One of the great blessings of my life is that I live only a 10-minute walk from one of the best local restaurants in London (perhaps the best Italian restaurant). Admittedly, its reputation, ongoing greatness and – here’s the real marvel – fairly priced menu mean it’s sometimes tricky to bag a table, even if you’re a faithful, polite and grateful (grovelling) local like me; if one mark of an ideal neighbourhood restaurant has to do with spontaneity, then I suppose in this sense, it’s not entirely perfect.
But still, its existence seems like a kind of miracle to me, even as it prepares to celebrate its 15th birthday. The luck of it! Just to walk by it on the scurry from the station to my door induces a rising sense of happiness.
