As "one of the top ten Italian restaurants in the UK", according to The Times, San Carlo’s clientele list is as prestigious as its 147-dish menu.

Dispersed amongst the celebrities and social elite though, on a Friday night one is certain to find at least one wedding anniversary, maybe an engagement, a few job promotions and about five birthdays. It's one of those 'event' venues you save for extravagant occasions where you are compelled to don the high-heels and tie, drink Bellinis and have a minimum of three courses - full from mains or not.

As if the main menu isn’t comprehensive enough, there is a seafood supplement and an extensive blackboard of specials to really spoil you for choice. The food is of course expertly prepared and exquisitely presented, whatever you finally decide upon, the price coinciding fairly with the quality of each meal. But that’s to be expected, really.

What stops San Carlo from being a truly fantastic dining experience however is the way the speedy service – from near as many waiters as diners – and slightly cramped seating plan combine to form a sort of cattle market ambiance. The two animal legs, skinned and shackled to the partition between the kitchen and dining room underpin this feeling.

But with such a distinguished reputation and just over 200 covers, the restaurant’s vigorous service is understandable, if at times faulty.