Bancone

Bancone in Borough Yards is quite simply a beautiful place to eat beautiful pasta. From the outside, it looks like a very expensive garden centre. Inside, things are just as sleek—lean back into caramel-coloured leather seats, loosen your tie like the rest of the after-work office crowd, and rest your elbows on marble table tops. For the satisfaction of peering into the kitchen and watching pasta get tossed in sauce and confit yolks slid onto plates, book one of the counter seats. You can’t go wrong with any of the pasta dishes here. Standouts include the signature silk handkerchiefs glistening with walnut butter, every bite smooth and rich. The duck ragù is another must-order. It’s surprisingly light and has crunchy pieces of crackling scattered on top like breadcrumbs. For somewhere that feels quite special, it’s all very reasonably priced—like its outposts in Soho and Covent Garden. Come as an after-work treat or with someone special—and absolutely get another praline cannolo with sweet, crystalised hazelnuts.

photo credit: Milly Kenny-Ryder & Jade Nina Sarkhel

photo credit: Milly Kenny-Ryder & Jade Nina Sarkhel