Il Laghetto

Right on the High Street in Ewell Village, Il Laghetto is situated in a grade II listed building, part of the Ewell Conservation Area. It is one of the oldest in the village, dating back to Roman times, and many original features have been conserved, like the fireplace from the 16th Century and lovely exposed beams.

Il Laghetto is very much a local neighbourhood Italian restaurant, and was opened in October 2006 by Antonio and Senhorinha. Their food is traditional Italian, but with an added modern touch, courtesy of their talented chef Donato Sepe, who brings the authentic taste of Italy to Il Laghetto. While there are the classic pasta and risotto dishes that you would expect, they also offer grilled meat and fish.

Il Laghetto has four main types of menus: a set lunch, from Tuesday to Saturday, fixed price dinner, Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday lunch and, of course, a full a la carte. The restaurant always aims to use only the freshest and finest ingredients, such as single vineyard extra virgin olive oil, Parma ham and buffalo mozzarella, all imported from Italy to provide exactly the kind of rustic, traditional dishes one would expect to find travelling around its regions.

Their wine list consists of purely regional Italian wines, beers and liqueurs, all carefully chosen to complement the food, and in addition, every table receives a complimentary shot of any liqueur.

For those wanting to satisfy their sweet tooth, there is tiramisu - the famous Italian dessert, faithfully produced, with light sponge soaked in espresso and rum, layered with mascarpone cheese, eggs and dusted with cocoa powder, as well as crème caramel, crème brûlée, pannacotta, along with a range of Italian coffees.

As the customer reviews demonstrate, this is a much loved place, with a warmth of welcome that makes it a pleasure to visit, and food that rises above the mundane, supposedly Italian, offerings elsewhere.