Back in the day, Scalini was considered one of London’s ‘premier restaurants’, observes a reader – and crowds still flock to this long-serving, ultra-traditional Italian, despite rather ‘surly service’ and ‘astronomic prices’. A photographic wall of fame at the back of the pale, yellow-walled dining room testifies to its enduring popularity with celebs as well as locals and tourists, who come here for food that that is familiar, reassuring and resolutely old school. Apart from the odd the seasonal special, the menu rarely changes – so get your fill of baked avocado with crab and cheese sauce, tortellini with Gorgonzola, cream and asparagus, char-grilled lobster or calf’s liver with butter and sage. Like the menu, the wine list is Italian to the core, with the odd French vintage for good measure.