A corner of New York’s Little Italy sits right here in in Notting Hill, but there's something peculiarly British about this quiet, laid-back restaurant.

The Venue
Aiming to recreate the cutting edge feel of Little Italy’s Mulberry Street in New York, the venue goes all out on the Americana theme, but with a clear contemporary spin on it. The seating arrangement is typical of a diner: large low booths that seat up to eight stretch along the wall, whilst there are tall stalls all around the bar. The walls are painted cab yellow and covered with large images of the streets of New York and a smattering of King Kong graffiti and other iconic city themes. Real street lights fill the corners, a few large screens take up space whilst a similarly decorated basement doubles the capacity downstairs.

The Atmosphere
The environment is so visually busy that you'd imagine the place flooded with people. Instead, Thursday nights can be quiet and relaxing, the atmosphere only slightly spoiled by the music videos on the screens and the accompanying background music. Everything else though, is very laid back: the staff certainly sound bona-fide Italian, and are very attentive, even if they do become slightly too attentive when there aren't many customers are around). Weekends are predictably busier but the easy, unpretentious approach and good customer service remains unchanged.

The Food
The menu is an Italian-American affair. Pizzas dominate, with twenty to choose from (£7.55-£10.50) and nearly infinite toppings (£1.80) for you to create your very own bespoke creation. The Regina is a successful mix of tomato, mozzarella, cooked ham, artichokes and olives, demonstrating that pizzas at Mulberry Street are pretty good and reasonably priced. Other Italian specialities are available within the starters (£3.50-£8): the aubergine parmigiano comes straight from the oven and has the rustic texture of a homemade dish. The bruschetta is slightly cold, which might not be to everyone's taste but it does showcase the delightful freshness of the tomatoes. The pasta dishes (£7.55-£11.25) are similarly traditional and the pasta in the penne arrabbiata is knowledgeably cooked al dente. Within the desserts (£4-£10), the cassata Siciliana is an interesting way to have more than one flavour of ice cream.

The Drink
A selection of classic cocktails (£6-£7.50) is available to start off the evening. You can then follow up with wine (£4.50-£8.50 per glass or £14.50-£26 per bottle), beers (£3.75-£4.40) or an interesting selection of American soft drinks (£2.25-£4) like root beers, Coke floats or delicious cream sodas.

The Last Word
Americana décor merges with the subtle quiet of Notting Hill to deliver a relaxed yet funky pizza restaurant, ideal for a lazy weekend. Indulge and chill-out in a way almost impossible in the bustle of New York.

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