Restaurants

Bar the pun, this Italian in the middle of the Strand has plenty to commend it: a friendly atmosphere, warm lighting, and an innate 18th century charm, thanks to the original wood panelling. The back half of this narrow strip of a restaurant is officially a cosy bar, but in practice two thirds of the space is used to seat diners fond of pasta and the satisfying sauces that accompany them. If the best- selling steak in a blue cheese sauce sounds too rich, you may prefer a more earthy bangers and mash or roast beef. There is no (printed) dessert menu; it changes so regularly that your waiter will recite the (on average) seven choices to you.