Diciannove

Diciannove makes a good stab at bridging traditional and contemporary elements of Italian cuisine and style in this bar and restaurant at the Crown Plaza hotel near Blackfriars. While predominantly a restaurant space, there is a small bar at which to sit and indulge in bang-on-trend cicchetti (tasty dishes of Italian 'tapas') and sample a drinks list that's simple but where every cocktail is appropriately centred around Italian staples such as Campari, Aperol, Frangelico, Prosecco etc.

The Negroni leads the drinks list, with a traditional version and two twists (one rhubarb-flavoured, the other orange and ginger); there's also a Mojito twisted with Campari; but the star of the show is a Campari, vodka, chocolate spirit and orange juice combo that tastes incredibly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange. Peroni is pimped with the addition of Aperol and Frangelico (in separate serves), and fruit ciders are similarly enlivened with Amaretto and Limoncello in one case (prices range from £8-9.50). With a rather Spartan bar-top and back-bar this is clearly more of a restaurant than a bar, and they could certainly do more to enhance the presentation of the drinks, but they come balanced and service is efficient and friendly.