Viva Verdi

Viva Verdi is stylish, modern & good-value, with a modest selection of undemanding main courses such as ravioli filled with ricotta & spinach or chicken suprema valdostana (draped with prosciutto & fontina cheese) that will leave you with change from a tenner. There’s an appetising selection of piadina & panini for a quick lunch, plus wooden boards of cured meats, with bresaola, mortadella & spianata sliced on a gleaming red vintage Berkel that takes centre stage by the bar. The place is named after composer Giuseppe Verdi, who worked in Parma, so you’ll also find aged Parmigiano Reggiano & prosciutto di Parma imported direct from the northern city. As you’d expect, the concise wine list is all-Italian & reasonably priced, bar a couple of top-notch reds such as Castello Banfi’s Brunello, if you feel like pushing the boat out.