Often packed & buzzing, this modest Wapping restaurant attracts a loyal following, with queues at the door & much fuss & warmth attending the arrival of regulars, for whom this is ‘the quintessential local Italian restaurant’. The reasons for its success are not hard to divine: ‘decent portions’ of ‘great food’ served with efficiency & the occasional dash of charm by waistcoat-wearing Italian waiters. Starters are of near-main course proportions & include perfect garlic mushrooms with highly moppable oil & a commendably generous octopus salad; the pizza & pasta choice is bewildering, from a mammoth calzone to the il Bordello with artichokes, & there are meat & fish mains including a few more ambitious dishes among the chalked-up daily specials. The wine list provides plenty of sub-£20 choice to ensure it’s all washed down with suitably Italian gusto.