Italian Restaurant of the Year

“The original restaurant used to be above the Academy cinema on Oxford Street, where I would watch films in the 70s. Sometimes only my wife Helen and I were in there. It was a lovely haven. When the Academy closed in the early 80s the restaurant moved to Poland Street. For a while, it did OK business, and then suddenly it began to fill up.

The secret of its success is absolute consistency. I’ve never been disappointed in a meal here. I always bring friends here because it is not pretentious; it hasn’t got the baggage of a restaurant living on its reputation. No one comes here to be seen. People come here not to be seen. And if you don’t know what to order, Vasco will bring you a sample to taste to help you make up your mind. Everything is very lightly done; there is nothing heavy. I nearly always have the calves’ liver, as it’s the best in London. Our children come now with their friends. They’ve sort of inherited it. I hear more news about my children from Vasco than I do from them. It has always felt like a home from home. ”

ITV London Restaurant Awards