Mercante

Hotel restaurants don’t always scream character, but this laid-back Italian in the Sheraton on Piccadilly almost makes you forget you’re within stumbling distance of a few hundred quietly buzzing minibars. Sitting somewhere between upscale deli-café and full-on restaurant, Mercante has a punchy, concise menu, allowing you to choose whether to snack or stuff yourself silly. Dive straight in to large helpings of rib of beef and rabbit, or graze on smaller plates like I did.

The young staff are lively and helpful: clearly passionate about food. My waiter had even made the house limoncello himself, which was exciting to hear but came with a downside. Call me naïve, but when a waiter offers you a limoncello ‘to try’, wouldn’t you expect it to be free? Not here – our ‘yes’ meant £10 being added to our bill. Suddenly it felt like I was very much in a hotel – the sort that charges for wi-fi and punishes you for drinking over-priced mineral water in the middle of the night. It was a silly mistake, but it left a very un-limoncello sour taste in the mouth after an otherwise fun meal.