C'Alice (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about C’Alice:

1) Step into a minimal but trendy, all Italian restaurant and winery in Fulham, slightly hidden amongst the lovely Victorian conversion houses and flats in this area of West London. Pop round to buy a special bottle of wine, sip a warm or cold drink, or bring your date for a romantic, informal meal; every situation is catered for;

2) The Manager, from Turin, is a wine connoisseur and very keen to have you try the organic and lesser-known bottles. Beware, though: you could easily spend all of your salary on a well presented red;

3) In the summer an array of outdoor tables open up, while the restaurant is enhanced by a beautiful skylight;

4) At the bar you can sip coffee – made with a real Italian espresso machine – and have the classical Aperitivo served with olives, Sardinian sausage and delicate Pane Carasau;

5) The food is a mixture of Italian dishes, some more specifically of Sardinian influence: plenty of seafood and fish (mussels, scallops and calamari) but also lasagne, gricia (very Roman pasta), gnocchi and swordfish. The pasta is proudly served al dente, a bit too much for some delicate pearls, perhaps;

6) Arancini - the Sicilian fried soft balls of white rice and peas and mushrooms - are quite difficult to cook. Here they are delicious, although should be served a bit hotter;

7) There is a very comfortable feeling throughout the restaurant: a couple dine with their dog; two friends chat with the waiter like old friends; and people are welcomed by the warm smiles of the baristas;

8) The desserts and coffee, served after a meal, are really what you want in an easy London summer: the tiramisu and the chef speciality, tortino di Alice, are both warm, fluffy, tantalising and indulgent;

9) In true Italian style, there is also a coffee menu. Go for a Morettino Sicilian, which tastes like home for us Italians and brings energy needed for the night ahead;

10) After some chatting and a firm handshake with the staff, exit in to the warm night of Fulham, thinking about the blue-green sea of Sardinia and the grape-filled hills of Piemonte (yes, Barolo remains my favourite wine!)...read more