After making our wishes with our coins at the beautiful Trevi Fountain, it was time for dinner. Not far from this large Baroque fountain was where La Locanda del Tempio was located.

Even though it was the evening time, we were able to sit comfortably outdoors due to the big outdoor heaters. There were a couple of small tables, but as there were a few of us dining, the waiters happily rearranged the tables to make one that accommodated us. We dined by candlelight! The staff at La Locanda del Tempio were jolly and gave us good service.

Toasted slices of bread flavoured with garlic and topped with fresh, juicy chopped tomatoes made up the starter of the Bruschetta. A few main dishes were ordered including pasta, pizza and vegetables.

The Fettucine ai Funghi was pasta with mushrooms. The ribbons of pasta were really fresh and this made for a simple but tasty dish. Cheese and spinach ravioli with fresh tomatoes was what the Ravioli Amalfi was. The pasta was a bit heavier and we were slightly disappointed with the portion size. It looked more like a starter than a main dish.

Two pizzas were sampled. The Ham and Mushroom pizza and the Diavola pizza both had great crispy bases. The toppings were more generous on the Ham and Mushroom pizza. The Diavola pizza was tomato, cheese and hot salami but it only had two slices of salami on it.

A dish that went down well was the Melanzane alla Parmigaina. The soft baked aubergine slices with the tomato sauce and cheese was really delicious and cooked to perfection.

Now onto the sweet endings of the meal! You can never go wrong with Tiramisu, as long as it is done well! This was the case here at La Locanda del Tempio! The tiramisu was fresh, creamy and had a good strong coffee flavour.

The Cannolo Siciliano was a wafer tube filled with ricotta cheese, chocolate drops and candied orange peel. It was nice enough but it would be too rich for one person. So we were glad that we had shared it!

La Locanda del Tempio does fresh, authentic, great tasting food. We were glad that our first meal in Rome was a success and it made us look forward to sampling more Italian delights on our trip!

La Locanda del Tempio, Via di Pietra 85, Rome

Rating:

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

Rating:

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

Rating: