There is a cafe and deli on the island of Ischia, off the coast of Napoli, which I think might be the inspiration behind Ill Giardino, one of Peckham’s most joyful restaurants. Like Serpico Specialit, that Italian cafe, Ill Giardino is beautiful: outside, it’s a soft mustard yellow, with green shutters and a green and white awning that hangs stiffly over a few alfresco tables. Inside, it’s a riot of old wood, the soft, curved kind that smells a bit like the back room of a church, paper napkins and dim lighting. There’s exposed brick, stumpy thick wine glasses waiting for inoffensive house wine, and a dainty little bar that should, really, only ever be manned by a small old man called Mario who is waiting to steal your wife. Nothing has changed since 1987, I’m sure. Right, the food: don’t deviate from one of the pasta dishes, most of which are softened by a fair amount of cream. There’s spaghetti with garlic, chilli and mussels; penne with smoked bacon and a snappy tomato sauce; or, my favourite — a perfect representation of Italian-British cooking in London — the tagliatelle with chicken, ham, peas, and a little chilli. One more thing: Ill Giardino remains wonderfully cheap. Everything is well under £20, even the trout and roast lamb.
