L'Aragosta

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• Average price 2 courses:
   £6.95 (set lunch)
   £16 (evening meal)
• House wine: £10.95 per bottle

• High point: Freshly prepared menu
• Low point: Very heavy dusting of icing sugar on desserts
• Food served: Tue-Sat noon-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm; Sun 4-10pm. Closed Mon
• Open since: 1998
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Take away, Pre-theatre menu

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

With its walls adorned with green, white and red stripes, shots of the national football team and even a signed photograph of actor/director Roberto Benigni, there's no doubting in which nation this restaurant's heart lies. Since taking over in 2006, owners Jenny Hilton and Domenico Rossi have worked hard to bring customers back to this neighbourhood haunt, successfully doubling the turnover within 12 months. Delicious smells waft into the dining room from the small service hatch, and occasionally the chefs will catch your eye and give a wave. The menu is as traditional as the decor and the food is commendable for being freshly prepared and cooked with care. Pleasantly chewy gnocchi come in a sweet tomato sauce with chunks of aubergine, while squid tentacles and cuttlefish pieces are crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle. A moist medallion of veal is served with Parma ham, fragrant sage and a sweet marsala sauce. For £35, monthly Italian nights deliver a six-course meal - each served with a different regional wine - with entertainment provided by live musicians (who are often accompanied by diners by the end of the evening).