Caffe Caldesi

Caffé Caldesi is an emporium of authentic Italian gastronomic treats. Pop in for a cappuccino or a glass of wine, tuck into a Big Tuscan Breakfast, grab a take-away salad and panino or sit down to an a la carte Italian dinner - a Caffé Caldesi is what every neighbourhood ought to have.

Arranged over two floors, Caffé Caldesi is open from early morning to late at night. There is a patisserie, deli counter and bar serving cocktails, coffees and Italian wines - over twenty wines by the glass, accompanied by homemade Stuzzichini, delicious Italian bar snacks, all homemade. On the first floor, their a la carte restaurant serves Italian regional dishes for lunch and dinner, featuring recipes that have never been written down but have been passed from generation to generation.

At the Caffé they specialise in Regional Italian Food. This means that they have sought out traditional and lesser-known recipes from all regions of Italy. Their staff originate from eleven out of the twenty-one regions, while the Head Chef Flavio Tosolini is from Naples, but trained in the north, so he has an ideal background for the job. It is mouth-watering Italian food - just as the Italians eat it. A 3 course set menu is available at £25 per person with bread, olives, olive oil with balsamic vinegar and coffee.

Choices on the menu could include parsley and oregano marinated seared tuna with Sardinian cous-cous and balsamic dressing; chargrilled vegetables with young, creamy buffalo mozzarella, walnuts and basil oil; thinly sliced beef with rocket and parmesan shavings drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil or chargrilled asparagus with lemon zabaglione sauce and parmesan shavings or rigatoni pasta with roasted red pepper and lemon pesto as starters, though larger - and slightly more expensive - pasta dishes can be taken as main dishes.

The follow with: lasagne with radicchio, fennel and gorgonzola; chargrilled sea bass fillet served with fresh tomato, basil and chilli salsa with spinach; oven baked salmon with a herb crust with green beans and cherry tomatoes; breast of duck roasted with caramelised onions and juniper berries with olive oil mash; fillet steak pan-fried in rosemary and red wine with sautéed potatoes and red peppers or chargrilled lamb cutlets with a balsamic and rosemary dressing with roast vegetables - definitely not our standard Italian fare.

So for a fresh outlook on everything from a casual snack to a full meal, what could be more perfect than Caffé Caldesi.