If you’ve been waiting patiently for a kitsch, tongue-in-cheek bar that pays homage to the playful side of Italy, with party-animal PM Silvio Berlusconi as the poster boy, you’re in luck.
That it comes from the the minds of Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling, the duo behind Sloane bars Kitts, Bart’s and Lady Thatcher-inspired, '80s-themed nightspot Maggie’s, should come as no surprise.
From cheeky political caricatures to Roman busts on the walls, or vintage mopeds suspended from the ceiling, there isn’t an inch of this bar-pizzeria not covered in some sort of colourful memorabilia.
Live music is another feature, again of the quirkiest (or most questionable) kind: the launch party saw Wagner from ‘The X Factor’ manning the bongos, while on our Saturday night visit, there was a moustachioed man in Tyrolean garb prancing about on the small stage, singing everything from ‘Valerie’ to ‘Delilah’ while playing with his tiny banjo.
Drinks continue the theme, with a compact selection of Italian wine and beers augmented by Prosecco-, Martini- and Campari-based cocktails.
Our £7 Berlusconi Bellini, a simple composition of spiced peach purée and Prosecco served in a 1920s-style Champagne glass with pretty little flowers, was irresistibly girly: just the ticket for seducing a barely legal filly or two in the early hours of the morning.
Sustenance, meanwhile, comes in the form of cured meats, bruschetta and slices of pizza – there are dedicated clusters of tables for eating.
But be warned: in spite of its out-of-the-way Battersea Bridge location, this place can already get packed to bursting with a twentysomething crowd, and noise levels can be deafening. Don’t go expecting an intimate supper.