This is the late chef and Italophile Russell Norman’s ode to a Florentine trattoria. Instantly atmospheric, the downlit restaurant has linen draped over bulbs and tables set on various levels. Red-and-white checked tablecloths are covered in plates splattered with tonnato sauce and caperberries or raw porcini mushrooms topped with shards of aged Parmesan. A restaurant with one of London’s most authentic Italian moods and menus.

A shape-shifting fantasy of a gallery that has become a pioneering catapult for early-career artists. Housed in a former sandwich shop, the all- white space helps bring a young, unconventional and diverse creative scene to the public. For those even vaguely interested in art, Ginny on Frederick is worth a look. And admission to the gallery is free.

This has to be London’s smartest Italian restaurant – with a Michelin star to show for it. Made up of several connected dining rooms, each space feels intimate, but we love the tables on the terrace. During summer months the roof retracts for alfresco lunches, but it also feels gloriously cosy when you’re by the fire with the rain hitting the roof for the rest of the year. The service is smart, the pasta (rigatoni with sausage ragu, Agnolotti of alpine speck) is perfect, and the lemon tart is sensational. A date-night spot for when you’re pulling out all the stops.

Around the corner from Smithfield meat market, this former smokehouse is an institution of the British nose-to-tail movement. Opened in 1994 by Fergus Henderson (husband of Margot Henderson, chef patron of Rochelle Canteen), it serves simple plates such as mince on dripping toast and roast bone marrow salad. Some recipes have been on the menu for 30 years, and have inspired a generation of chefs by defining the term Modern British. If you visit just one restaurant in London, this should probably be it.