La Parmigiana

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

The longevity of La Parmigiana, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2008, is attributable to its doing a number of things very well and one or two superbly. The petite dining room exudes refinement, with pristine table linen offset by vibrant red walls and royal blue chair covers. Crisply attired waiters express little but polite, professional formality, foregrounding the high standards and importance of the cuisine. The restaurant continues to win awards for the quality of its ingredients, with owner and head chef Sandro Giovanazzi passionately advocating the sourcing of authentically Italian and fresh local produce. A raw fillet of beef carpaccio benefits from parmesan shavings, the salty taste of the cheese drying and priming the tongue for the glistening red cuts of meat. Char-grilled Scottish Minch scallops are fresh and beautifully cooked, a light lime sauce adding zing. The moist Gressingham duck (specially procured from Suffolk) is presented in a red wine sauce with a sweet accompaniment of cherries, while gamey medallions of venison arrive with ground pellets of porcini mushroom and Italian sausage – a gratifying array of meaty textures and tastes. Champagne excepted, the informative wine list is exclusively Italian.

• High point: Excellent house wine
• Low point: Italian easy listening on the stereo