Casa Tua King's Cross

A buzzing slice of Italy in the middle of King’s Cross, the second site of this independent restaurant group is every bit as homely, welcoming and authentic as the original in Camden. Co-founder Giuseppe Miggiano moved to London in 2009 and he aims to capture the essence of his childhood home in southern Italy and the fresh, hearty flavours of his mother’s cooking.

Take one bite of the hand turned pasta cooked to a traditional carbonara recipe and you’ll agree that he has succeeded. Crispy fried polenta and gorgonzola cream prove perfect bedfellows, while the buffalo burrata and fresh tomato salad is a delicious reminder that the best thing to do with top quality ingredients is nothing more than arrange them artfully on a plate.

As night falls and the vintage record player clicks on, front of house host Giuseppe begins to flex his famous Aperol Spritz skills - the secret ingredient is a dash of house bitters. The wine list nods to most of Italy’s 20 regions, from the herbaceous Telero Rosso Cantele, produced in Puglia, to the robust Chianti Classico from Tuscany.