Amici Miei

The owners of the Due Sardi pizza/pasta takeaway have begun to carve out for themselves a little Italy in Kingsland Road with the opening of this restaurant proper next door.

Vietnamese places aside, Shoreditch is an area lacking in decent, inexpensive places to eat, and so this recently refurbished space was almost full on the evening we visited, creating a friendly buzz.

Tables are tightly packed in - 'larger' diners, or those with anything confidential to discuss, might wish to look elsewhere.

Amici Miei ('My Friends') is an urban update of the traditional trattoria. The menu lists bruschetta, chicken milanese, tiramisu, panna cotta. Black-clad waiters appear at the table after dishes with, yes, suggestions of black pepper and parmesan.

A specials board advertised more adventurous options: we took up its offer of whitebait, which was a serviceable plate of deep fried fish and a wedge of lemon - although they were begging for a blob of mayonnaise to lubricate and enliven them.

Goats' cheese and spinach ravioli with tomato sauce and basil was well made and refined - but our other main of Sardinian pasta with sausage meat and tomato sauce was bland in comparison.

We would have tried one of those stalwart desserts, but our corner table was overlooked by staff for a good ten minutes after our mains were finished, so we just asked for the bill.

Amici Miei is not without its virtues - it's inexpensive, and there are several wines on the safe, all-Italian list for less than £20. It's a lively and warm restaurant, too, with minimally stylish decor and twinkling candles. Due Sardi's pizzas are certainly popular, and the ravioli showed promise, so perhaps order differently and you'll be more impressed.