Gastronomica

It’s always a pleasure to encounter big-hearted Italian hospitality in London, & Gastronomica, an unassuming little wedge-shaped delicatessen in Wapping, offers it by the plateful. The ‘all-you-can-eat’ pasta night on Thursdays (£9 per person) & aperitif night on Fridays are cases in point, but a sense of generosity imbues the everyday offering of abundantly stuffed piadine & ciabattas, attractive cured meats & cheese platters. At £19.50, 500g of buffalo mozzarella with basil & excellent tomatoes is a treat to share with chums over a bottle of Italian wine from the shelves. Stop by for a coffee or fizzy Chinotto drink, pick up a few Amalfi lemons & olives to go – or linger at one of the wooden tables among the plentiful provisions & chill out to your heart’s content.