Valentino

Chef Riccardo Momesso (ex-Sarti) has plunged deep into his Calabrian heritage at this noisy, accessible new restaurant. Browse the antipasti counter, where seasonal produce and traditional preserves star. There might be 'nduja, a spicy spreadable salami, or fried eggplant lightly pickled in vinegar and cocoa. Much of the produce is grown by Momesso's parents and other family members and friends - that's why a simple green salad is served with the same pride as suckling pig. That pork is salted, spiced and marinated in herbal liqueur before being roasted and drizzled with blood orange jus. Pasta is hand-crafted - semolina for a soulful baccala-stuffed ravioli, polenta for rough-cut squares tossed with chicken ragu - and pizzas are made with slow-risen dough that bakes chewy and crisp. There are echoes of Momesso's fine-dining past in desserts such as subtle pistachio panna cotta but mostly he reaches much further back, to the wild coastline, scrubby hills and humble home kitchens of Calabria.