Via Condotti

The softly lit, bronzed facade of Via Condotti floats like a dolls house on fashionable Conduit Street, warmly inviting you in.

The precedent of class is set immediately with the elegant glasses of Prosecco offered to accompany the unpretentious selection of delicious, regional specialities, whilst you peruse the menu. Fragile, mature lumps of parmigiano crumble with complexity, and the selection of multicoloured olives and a miscellaneous bread basket are a very lucky dip. And your meal is still yet to begin. With four courses still to come, Italian meals can be charged with either gluttony or variety . Enjoy a happy medium ? four courses will set you back a reasonable ?29.50.

Chef?s speciality antipasto parmigiana di melanzane stacks chunky tiers of juicy baked aubergine, tomato and mozzarella, exuding a complex taste belying its basic components. Moccetta ossolana ? wafer-thin cured beef served with celeriac provides a lighter, more cultured option.

On the pasta front the ravioli - overflowing with a creamy mixture of scamorza cheese, sun dried tomato and basil sauce - are a touch on the smoky side but have fabulous texture. The candele and baby octopus basks in a pool of fresh, oily, herb and tomato sauce which is self-assured in its conventionality.

The variety of meat and fish is fantastic with some unusual dishes on offer. Their enjoyable cacciatore rabbit lacks a gamey smack, but is complemented by a muddle of intricate mushroom essences. The char-grilled rack of lamb is a stand-out dish. Don?t fear the large chunks of fat they leave on the meat - this ensures possibly the juiciest, tastiest cut of lamb in the West End. Wash it all down with a light, fruity red ? the staff are knowledgeable and pleased to recommend from the proudly regional wine list.