Sale E Pepe

Sale E Pepe has been serving anyone walking down Pavilion Road after leaving Harrods with one too many shopping bags since 1974. It’s an old-school, white tablecloth Italian spot, with a dining room that feels serious until it fills up (which it does quickly at peak times). This is a place where friends come for a three-hour catch-up, and grandparents bring their grandkids to get them to eat anything other than a chicken nugget (even if that is pollo alla Milanese). While it has all the potential to be a stuffy snoozefest, the mixed bag of diners—couples holding hands under the table outside and families ordering calamari to share—make it a lively, vibrant spot. Don’t think that the rustic terrace out front means it’s anything but Knightsbridge prices though. But for things like the buttery whole Dover sole and tasty spinach and ricotta-filled ravioli, we’d happily put down £50—and venture into SW1 on a weekend.