“Pretty much always the perfect choice, no matter who you're eating with”, says a fan of Pentolina – a much-loved, long-standing Italian tucked away behind Olympia’s exhibition venues. Inside it feels gently rustic with reclaimed wooden tables, vases of flowers and assorted artworks on the walls – a mood enhanced by cheery personal service and lots of neighbourly chatter. It’s pretty noisy and it often feels cramped, but no one minds when the kitchen can deliver “beautifully cooked” Italian food of the old school. Start with slow-cooked Sicilian octopus stew, move on to pappardelle with veal ragù or sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and greens beans, and finish with iced nougat parfait or pistachio cake with honey. Also look out for the occasional modern riff – perhaps carpaccio of red prawns with pea shoots, lamb’s lettuce and pink grapefruit. “Great wine pairings” are also appreciated – in fact one reader “just loves it”.