"Bancone is a no-brainer. This little handmade pasta bar works for dates, mates, birthdays, and miscellaneous occasions like ‘your flatmate who secretly eats your expensive yoghurts is leaving for six months and it’s time to celebrate’. It’s one of our favourite places for a serious carbohydrate situation and you can swap out the regular pasta for a gluten-free alternative. Although it gets pretty busy, you can always try the Soho or Borough Yards locations if the Covent Garden restaurant is full. " - heidi lauth beasley, sinead cranna