Alfi Italian Restaurant

ALFI is an independent Italian bar and restaurant built around the things Italy does best: great food, good wine and long meals that have a habit of turning into even longer evenings.

Found in Spitalfields Market, the menu is modern Italian, rooted in tradition but made for sharing. Start with homemade focaccia, burrata with Isle of Wight tomatoes or beef carpaccio with summer truffle and Parmigiano Reggiano, before moving onto fresh pasta, dishes from the grill and ALFI's Neapolitan pizzas.

Pasta lovers can choose from dishes including carbonara bucatini and pappardelle with beef shin ragu, while the grill brings everything from hake with brown shrimp butter to rib eye with confit shallot and jus. And then there are the pizzas: classics like Margherita, Diavola and Capricciosa sit alongside ALFI signatures including the Nonna Cristina with gorgonzola, salsiccia, pear and truffle honey.

Wine is still a big part of ALFI, but the list has grown far beyond the "10 wines on tap" of its early days. There's a carefully curated selection with a particular focus on natural and biodynamic Italian wines, travelling across Italy from Piemonte and Lombardia to Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia, alongside a smaller collection from the rest of the world.

Relaxed, lively and never too serious, ALFI is as good for a quick pizza and glass of wine as it is for a long dinner with friends. And with weekly happenings including Spritz Tuesday, Wine Wednesday and Margs Friday, plus a line-up of creative experiences, there's usually another reason to stay for one more.