Gloria

"Gloria is the mamma of all the Big Mammas. The OG London Big Mamma restaurant in Shoreditch, she’s the more mature, down-to-earth one of the group that won’t confuse you with grand winding stairs or five different rooms all with a different personality. Instead, there’s some calm cohesion between each space and you can eat chewy bufala mozzarella-topped pizza in a cosy booth that feels like a cocoon. The additional rooms—a mirrored-ceiling basement that treads a fine line between looking old-school and having your actual granddad’s carpet on the floor, and a grown-up candlelit wine room—aren’t as in your face as the other restaurants. But don't you want that a little bit from a Big Mamma spot?" - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"For when you’re married to your partner, and the TV remote. Think of Gloria as your marriage counsellor. Your loud and proud, Italian, Aperol-wielding, marriage counselor. Sure, that’s probably not ethical, but the point is, this Shoreditch trattoria is exactly the kind of place that will remind you of all the fun you had before saving for a Dyson became you and your partner’s priority. From the service to all of the velour and mirrored surfaces, this place is entirely over the top - which makes it entirely appropriate to get drunk whilst making your way through a pizza and their carbonara, that just so happens to be served out of a huge block of parmesan. Sexy. If you’re not stumbling home at midnight with grand, negroni-fuelled plans to book a second honeymoon, then you’re doing it wrong." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing

"A faux-Italian trattoria plonked in the middle of Old Street and Shoreditch serving pizza and pasta under punny names should, by all rights, be everything you love or hate in the world. It’s a Marmite restaurant, just like its Big Mamma siblings Ave Mario and Circolo Popolare. Yet Gloria, with its ridiculous carbonara mixed in a parmesan wheel, and its desserts that are dramatic in both looks and flavour, will (potentially) charm you. OTT Italian accents and all. Just remember to try and book a table." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver, Daisy Meager

"Maybe it’s your birthday. Maybe you haven’t seen your friends for a while. Or maybe one of you got divorced. It doesn’t matter what the cause for 12pm celebrations is, Gloria will see you right with a brunch that involves sinking Aperols and sinking into Aperol-coloured cushions. You can order the perfectly fine toffee apple french toast and eggs alla fiorentina, and pretend that’s why you're at this Italian trattoria in Shoreditch. But we see you stumbling off to the bathroom for a photoshoot with a photogenic fern. This is your chance to live inside a Dolce & Gabbana fantasy—breakfast sandos and pancakes are just props. Just know that brunch is only available on weekends." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna

"The scene at Gloria is about as inconspicuous as a wet dog wearing hi-vis. A Shoreditch trattoria that’s built on frills, truffle, and supersized profiteroles, you can get involved in the breakfast menu from 11.30am at the weekend. It features all of the usual suspects—eggs, pancakes, more eggs—but everything has received Gloria’s La Dolce Vita treatment. The French toast is covered in tiramisu cream, the scrambled eggs come with its own little mountain of parmigiano, and you can add 24-month prosciutto to your poached eggs. Oh, and Gloria takes bookings of up to 16 people, so you’ve officially just lost your reason not to invite your friend’s new partner who publishes pictures of their running routes. Sorry. " - rianne shlebak, jake missing, heidi lauth beasley