Da Mario Kensington

"Da Mario is a spot. It’s got photos of Princess Diana on the walls and a don’t-give-a-cavolo attitude about using cream in their rigatoni. This Kensington restaurant is on the corner of Gloucester Road, in a building that loudly mixes Venetian and Gothic styles with a homely classic Italian interior. This is a loud, messy group dinner kind of spot, for people who aren't going to critique their pasta. Yes, it’s a bit lawless. And no, it’s not the best Italian food you’ll eat in London. But it’s perfectly satisfying, well-priced, and the chaos is all part of the charm." - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak

"Da Mario is a proper old-school Italian joint in a Venetian-Gothic building that fans of interesting old buildings would love. The first thing you notice is that Da Mario’s interior is charmingly a bit rubbish. There are pictures of the late, great Princess Diana on the wall, and the food is home-style Italian, with big portions of pasta and great pizzas at semi-reasonable prices. This is a place for everybody and worth the short walk to avoid the chain-bait restaurants around Gloucester Road station." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Halal status: Ask for the halal menu This old-school Italian spot in Kensington has been around for decades, and not only does it have some pretty decent vegetarian options, but it also has a separate halal menu which you can get by asking a server. Come here for big portions of feelgood pasta and great pizzas at a decent price." - rianne shlebak

"This old-school Italian spot is rough round the edges—and we love it for that. Da Mario is in a Venetian-Gothic building, with a homely interior, spacious downstairs room, and an Italian menu of big-portion pastas and some pretty great pizza. And of course, tiramisu. It's a big jagged-edge slice of creamy, cakey, caffeine-filled tiramisu, excellently balanced between sweet and bitter. Like everything at this charming place, it’s perfectly imperfect." - sinead cranna, jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager

"In a Venetian-gothic building on the corner of Gloucester Road, Da Mario has a homely interior, a spacious downstairs room, and an Italian menu of big portions of pastas and some pretty great pizza. This is a restaurant where you can feel comfortable bringing a crowd, because it will satisfy most. It’s a loud, messy, group dinner spot, or a lunch with friends who aren’t going to critique the fact that they used cream in their rigatoni. " - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna