As you walk up Chapel Market, Dolcetto is a great unexpected find! The atmosphere is warm and it is one of those places that looks inviting and makes you want to go in.

The restaurant area is made up of beige chairs and wooden tables and has an open kitchen with the pizza oven in full view. The red brick walls give it a rustic feel but it also feels really modern with the funky framed pictures.

The Bruschetta Tradizionale was two thin slices of toasted bread, topped with plenty of plenty of chopped tomatoes. The Calamari Fritti starter was great. You could tell that the calamari was fresh as it was not at all chewy or rubbery. The deep fried calamari was served with some salad and a tangy tartare sauce.

The pizza menu was quite quirky. Some of the pizzas had been named after cars, such as Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Gallardo. We went for something less adventurous and had the Pizza Vegetariana. We weren’t sure which vegetables to expect as the menu only said seasoned vegetables. This vegetarian pizza had a crisp base and was topped with big slices of courgettes, peppers, olives and mushrooms. It was nice that the pizza came already sliced, which made it a lot easier to eat.

My favourite dish had to be the Risotto ai Porcini. It had a wonderful rich flavour to it. Lots of sliced mushrooms together with the creamy rice made it a hearty dish. A really great side dish was the roast potatoes. These were absolutely perfect: crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They were definitely very moreish.

The tiramisu was lovely and creamy and just what you’d expect from such a dessert. Layers of cream sandwiched between the sponge layers. The chocolate fudge cake was a big portion and had a dense texture.

Dolcetto, 18 Chapel Market, Islington, London, N1 9EZ

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There is something truly comforting about a hot steaming bowl of pho. The combination of the thick rice noodles, the broth and the vegetables is perfect.

Cafe VN specialises in pho – the noodle soup, and bun – the noodle salad. The bright lime green sign lights up the outside of the restaurant. The green colour theme is followed through into the interior. The restaurant has a casual feel to it and even though it is fairly small in size, it is very clean and light. Red lantern style lights hang from the ceiling.

The vegetarian Summer Rolls were a cold starter. Shredded lettuce, cucumber and thin noodles were wrapped in the rice paper. The rolls were fresh and light.

In contrast, the vegetarian Spring Rolls were hot and generously filled. They were quite oily. Both the Summer and Spring Rolls were served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.

To drink, it was pure coconut water. This was a refreshing drink, served in a tall glass. The coconut water did not have any sugar or additives added to it and it did not need it either.

Even though pho was what I had in mind, it did not stop me getting tempted by the stir fried noodle and rice dishes. The food that was being brought out to the other diners all looked really good.

But I stuck to my original choice of the Vegetarian Pho. This noodle soup came with thick rice noodles, tofu and mushrooms. It could also be ordered as a spicy version. The garnishes that came on the side were basil, beansprouts, lime and chilli. The pho was really delicious and filling. The broth had a light flavour to it. The big bowl of pho was certainly a hearty dish!

A simple dessert of ice cream completed the meal. The Ben and Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream was better than other ice creams that I have had of the same flavour. Big chunks of the biscuit bases and strawberry pieces, combined with the creamy ice cream was just lovely!

Cafe VN gave us fresh tasting and filling Vietnamese food. The food was cooked to order. The staff were friendly and gave us service with a smile. It would be nice to come back to Cafe VN to try the other dishes!

Cafe VN, 144 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1R 5DP

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After a good but busy kind of a week, it felt fitting to take some time out and go out for dinner. The location of Pescatori was at the quieter end of Charlotte Street, away from the many other eateries.

The initial vibe that I got when I first entered Pescatori was that it felt very welcoming. This continued throughout the whole evening. The restaurant had a rustic feel to it with its dark wooden beams, arches and alcoves. There was also a boat and oars hanging from the ceiling!

Sardines are so underrated; they are one of my favourite fish. Three butterflied chargrilled sardines with salsa verde was my starter dish. The lightness of the sardines went well with the rich tomato salsa verde. The sardines were served with half of an Amalfi lemon. A delicious start to my evening meal.

The next course consisted of a steamed Severn and Wye salmon fillet. The salmon was a big chunky portion and it was nice that it wasn’t dressed with lots of additional flavouring, just a simple cream sauce. The salmon was supposed to come with crushed potato and watercress salad. As I wanted something hot, I had the black venere rice instead of the salad. The crushed potato came mixed with olives and capers. The steamed salmon dish was a satisfying and filling meal.

The evening would not have been complete without the dessert. Originally, I was going to have the almond pannacotta but then thought that it may be too creamy for my liking. So, the apple and blackberry sbrisolata was chosen. This was like a fruit tart topped with a pistachio and hazelnut crumble. The fruit was perfectly sweet and it was lovely with the ice cream and the sauce.

The staff were really friendly and professional. They made the whole dining experience feel special. It was nice that they recommended dishes. It was good to see the chefs at work in the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant. The staff were attentive, but let me take my time over the meal.

Dining at Pescatori was a perfect evening out and it felt like a real treat. A good end to a busy few days! It seemed that Pescatori was a busy and popular restaurant and I look forward to returning to try some more of their dishes!

Pescatori, 57 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 4PD

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