SPUNTINO

Russell Norman is getting quite the reputation for providing hungry Londoners with perfect Italian morsels in his various Soho eateries. What started with Polpo was continued with mini restaurant Polpetto, and topped off by the Cicheti Bar.

The much-awaited third restaurant can be found in the rather insalubrious surroundings of Soho’s seedier backstreets, with a view on adult video stores and various knocking shops. Step in – with the tattooed bar staff, pencils shoved nonchalantly behind the ear, you get the instant feeling that you’ve escaped the world outside.

The space has been inspired by industrial New Yorky interiors, stripped back to reveal amazing Victorian tiles and lit up by caged light bulbs above the massive bar which takes up the majority of the space. The food may be Italian-inspired, but the flavour is Americana.

There’s a table at the back for sharing, but the main action is around the pewter bar. Grab one of the 25 seats (you can’t reserve here and there’s no phone, so turn up early or be prepared to wait) and dive into the paper menu (which doubles as your placemat).

The mac’n’cheese is just right, sliders are succulent and more-ish, and the eggplant chips served with fennel yogurt just the right side of deep-fried. If you like something sweet, the peanut butter jelly dessert is a wicked twist on the traditional sandwich, and slices of pineapple served with liquorice ice-cream will tingle even the most retarded of taste buds.

Finish up with a cup of Joe served drip in a tin mug, or have one of the imaginative cocktails (absinthe and a teapot anyone?) before heading across the road to to sate any other remaining appetites at the Rupert Street bar.