Pasta Brown - Bow Street

The Pasta Brown empire opened its second restaurant here in 1999, after years of Farmer Brown sandwich bars offering some of the best in London, when in 1994 it was decided to expand into the restaurant business in Bedford Street, offering quality pasta based on long experience. It has always been very much a family enterprise in that inimitable way that only the Italians can play it.

The Italians never do things by halves so when you walk in you are left in little doubt about the nationality of this restaurant, nor the warmth of the welcome. An ambitious but thoroughly credible menu starts with the antipasti dishes. Whilst mussels mariniere are on the carte it is the provençale version that catches the eye, with tomato, garlic, chilli and white wine. Fine open cup mushrooms cooked in garlic, parsley and mixed leaves, toasted ciabatta with rocket leaves, buffalo mozzarella with a basil pesto, or butterfly prawns sautéed in garlic butter all possess an undeniably Italian flavour, and establish the confidence that this meal is going to be the real thing, with no corners cut.

The pasta dishes, nearly 20 in number, with penne Pasta Brown as their eponymous leader, bacon, sausage and mushrooms in a creamy Napoli sauce, trawl the whole gambit of this much loved staple, giving hard choices to make, particularly bearing in mind the delights yet to come. Try the linguine langoustine, fresh crayfish sautéed in garlic butter and dill with a Napoli and béchamel sauce, closely pursued by the simple but delightful spaghetti carbonara, a rich creamy sauce with bacon and parmesan, followed by a salad of tomatoes, red onions and vinaigrette.

Pizza has become so much an item on its own that one tends to forget it is really part of an Italian meal, and as such can be logically treated as a fish course with the gorgeous pizza frutti di mare, crayfish, clams, anchovies, mozzarella, tomato and oregano as a front runner, closely chased by napoletana.

Italians also have their own take on the burger in the form of meatballs with bacon, grilled vegetables and melted cheese on a toasted garlic ciabatta, served with sautéed potatoes and a Napoli dip. To demonstrate the width of their approach pesce spada takes a valued space on the menu, succulent swordfish pan-fried with a parmesan crust, served with new potatoes and mixed leaves.

A vast wine list there is not, but long respected styles such as Frascati, Pinot Grigio and Proscecco, all appear at prices that will leave you free to concentrate on the food. Their coffee is remarkably good as well.

Their Website carries further details on party bookings, and almost archival 'footage' on the early days of this respected family business.