Cafe Murano Bermondsey

"Fancy without feeling stiff, glossy without feeling try-hard, and classy without feeling too polished. No, we’re not talking about Bermondsey’s Very Good Dogs, we’re talking about Cafe Murano. The Italian restaurant covers pretty much every type of situation. Intimate date night? Grab one of the secluded booths and fork at tender gnocchi. Boisterous catch-up with friends? Head to the spacious main dining room. A low-key night? Ask for a table in the small dining space towards the back and split a huge pork chop bathing in salty anchovy butter sauce.  " - heidi lauth beasley, daisy meager

"Maximum capacity: 14 Minimum spend: set menu starts at £55 per person Bermondsey’s Cafe Murano nails the fine balance of being fancy but not uptight, and classy but not too polished. The Italian spot has a discreet private dining room that feels separate to the restaurant. Tucked away in here—getting into a huge pork chop bathing in salty anchovy butter sauce—is a great place to be. The warm and attentive staff will look after you well too." - heidi lauth beasley, sinead cranna

"Bermondsey’s Cafe Murano nails the fine balance of being fancy but not uptight, and classy but not too polished. The Italian restaurant covers pretty much every type of situation. Intimate date night? Grab one of the secluded booths and fork at tender gnocchi. Boisterous catch-up with friends? Head to the bright, white-tiled main dining room. A low-key lunch? Ask for a table in the small, low-lit space towards the back and share a huge pork chop bathing in salty anchovy butter sauce. Wherever you end up, the warm and attentive staff will look after you well." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver, Rianne Shlebak, Sinead Cranna

"Sitting at the other end of the Italian restaurant spectrum to red-sauce-and-checked-tablecloth joints, Cafe Murano has locations in Covent Garden, St James’s and Bermondsey. Go all out and order a primi portion of pasta followed by secondi and dolci, or make it all about the carbs and opt for a bigger main-sized serving. When there’s refined pumpkin tortelli, tuna puttanesca and simple but stunning spaghetti al pomodoro on offer, it’s okay to stick to the pasta. Top tip: at the Covent Garden restaurant’s next-door deli and pastificio, there’s always a weekly-changing, lunchtime pasta special for six quid, to eat in or take away." - Daisy Meager

"Bermondsey’s Cafe Murano nails the fine balance of being fancy but not uptight, and classy but not too polished. The Italian restaurant covers pretty much every type of situation. Intimate date night? Grab one of the secluded booths and fork at tender gnocchi. Boisterous catch-up with friends? Head to the bright, white-tiled main dining room. A low-key lunch? Ask for a table in the small, low-lit space towards the back and share a huge pork chop bathing in salty anchovy butter sauce. Wherever you end up, the warm and attentive staff will look after you well. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Daisy Meager