Da Paolo Restaurant

You'll find yourself on a quiet stretch of Charlotte Place, just north of Goodge Street, where Da Paolo has quietly been doing the business for years without needing to shout about it. Walk in and you're met with that smell—garlic, good olive oil, fresh herbs—that tells you straight away someone gives a toss in the kitchen. The room's unpretentious; white tablecloths and proper napkins, but nothing stuffy. Order the pasta and you'll taste why people keep coming back. This is Italian food done with conviction, not Instagram theatrics.