What's the draw
A deli, bakery, café and restaurant in a railway arch in Hackney that celebrates the cuisine of Lombardy, Italy's northernmost region and home to, among others, the city of Milan and Lake Garda. It's open for lunch, and hosts regular supper clubs based around specific ingredients or Lombardian cities, too.
What to drink
We enjoyed a vino rosso della casa (that's the sexy, Italian way of saying 'house red') – a Collina del Milanese – with our meal, which offered great value at £18.50. The coffee, as you'd expect, is absolutely top-notch – we finished our meal with a macchiato, then our arm was twisted into trying a zabaione del ciclista – espresso, this time topped with whipped egg yolk and marsala custard – to finish.
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What to eat
Prosciutto crudo with balsamic pear and gorgonzola, with some of the restaurant's home-baked focaccia on the side, set the tone, and vitel toné – thin cold cuts of tender veal served with a tuna and caper-flavoured mayo – was a delicious starter. We also loved salsiccia in potato vellutato – rosemary and red wine flavours bursting out of the sausage – before moving onto a showstopper of tiramisù; possibly the best we've had.
Three courses, wine and coffee for two: around £90. 358 Westgate Street, E8 3RL; ilcudega.com
