Don Emilio

Wish I lived closer because I would come here all the time. After a long walk in Richmond Park we happened upon Don Emilio and ordered off the menu. I can highly recommend asking for a shakerato with some gelato on the side. The staff could not have been any nicer.

What the hell is this place. Food and service was excellent. please try the prawn cocktail. the ravioli is the Shizzy. i mean just very good and yummy. Seriously, i am not making this review up. It is good authentic food.

This is a good neighbourhood restaurant with some solid Italian (American) dishes. I had mozzarella sticks to start because I am a heathen. As they appeared to be freshly made they didn’t quite have the chemical punch I was looking for, but probably that’s good for my long term health. I then tried the pasta special of the day which was tasty but a little too salty — I think extra seasoning on top of the pancetta was the problem. The other main dishes we got — lasagna and steak — were also pretty good.
The highlight of the meal was the desserts which were incredible — tiramisu, strawberry meringue and some other kind of cake featuring those lady finger biscuits (savoiardi) I was obsessed with as a (weird?) child. They were all freshly made and delicious.
The décor of the restaurant is quite funny — loads of vaguely Italian (mostly mobster) movie posters — it would work if they were all cool/​vintage but ends up looking a bit naff. However, that’s quite charming. The overall ambiance is pretty Long Island, which is kind of hilarious for Kingston Vale. The bambini menu features characters from Bugsy Malone! Nice work with the mirrors to make it look large and light.
I will return here because a local independent restaurant in an almost completely residential neighbourhood is worth supporting. I will be interested to see how the menu evolves as they have a new chef (from Milan!) who will be making some changes over the next few weeks. I hope they are as good as the cakes!