Chef and restaurateur Stevie Parle has added to his portfolio of restaurants with the launch of Palatino located on the ground floor of Fora, a new boutique hotel-style office concept. Located in Clerkenwell in the heart of London's original 'Little Italy', the restaurant is a ten minute walk from Old Street Station. Named after one of the seven ancient hills of Rome, as well as the classic Hermann Zapf Italian typeface that has been incorporated into the restaurant's graphic identity by Here Design, Palatino takes inspiration from the ancient city of Rome for its cuisine.

Occupying a large corner site, the interiors have been created by Tom Dixon Design Research Studio. Flooded with natural light from the large windows, it has an industrial décor with exposed piping and concrete flooring. Bright canary-yellow dining booths are set against wooden tables and the open plan long kitchen gives diners views of the chefs at work.

The kitchen makes excellent use of a wood burner for dishes like grilled rump with salsa verde, and there's a stone oven for pizzas. Pasta is made in house daily and offers such delights as rigatoni, veal pajata, tomato and chilli or maybe spinach and ricotta ravioli. Other options worth pursuing would be the chicken, pancetta and pistachio meatballs with polenta or cod and clam hraimi with cous cous. Desserts conjure up things like panna cotta with marsala poached figs or chocolate cake, pistachio and honeycomb.

The all-Italian wine list offers 45 bins available by the bottle, carafe or glass and there's a well crafted cocktail menu as well.

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Italian

Richard Blackwell

Lunch: 12.00 - 3.00pm Mon-Sat
Dinner: 5.30 - 10.30pm Mon-Sat

Visa, Master Card

• 70 covers

Nearest tube station: Old Street