Osteria dell'Arancio

The fun, bohemian character of Osteria dell'Arancio has recently become distinctly haute boho, attracting affluent Chelsea folk. A charming, knowledgeable new manager/maître d' runs the front of house, and the kitchen specialises in the food of Le Marche, Tuscany and Piedmont.

Head chef Pierluigi Sandonnini trained in Italy under Gualtiero Marchesi (considered the founder of modern Italian cuisine) and brings a new finesse to the food. There's also a fresh focus on wine, with several fine vintages available by the glass from oxygen-free dispensers, and regular wine tastings in the airy upper room.

Sadly, we found the new regime somewhat ragged round the edges. The bread, when it eventually came, seemed stale and when more was requested it was much the same. A starter of grilled squid with orange and fennel salad was rather light on both fennel and orange, although the squid was beautifully cooked. Sea bass with courgette ribbons (a main course) was under-seasoned. To cap it all, a cheeseboard that took ages to arrive consisted of a lacklustre assortment of little cubes of hard cheeses, with no blue, creamy or goat's cheese. As with all the maître d's wine recommendations, however, the accompanying sweet Recioto was a perfect match