Padella restaurant - London, UK

When Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda opened Trullo back in 2010, the restaurant was part of a new breed of London Italian that traded in simplicity and superior ingredients over nostalgia and cliché. 

Now, Padella, the duo’s latest offering, brings sparkling interiors – polished metal, monochrome and rippling expanses of marble – as well as a pared-down menu to the London Bridge neighbourhood, adjacent to Borough Market and the city’s gastronomic beating heart. To the pleasure of locals, pasta is made by hand in the morning before service and paired with slow-cooked sauces – standouts include an excellent pappardelle with beef shin ragu, and Tuscan pici smothered in an extravagant cacio e pepe sauce.    

The ground floor’s compact dining room – dominated by casual countertop seating – unfolds to reveal a spacious downstairs area, where a handful of tables and chairs offer a more conventional ambience. Small-batch Italian wines are served on tap from barrels alongside a clutch of classic aperitifs, and be sure to order the lemon tart to finish.