Thanks to a diary mix-up and a tight deadline, we found ourselves lunching at Fumo after a period of abstinence.

And we have to say that it felt pretty good stepping back in. We’d forgotten how buzzy and boujie the bar is and just how much we love a decent cocktail.

Foodwise, the cicchetti style menu has always been right up our strada. DIshes arrive in a procession as and when they’re ready which feels civilised and, crucially, they are hot and fresh from the kitchen. There’s no hanging about.

BIG FLAVOUR

Prawns with leccino olives, tomato and Pernod was a punchy little dish with a big aniseed flavour. We like aniseed. If you don’t, this isn’t the dish for you. A selection of bread was strong served with a tasty tangy tapenade. Sicilian arancini with a beef ragu middle could have been better, though – the ragu was a bit thin on the ground which meant the balls were dry.
Gnocchi gorgonzola on the other hand was cheesy, salty, oozy, rich as you like and we could have devoured a second plate. There were almost fisticuffs over the last mouthful. Mafaldine con ragu di manzo – wavy pasta with a slow cooked beef ragu – was rich, unctuous, packed with flavour and felt like top notch comfort food.

RIGHT GIGGLE

With no room for dessert, we strolled out into the sunshine feeling sated and a bit daft we hadn’t been back for so long. We had a right giggle. It’s a fun, glamorous place full of people having a great time. When visit again though, in Joey Tribbiani-style, we’re not sharing our gnocchi gorgonzola. It’s all ours.