Locanda del Melo in Southwark

I cannot recommend this place enough; it is truly a hidden gem. The setting is modest and cozy, while the dishes themselves quite simple, because that's all they need to be. You cannot only taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients themselves, but also the expertise and care that went into cooking them. On top of that, the service is incredible. The only thing stopping you is perhaps making a reservation, since seating is quite limited, but this only adds to the charm and is well worth the small effort. 10/10.

Met a friend here for lunch and absolutely loved it. They do a two course lunch for £14.95 and had minestrone soup but other option was bruschetta. Really delicious. I had the spaghetti with cheese and pepper and my friend had pasta with chicken. Again delicious. Any quibbles. Thought £5.90 for few prices of white bread and oil was a bit steep. But that's minor and this place is really worth a visit.

The reason for calling this restaurant 'A Delicious Surprise' is that it has a most unassuming frontage and you could be forgiven for thinking this is just an italian delicatessen. It is not! My father lived in Milan for over 50 years and I was a regular visitor to the country for the same amount of time. As such, I feel that I have decent credentials when it comes to Italian food. Locanda del Melo produces the best Italian food I can recall having outside of Italy, period. The fritto misto is a marvel with beautifully light batter around the prawns and squid on a bed of zucchini strips, and the spaghetti a la vongole was cooked al dente with plenty of clams and the traditional garlic backdrop. This is a place that is regularly frequented by a good friend of mine and over lunch we decided that it has to be the location for an upcoming reunion for twelve of us. An absolute gem!