Paradiso E Inferno, London 

Paradiso E Inferno

This family-owned Italian restaurant in the heart of the West End has long been a fixture on the London pre and post-theatre dining scene. Located on the corner of the Strand and Southampton Street, Paradiso e Inferno dates from a time when eating Italian was an exotic pursuit, and the decor of the restaurant still marks it out as an exuberant outpost of the vivacious side of Italian character. Business folk flock here in the daytimes, but in the evenings there are waves of diners before and after curtain as well as courting couples who linger through the evening in the booths. What's cooking? Italian trattoria cooking. Starters include tuna fish with borlotti beans and onion rings, mozzarella and tomato salad, andseafood salad with olive oil and lemon juice. Pasta dishes and mains include standards like spaghetti bolognese and fettuccine Alfredo, fried scampi, and pepper steak, as well as grills and soups. A Neapolitan mix of ice creams is good, as is the tiramisu. Drink the coffee. They know what they're doing.