"When you eventually find it (under the green neon passageway, through the second courtyard), it won’t take long to realise that Lavanderia Vecchia was once a laundry room. But if you’ve ever set foot in a real Neukölln laundrette, you’ll be relieved that this Italian restaurant, with little wooden tables and hanging embroidered dish cloths, looks more like a 1950s movie set. The fixed five-course meat or fish menu (depending on the week you visit) will feature antipasti, followed by a primo, like squid ink spaghetti, and a satisfyingly simple secondo. After dessert, you’ll be invited to have an espresso at the bar, which is a needed pick-me-up after necking the half bottle of house wine that comes with the €62 menu." - Olivia Ladanyi