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Remember when inner-city restaurants were dark and squeezy, with small terrace rooms, French-Italian inclinations and a Beaujolais to Barolo-forward wine list? This always crammed charmer has those olden-days assets, not to mention excellent produce and a more left field wine list than yesteryear.

A Clos du Gravillas field blend from the Languedoc goes great, thank you, with everything from ruddy sirloin tagliata to vitello tonnato – the rare-as veal topped with teeny quail egg halves, anchovies and capers. Nice.

Agnolotti al plin (rabbit, veal and pork as a three-meat filling) luxuriate in a sage-strewn butter bath; sea-fresh King George whiting is butterflied under a pine nut and breadcrumb blanket. Creamy textures and richness like this are recurring themes, right through to a spinach side and a roasted fig ice-cream.

The smart and smiling service, meanwhile, is a perennial bonus.