Pimlico, Italian Restaurant Guide

Modelled on Continental cafés, this duo occupy a Victoria hotel and the ground floor of the art’otel by Battersea Power Station. Only the former gets much in the way of nominations, particularly as a good-value destination with kids in tow. There’s a variety of salads, pasta and soups with simple grills and bakes (including to share) the main event. Top Menu Tip – “the fried zucchini is tops”.

After 25 years in St James’s, chef patron Gianni Andolfi and his team shifted early last year to a tucked-away, corner-site on the Victoria/Westminster borders, near Rochester Row. Hitherto it’s been known for straightforward Italian cooking at very competitive prices for the West End – let’s hope they will keep it up and win a new audience in this ‘off-the-beaten-track’ locale.

“Very handy for Victoria station” and directly opposite the Apollo Theatre – “this small Italian restaurant serves up good, hearty, authentic grub at a reasonable price” and is “convenient for a quickish meal”. (“We asked them to bring us what they would recommend: the lasagna was the best I’ve tasted for many years, the pizza was good and the bruschetta were absolutely delicious – will return!”).