Italian Kitchen

You'll smell the garlic and basil before you even step through the door of this Thompson Road favourite. The open kitchen lets you watch the chefs hand-rolling gnocchi and sliding pizzas into the wood-fired oven, whilst families and couples fill the warmly-lit dining room that buzzes with proper conversation rather than Instagram posing. The menu keeps things refreshingly straightforward – think slow-cooked ragu that's been bubbling away for hours, crispy-based pizzas with San Marzano tomatoes, and tiramisu that actually tastes like it came from someone's nonna's kitchen. At these prices, you can afford to come back next week to try something different, which is exactly what most Sunderlanders seem to be doing.