Palatino

71 Central St, London

Named after one of Rome’s seven hills, Stevie Parle’s fifth restaurant is authentic, without being shackled by tradition. Apart from mustard yellow sofas the interiors are understated, allowing the open kitchen to take centre stage. A grill belches clouds of delicious-smelling smoke up to the Tube map of pipes on the ceiling, while a specialised oven produces extraordinary gnocchi. The palm-sized parcels are lightly crisped on the outside and shiny with brown butter. Fried sage leaves are served alongside honey vinegar, which cuts through the delicate egg white batter beautifully.