North Kensington, Italian Restaurant Guide

This “decent Notting Hill Italian” is “always mobbed (and the back area is particularly noisy), but the basic fare is great quality and the service is smiley”. It has notched up a quarter of a century, and spawned two offshoots in the same street – Essenza and Osteria Basilico.

A “local favourite” in Notting Hill for more than 30 years on account of its “always-consistent” cooking, this rustic Italian is the sort of place with something for “every member of the family”. It has spawned two offspring in the same street, Essenza and Mediterraneo – an indication of how well it suits the neighbourhood.