Right in the heart of Islington, Dolcetto serves authentic Italian fare amidst a weloming trattoria style atmosphere.

Venue
Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' which is completely apt; Dolcetto is small but perfectly formed. Nice wooden tables and chairs, large windows and attractive photography on the exposed brick walls make this a modern yet cosy restaurant. The pizza oven is tucked behind the bar so you can see pizzas being freshly made, and the wonderful smell envelops the whole dining room.

Atmosphere
The restaurant has that warm, welcoming feeling that traditional trattoria provide so well. They may not be, but you get the feeling the staff are related, which is good enough. They're certainly charming, as well as helpful and attentive, and genuinely seem to care about taking care of their customers. Every guest is greeted with a cheerful 'buona sera!', shouted from wherever the waiter is, giving the dining room an informal and friendly feel. Clientele are a mixed bunch, with young professionals and families as well as a healthy number of obvious regulars, who stop, shake hands and chat with the staff before taking their seats.

Food
Dolcetto offer a traditional Italian menu consisting of antipasti, pasta, pizza and secondi de carne. There is also a daily specials board which is chalked up behind the bar, showing that there's an inventive chef behind that kitchen door. Staff draw your attention to this and are very good at making recommendations for all courses.

Air cured fillet of beef, rocket and parmesan at £6.95 is a lovely start; generous servings of dark red, succulent cured beef served with large chunks of high quality parmesan and fresh rocket. From the specials board, deep fried mozzarella, with anchovies and fresh tomato sauce is delicious and moreish, the addition of anchovies giving the whole dish a depth of flavour and attention to detail that is way above its price.

Like all good Italian restaurants there are lots of seafood options on the menu and Dolcetto excels here. Risotto with langoustines, prawns and brandy (£10.95) is a delight (and very generous on the prawns and with two huge langoustines on top), the risotto boasting the perfect consistency of slightly al dente rice combined with creamy deliciousness, lifted by undertones of brandy.

From the specials board, the wonderfully named ‘gigantic fish soup’ at £14.50 does not disappoint – gigantic it most certainly is. Stuffed full of clams, huge langoustines, prawns and chunks of salmon which are all bought together in a fine broth, you could easily be on the Italian coast. The portion sizes of all meals would make even the most generous of Italian matriarchs proud, and dishes are great value for money for the amount of high quality ingredients used.

Pizzas are made freshly to order and look and smell amazing, so whatever Italian dish you fancy Dolcetto probably has it on the menu; however if you fancy something off piste, they will accommodate and make this to order. Desserts are classic Italian fare. Tiramisu is light, fluffy and with the perfect hint of coffee, whilst panna cotta is quite simply perfect.

The Drink
Dolcetto offer a small, but ample wine list. House red or white comes in at £12.50 (with the red a tasty cabernet sauvignon), and the Italian classics such as prosecco (21.50), frascati and chianti are all covered. Peroni or Moretti at £3.50 cover off the beer section.

The Last Word
If you live nearby: lucky you. However, Dolcetto is also worth a trip for what's imaginative, generous and delicious Italian food at extremely reasonable prices.

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