What's the draw
Anthony Demetre does the dreaming and former Arbutus man Patrick Leano does the cooking at Osteria – with Italian overtones, plenty of style and a killer negroni menu. Find it tucked away, deep in the labyrinthine, love-it-or-hate-it Barbican.
What to drink
If you don't do negronis, look away now, because Osteria has a whole menu dedicated to the bittersweet Italian aperitif. There are seven in total, each with a different combination of spirit, vermouth and bitters – from purist-pleasing gin/rosso/Campari to rum and rye whiskey twists. You'll probably want to hit the good (and mostly Italian) wine list at some point, unless you're a negronis-all-night kind of animal.
What to eat
With Leano in the kitchen and Demetre overseeing things, our expectations were high – and we weren't disappointed. We attacked the smoky-sweet grilled octopus with potatoes and peppers with cutlery followed by lots of bread, before the star turn arrived: saltimbocca of rabbit saddle, bursting with subtle, aromatic flavour in each delicate little cylinder. We're in love – sorry Bugs, Roger, Peter et al.
Dinner and drinks for two: about £110. Barbican Centre, Silk St, EC2Y 8DS; osterialondon.co.uk
