AL DENTE South Kensington

"A hop, skip, and a T-rex tail away from the Natural History Museum, Al Dente is a great little Italian restaurant we go to when we just want to hang out with our friends ‘cacio’ and ‘pepe’. It’s open from lunch until late and almost all of the pastas are under £15, which is impressive in a part of town—South Kensington—where dogs have their own manicurists. Get a seat at the bar, make eye contact with your handmade pasta, and have a chat with the friendly servers if you decide you do want human interaction after all. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"With fresh pasta for under £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 gnocchi for a speedy, good-value lunch if you’re in the area.  " - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Al Dente in South Kensington is a great all-rounder. The Italian restaurant is the equally perfect backdrop for a casual first date as it is for a last-minute catch-up with your favourite people in the intimate corner seats with a view into the kitchen. The menu is filled with excellently executed classics like cacio e pepe and pumpkin ravioli so soft and delicately spiced that you’ll inhale it within five minutes. The pocket-friendly prices mean you could pop in for a speedy, good-value lunch if you’re in the area.  " - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"With fresh pasta for under £15, moody interiors, and intimate corner seats with a view into the kitchen, Al Dente in South Kensington is a great all-rounder. The Italian restaurant is the equally perfect backdrop for a casual first date as it is for a last-minute catch-up with your favourite people. The servers are friendly, the menu is filled with handmade pastas that make classics like cacio e pepe that extra bit more exciting, and the prices mean you could pop in for a bowl of gnocchi for a speedy, good-value lunch if you’re in the area. photo credit: Pattie Tobin" - Rianne Shlebak