mains are on hand to tempt any pizza denialists, and meals might end with something like bonet – Piedmontese chocolate custard with caramel sauce and amaretto. Get your bearings with the regionally divided Italian wine map that prefaces the list. Prices might seem a bit tough, but there is a serviceable glass selection from £7.50 for house Sicilian blends.

A Leeds landmark since 1976, family-owned Salvo’s has lost none of its legendary pulling power as it heads towards its 50th year. Flame-blistered, creatively topped Neapolitan-style pizzas and an impressive choice of pastas are the kitchen’s calling cards, but don’t ignore the remainder of the regular menu or the specials board – perhaps chickpea and tomato fritters, pastrami-style salmon ‘crudo’ or grilled chicken with cauliflower purée, spinach and ‘nduja jus. Desserts are time-honoured trattoria staples (tiramisu, panna cotta, lemon and polenta cake), and drinks stay with the patriotic theme – from zesty aperitifs to regional wines. Great fun and great value for families, kids, students and everyone in between.

The Scarpati family hail from the Torre del Greco quarter of Napoli, a long way from the suburb of north Leicester where they are currently domiciled, but their contribution to Britain's Italian dining scene is a precious asset to the families of locals who support the place. Despite the redbrick façade, their restaurant has an altogether glamorous feel within, thanks to an extensive refurb back in 2020. A traditional menu offers antipasti to begin, including pesto burrata or grilled octopus with artichoke and fennel. Pasta variations might feature agnolotti filled with Genovese beef ragù, pea purée, carrot and pickled onions, before the main show introduces 'four ways pork' with parsnip purée and sherry jus or roast monkfish with buttermilk and sourdough sauce. Desserts bring on some imaginative ideas in the shape of camomile-whipped panna cotta with strawberry tartlet. It's all delivered in an atmosphere of irrepressible conviviality. A separate pizza menu is served in the restaurant (Tuesday to Thursday) and all week in the PizzaBar area, while the Italian-oriented wine list has evocative tasting notes all the way through.

You wouldn’t guess it from the name, but Sonny Stores is a charming neighbourhood Italian, set in a former corner shop amid the terraces and bay windows of Southville. Out front, a blackboard advertises takeaway pizzas, but inside you’ll find no trace of Leaning Tower or Ponte Vecchio chintz: the interiors are bright and contemporary, with Fellini-esque terrazzo flooring, a smattering of potted plants and a sunflower painted over the door – indeed, it ‘feels like you’re in someone’s living room.’

The name ‘Sonny’ is borrowed from the son of owners Mary Glynn and chef Pegs Quinn (ex-River Café) – it's clear the restaurant they run together is also a labour of love. Antipasti are thoughtfully assembled – check out the excellent fat Nocellara olives and the much-loved (though admittedly not Italian) Cantabrian anchovies (chunky specimens doused in salt and oil). Starters might take inspiration from across the peninsula – there are northern Italian notes in a dish of crispy beef tongue with salsa rossa, though deep-fried whole quail with hot honey and crème fraîche on the side is more of a departure.

Pasta dishes might include looping pappardelle with rich chicken-liver ragù, parsley and Parmesan – though our standout dish was a main course of poached cod in a rich broth of clams ‘acqua pazza’, resting on bruschetta that absorbed the flavours. Some might round off with pear ice cream, brown sugar and walnut; others go for a generous slab of tiramisu. Also look out for the good-value weekday set lunches.

If it was a toss-up between Stuzzi’s Harrogate original and its more recent Leeds offshoot, readers confirm that the younger, West Yorkshire sibling would win every time. It might not look much from the outside (blacked-out windows, gold signage and a message announcing 'importers and purveyors of fine Italian stuff’), but step inside and head up to the attractive attic room, where delights aplenty await. Against a backdrop of concrete floors, contemporary bentwood chairs, rustic arches and shelves of wine bottles, visitors can dip into a roster of Italian small plates in the modern idiom. The restaurant’s name is short for ‘stuzzichini’ (the little dishes served with drinks in osterias and bars across Italy) and the kitchen delivers. Highlights from the day’s 12-dish menu might include anything from Stuzzi’s famous deep-fried pig’s head terrine with chilli, lemon and 'nduja aïoli to Puglian burrata with roasted artichoke, focaccia croûtons, pistachio and sorrel pesto. Local ingredients also get star billing, be it Harewood Estate venison tartare or chargrilled Yorkshire asparagus wrapped in home-cured chilli lardo with crispy wheat and confit lemon. For afters, treat yourself to a panino gelato (a homemade choux bun filled with Yorkshire rhubarb, vanilla gelato and Stuzzi gin). The lengthy wine list wends its way exhaustively through the Italian regions, with plenty of prestigious labels on show and prices from £25 upwards.

* A casual offshoot called the River Café Café (with its own terrace) is now open, adjacent to the main restaurant. Walk-ins only. Watch for more details coming soon. *

Only a handful of London restaurants can genuinely claim to be ‘iconic’, and this glamorous spot on a Hammersmith backstreet is one of them. Launched by Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray in 1987, the River Café’s mission was to bring the seasonal pleasures of artisan Italian cuisine to the capital. It may be approaching middle age, but this is still ‘one cool restaurant’, frequented by a well-heeled, fashion-conscious crowd who love to eat (and be seen) here. The dining space is filled with light and luminous colours (sea blue, bright yellow), there’s cafeteria-style seating and an open-plan kitchen with a wood-fired oven, while a shiny zinc bar brings you close to the action. Topping it off, an outdoor terrace with a view of the Thames is the perfect summery spot. As for the food itself, everything depends on impeccable supplies from Italy and nearer home, all attuned to the calendar. The culinary approach may be understated but ingredients are treated with the utmost respect, as in a plate of fabulously sweet, split and wood-roasted Scottish langoustines paired with garlic and parsley. Some once-thrilling ideas now seem commonplace (chargrilled squid with red chilli and rocket, for example), but others still create a special magic: a dish of hearty softened cannellini beans with summer girolles, parsley and a slice of crostino could have come straight from a Tuscan farmhouse, while properly gamey wood-roasted Yorkshire grouse (bang in season) with crispy Tuscan-style roast potatoes and a jus laced with a generous splash of Brunello di Montalcino is rustic yet sophisticated. No corners are cut here – even the wine used for cooking comes from renowned estates. For dessert, there are classics aplenty, from the sumptuous and much-copied chocolate nemesis to a citrussy Amalfi lemon tart. Service is charming to a fault, although all this fame and legacy can cost a small fortune: depending on your financial status, it can seem ‘reassuringly expensive’ or downright pricey. And you will need to nurse your bank balance if you plan to indulge in the wine list – a mighty tome packed with Italian gems (including some stunning Super Tuscans) as well as classy Champagnes. Thankfully, around 25 by-the-glass selections (from £13) help to ease the burden. 

Opened in 2021, Tropea is a love letter to Italian regional cooking, set within a clean-lined space that has recently extended into the building next door, with more covers and a bar/counter offering drinks as well as the full restaurant menu. The feel is of modern refettorio with a sleek navy-blue frontage and a cool, softly lit interior with hints of bronze and orange tones (there are tables outside, too). Reporters praise the exceptional staff, and the sharing ethos of the menus, which encourages much happy mixing and matching.

The bidding opens with inspired antipasti selections such as sea bream crudo with lightly pickled apple, monk’s beard and olive oil or gnocco fritto (fried dough) with 30-month DOP prosciutto di Parma. Pasta is a sure-fire hit (casarecce with beef-cheek ragù or tagliatelle with sautéed morels, and mushroom duxelles, for example), while the robust approach to principal dishes might embrace poached stone bass in ‘acqua pazza’ with datterini tomatoes and pickled fennel or BBQ lamb rump accompanied by Tropea onions, Jersey Royals and salsa verde. 

Anyone leaving without having bitten into one of the bombolone (filled doughnuts) has missed a trick – they are a textural sensation. Alternatively, a mighty serving of tiramisu or crisp deep-fried cannoli decadently stuffed with cream, salted caramel and chocolate sauce might fit the bill. Not surprisingly, Italy is the reference point for an approachable wine list with plenty by the glass or carafe – also, check out the prestigious ‘cellar list’ of notable regional vintages dating back to 2010.  

Warmth 'with a capital W’ is one of the prime assets at this Islington crowd-puller, which has been hitting all the right notes since opening in 2010. Matching a glowing interior and pleasing comfort with homely but vivacious Italian food, Trullo is a neighbourhood winner – whether you’re seated in the pleasingly modest ground floor (bare boards, velvet banquettes, cream walls, cheffy photos) or settled in an alcove in the atmospheric, low-lit basement. The whole place exudes a happy vibe, helped along by calm, cool, clued-up staff. On offer is a menu of unfussy yet finessed cooking with hand-rolled pasta as one of the star turns – from silky pappardelle with a deeply rich, long-cooked beef ragù to textbook pici cacio e pepe (the comforting squidge of perfectly cooked pasta, the sharpness of pecorino, the heat as you crunch into the cracked black pepper). Paper tablecloths mean you can get messy without embarrassment. After that, the oven and charcoal grill come into play, doling out everything from Brixham brill with confit garlic to spiced duck leg with Marsala – its exceptionally crispy skin contrasting with the sticky, softness of stewed onion, endive and prunes. Details such as the salt-crusted focaccia with fruity, pleasantly bitter Le Ferre estate olive oil for dipping are much appreciated, and there’s no stinting on the booze when it’s tiramisu time. Drinks include a decent selection of vermouths and a comprehensive list of Italian regional wines.

Edinburgh’s Italian gastro-scene owes a great deal to members of the Contini dynasty, in fact their original deli and wine store remains ‘numero uno’ in the city with its treasure-trove of artisan provisions. Thread your way past the shelves of comestibles and regional wines to reach the jam-packed caffè bar at the back of the premises. Informal, all-day eating is the name of the game, and everything hinges on top-notch ingredients – including plenty of seasonal Scottish produce.

Drop by for breakfast (perhaps a signature ‘panetella’ sandwich with proper kick-start coffee) or call in later for some handmade pasta – spaghettini with palourde clams or orecchiette with cime di rape, anchovies and extra-virgin olive oil. Otherwise, share an antipasti platter or graze on a salad of fennel, orange and goat’s cheese. After that, move on to a ‘primi’ plate of, say, fritto misto or pistachio-crumbed lamb rump, before rounding off with V&C’s bombolone doughnuts, a delectable cake or some gelati.

The owners are wine merchants par excellence, and you can access their authoritative cellar by choosing a bottle from the shop; just add £8 to the retail price, and you're good to go. Alternatively, browse the short caffè list from your table; bottles start at £17, and everything is available by the glass.

Framlingham’s 'Castle on the Hill' may be the stuff of song these days (thanks Ed Sheeran) but this neighbourhood Italian, just a few steps down from that hill, deserves a hit serenade too. ‘Spot-on, absolutely delicious,’ noted one diner, applauding a Dover sole, precisely roasted to that moment when the flesh slips easily from bone. Its only accompanimemts were peas and spinach sott’olio, and a length of seared chard, because 'that's all a fish of such deliciousness needs'. Two sardines ask for nothing more than a spoonful of bright salsa verde, while butter-soft slices of beef carpaccio sit perfectly with a squiggle of classic Harry’s Bar dressing and shards of Parmesan. Watson and Walpole is a place to eat deliciously all’italiana, so come hungry. Begin with frittura of brown shrimps or burrata with crushed broad beans and peas, proceed to some spectacularly fine handmade pasta, a secondo of meat or fish, and a dolce dessert. Pasta-wise, pappardelle with a gentle lamb ragù clinging to the silky ribbons stands out, so too orecchiette filled with sweet, summery crab. You could be in a seaside Puglian trattoria or – in the case of the pappardelle – a hilltop Umbrian eatery. Chicken, simply grilled, comes with colourful zucchini and chilli-pepped salsa etrusca, while a generous pork chop with borlotti beans offers something much heartier. Less hungry? You're more than welcome to drop by for a bowl of 'pasta e via' or a pizza from the hard-working wood-fired oven. To finish, the tiramisu has been described as ‘probably the best either of us has ever eaten, light, creamy and with lots of booze’. Italy’s wines in all their beautiful diversity fill a compact and reasonably priced list, with a ‘jolly decent’ Garganega from Veneto opening the offer at £20. Head round the back of Watson & Walpole to find Beviamo, a cool, informal space that is continuing the restaurant’s Italian vibe by serving up pizza by the slice from the wood-fired oven and offering cocktails such as negroni, amalfitano (a mojito with limoncello) and espresso martini alongside wine and beer.

Driven by the humane principle that life is better when we are together, Wild Artichokes is a sure-fire success story. Samantha Miller and Jane Baxter's eccentrically located restaurant, among motor repair shops down a rubbly back alley in the intestines of Kingsbridge, runs to a 'shared table' format, encouraging sociable dining and the chance to discuss Jane's food with people you haven't yet met. Tables are loaded almost haphazardly with dishes in waves of starters plus a main course with accompaniments, punctuated by the intermezzo of a pasta dish – perhaps cuttlefish lasagne or an array of seafood with black cavatelli.

'Beautiful, flavour-stuffed food comes generously and copiously from Jane Baxter's kitchen' and the cooking has an appealingly domestic air, but one that almost belies the accomplished technique that underpins it. There are layers of resonance in the simplest offerings: whipped cod's roe, rabbit rillettes or a salad of mussels, saffron, potato and fennel. Italian foodways inform much of what is served, but not to the exclusion of, say, some crab and prawn empanadas. The meat main course might be a duck crown or veal chops with spinach, lemon and sage – all chaperoned to table by a bouquet of artichokes, broad beans and peas, potatoes sharpened with pecorino, and a smartly dressed green salad.

Desserts are always a threesome: say, rhubarb and orange sundae, chocolate and ginger pudding with caramel custard, and pear and almond tart. Also watch out for the monthly 'feasting nights', which are a regular sell-out. A short wine list just about covers it, but more choices by the glass would be very much appreciated and not difficult to organise. Even so, eating here is reckoned to be 'a truly memorable experience'.

Inspired by London’s bacaro-style eateries, the hands-on Leggiero brothers have brought some true Italian aperitivo spirit to this animated spot beside a busy road in suburban Leeds. Zucco certainly looks the part – high stools, subway-tiled walls, black-and-white chequerboard floors, filament bulbs dangling from a copper-panel ceiling – and its menu ticks all the boxes. With brother Michael overseeing proceedings, the kitchen turns out kindly priced Italian small plates and sharing dishes with bags of personality and all the right accents. Pizzette and pastas are always a good shout – perhaps spaghetti with polpette or baccala (salt cod) ravioli with sage and white wine – but other items also catch the eye. How about chargrilled octopus with saffron potatoes or pork belly stuffed with apricots, sun-blush tomatoes and capers? Meanwhile, sweet-toothed punters can revel in a line-up of all-Italian classics – affogato, sgroppino, lemon and polenta cake, ricotta-filled cannoli, (vegan) gelati and so on. Equally classic cocktails share the billing with a short list of Italian regional wines, including plenty by the glass or carafe.