Prezzo North Audley Street

With branches spanning the country & more launching all the time, you’re never that far from a Prezzo. Often sited in unusual or historic buildings, interiors are clean & contemporary. The menu plays a straight bat with basic & cheap-to-make trattoria dishes including pizzas, pasta & salads, which go down a treat with a suburban crowd lured in by the group’s savvy money-saving vouchers. A simple platter of antipasti – prosciutto, salami, mozzarella, olives & semi-dried tomatoes – is a good place to start, followed by spaghetti topped with bolognese, carbonara or meatballs. When it comes to pizzas & grills, it’s also best to go with the basics: a quattro stagioni, say, or chicken with a mushroom & Marsala sauce. Service is usually pleasant, but if you come here expecting culinary fireworks, you’re barking up the wrong tree.