If you don’t want Marco Pierre White staring you down while you make your order, then this casual Italian chain – whose concise menus are backed with a huge picture of the chef mid-smoulder – is perhaps not for you. However, for bankable Italian classics from one of the country’s most-recognisable chefs, Bardolino’s is a safe bet. This is thoroughly recognisable Italian fare: stone-baked pizzas whose toppings wouldn’t scare a Pizza Express regular, pasta dishes such as lasagne or spaghetti meatballs with red sauce, and desserts spearheaded by tiramisu – with a bar dispensing house bellinis and other Italianate cocktails, plus good coffee. With their stylish interiors – the open-plan dining rooms mix white-tiled walls with washed woods, gilded feature lighting, colourful vintage posters and commanding views – this chain is spot-on for families, quick meals, or a bottomless brunch.