This Blackheath Italian had a big rethink and rejig about half a year ago, installing a chef with considerable pedigree. Alex Tyndale previously worked at Chapter One, while the menu was created by Piero Marengi of L’Anima.
The comprehensive Italian menu features plenty of pasta (available both as starters and mains), but it’s the two- or three-course set menus that are the real bargains (at £13.95 and £16.95 respectively at dinner; it’s cheaper at lunch).
Grilled sardines and fennel or chicken liver crostini with a heady marsala sauce were on offer on our visit, though mains fared better with a well-cooked cod in a punchy Tuscan tomato, caper and anchovy sauce.
Creamy panna cotta, smooth and rich like silken tofu, served with ripe strawberries and slivers of basil finished off the meal nicely.
The service is everything you’d expect from a good local restaurant, too – friendly staff and the right amount of banter.