"With fresh pasta for around £15 and moody interiors that make an equally perfect backdrop for a casual first date as it would a last-minute catch-up with your favourite people, Al Dente in South Kensington is a great all-rounder. The servers are friendly, the Italian menu is filled with classics like cacio e pepe made to an excellent standard, and the prices mean you could pop in for a bowl of ravioli for a speedy, good-value lunch if you’re in the area." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley