This lovely restaurant a few steps from the British Museum offers simple, traditional dishes and will make you feel as if you were in a private corner of Italy.

The Venue
The restaurant is small and cosy, with no more than ten tables indoors and a few extra tables outside on the pavement. Sitting outdoors is especially pleasant in the sunny weather, as the street is not too noisy and the seating area is partially enclosed by hedges, making the place even more intimate. Inside, the restaurant is simple but not careless; the tables are laid with proper cotton tablecloths and napkins as well as engraved cutlery.

The Atmosphere
The decor replicates the Italian atmosphere with success, from the simple wooden counter to the Italian landscape fresco on the other end of the small dining area, Il Castelletto does look like a genuine Italian family-run trattoria. The staff are a bit forgetful but they’re friendly and smiley – they also speak fairly good Italian.

The Food
The menu is a basic one offering a standard range of pasta and main courses. For some reason, the pizza menu is separate, so if you fancy ordering a pizza you might want to ask the waiter for the separate list or go read it yourself from the one on display by door. Pasta dishes are around £7 to £9 and main courses are between about £10 and £20. There is also a fixed price menu for £10.95 which includes one pasta, a mixed side salad and a glass of house wine, though it seems that the portions are a bit smaller than when ordering a la carte.

The spinach and ricotta ravioli are smooth and creamy and the tomato based sauce is light and refreshing. The pizza quattro formaggi is generously topped, though the dough could be stretched a bit more to make it crisper. The pollo farcito - chicken filled with Parmesan cheese and Parma ham - is savoury and filling, and the tomato sauce is simple but aromatic. The dish is completed by some bland potatoes and green beans. Among the desserts, the zabaglione (a classic Italian custard made with egg yolk, sugar and Marsala wine) is airy, remarkably tasty and definitely the best part of the dinner.

The Drink
The house red is a Valpolicella, priced at £12.45 for a bottle. It’s also worth trying the Corvo Rosso (£18.95) or the Amarone della Valpolicella (£33.95) instead, if you’d like to try something a bit more expensive with your meal.

The Last Word
Il Castelletto aims to offer simple Italian food in a pleasant setting and does it reasonably well. The atmosphere is quiet and cosy and the food is unpretentious but satisfying.

View®  Card offers venue information venue map view london review user reviews (4)