Shelves of preserves, dangling hams, salame, wine racks and a fully loaded antipasti table set the foodie tone in glass-fronted La Pietra – a stylish Spitalfields Italian also renowned for its dramatic photographic mural and vast menu. To start, take your pick from the likes of octopus salad with potatoes, peppered mussels or beetroot and goats’ cheese with dried fruit, before sampling some homemade pasta – perhaps pappardelle with porcini or macaroni with wild boar bolognese. Many of the main courses are served straight from the kitchen on hot stone plates, and the restaurant is also noted for its wood-fired pizzas (including some ‘white’ versions made without tomatoes). Home-baked pastries and desserts round off proceedings, and there’s a decent choice of regional Italian and international wines to wash it all down. Note that La Pietra is also open for City breakfasts and weekend brunch.