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Starving as usual, we wandered up to Stoke Newington Church Street to see what we could find. We soon came across Il Bacio, a cosy family-style italian restaurant serving pizza and pasta.

The staff seemed a little awkward , but we ordered quickly.

Drinks arrived slowly, just tap water and cappuccino, which was severely bitter – for some reason I always just expect decent coffee from italian restaurants, but I wouldn’t get coffee here again.

The food was good. The pizza was a nice size, and fresh tasting, with a thin crust (as it should be). The pasta was a generous portion, maybe a little heavy on the sauce, but really tasty.

One let down was that they didn’t have tabasco, or anything similar, only the usual chillies drowning in cheap olive oil – what is that all about anyway? It’s never hot, and just adds loads of oil to your food.

When the bill arrived, it had different dishes to what we had ordered. It was £18, service charge not included.

The music was awful.

They have a smaller, cafe-style place a little further down, called Il Bacio Express – think I would go there next time. The atmosphere looks better…

Il Bacio
98 Stoke Newington Church Street
London N16 0AP

020 7249 6553

Il Bacio Express
90 Stoke Newington Church Street
London N16 0AP

020 7249 2344