Sud

There's nothing pretentious in this intimate 40-seater. Dipping bread in sugo is encouraged, and friendly staff like to chat. Themes are constant despite a daily-changing menu. Begin in Puglia with orecchiette pasta and calamari tubes swimming in brothy, sweet sugo: business types need not fear being overwhelmed by garlic. Or evoke Sardinia with large herbed and fried sardines, freshened with dill, fennel and radicchio. Chef Mark Taylor's generous signature main is duck, maybe steamed and roasted, with sweet-potato mash and apple-balsamic segments to mop up jus. For mains there might be scotch fillet with witlof, or sometimes prawn risotto or pork with cotechino. Honesty remains through desserts, perhaps simple home-made nougat and pistachio semifreddo, two finger biscuits fallen across a creamy block like ancient pillar ruins. In a city precinct that's somewhat bland by day (think office blocks, law fims) yet salacious by night (think lights, clubs), Sud doesn't shoot for the stars but cheerily strikes a reliable balance of southern Italian comfort.