Sometimes, you don’t want a polite portion of pasta. Sometimes, you don’t care whether it’s handmade. Sometimes, a five-foot pepper grinder is more important than whether the cheese is parmesan or pecorino. London has lots of old-school Italian restaurants. From the family-run and fun, to delis and long-term distributors of ginormous chicken escalope sandwiches. Just don't be offended if there's a pizza or two with pineapple on.

You might also be interested in our guide to London’s Best Italian Restaurants or if al dente is your priority, check out Where To Eat Great Pasta In London.