Clapham, Italian Restaurant Guide

“A short menu of high quality” continues to win acclaim for this “great little Italian off Clapham High Street”, where the “delicious sharing plates” are inspired by renowned chef-patron Robin Gill’s time working on the Amalfi coast. He first made his name here in Clapham with The Dairy, which opened 12 years ago and closed down in 2020.

“We love the pistachio decor and the spacious seating”, say fans of this expanding chain, which had operated as a treasured old deli in Soho for over 75 years before starting to branch out as a pasta-chain in 2018. Impressions of it are something of a mixed bag though. To fans, its stylised outlets are “very convenient” and “can be trusted for a good-value and enjoyable experience with excellent food” (mostly pasta) in “sensible portions”. On the downside, though, are a fair number of diners to whom it’s a good concept whose execution is “perfectly fine but unexciting” (“starters good, pasta average-to-good, but compared with folk who had raved to me about other branches, I was left with a sense of ‘meh?’”). Still, their backers are enthusiastic and this year they added new locations in Greek Street and South Kensington.