If a restaurant is full on a Monday night – let alone a wet, wild one in March – it must be doing something right. And Donna Margherita on Lavender Hill has been for a long time now. Neapolitan food is the speciality here, and I can’t wait to sample what’s on offer.

My girlfriend and I look through the menu over a glass of pleasant white (Verdiccio Castelli di Jesi Classico). Despite the lure of pizza, I go for calamari arrostiti to start: wood-oven baked squid (Donna Margherita is famed for its wood oven) in breadcrumbs. The portion is generous and packs a subtle flavour. My partner’s scotch beef carpaccio is tender and zesty, which contrasts well with the peppery rocket and parmesan garnish.

For mains, I order the exciting-sounding scialatelli al cartoccio. It arrives as a steaming parcel of noodles with prawns, clams, mussels and langoustine. The tomato sauce is the star of this dish: great texture and smoky flavour. My girlfriend chose the paccheri mare e mont – traditional oversized rigatoni with fresh seafood and a cherry tomato sauce.

Dessert seems gluttonous after such hearty main courses, but we go for the cassata Siciliana. This gateau-style sweet is layered with ricotta cheese and candied peel; it disappears in seconds.

Donna Margherita knows what it does well and sticks to it: authentic, unpretentious food in a convivial atmosphere. Though service could have been a little more efficient, this is a great place to grab a quick bite. Or, like us, you can linger over three courses and savour genuine Neapolitan dishes. No wonder it’s a local – and London-wide favourite.

Tom Miller

Place: 183 Lavender Hill - London SW11 (020 7228 2660, www.donna-margherita.com)

Feels like: Informal eaterie for all occasions

Tastes like: Neapolitan wood-smoked pasta and seafood

Costs: Starters from £5, Mains from £7, Desserts from £4, Wines from £11.50