Polpo Smithfield - London

First time here meeting friends They don't take bookings so were relying on someone getting there on time to grab the table, like you do.

I love Polpo - what's there not to love? Small Italian sharing plates is pure genius, and their quality is quite high.

I go through a real 'stop to party' stage with my restaurant reviews at the moment. I mean, it took an old to discover herman ze german, and this next was on my 'go' list for so long, it's almost embarrassing!. also it was only accidentally wiped off by the list. tom and I met after the work in farringdon, decided to eat a bite, saw the road and there it was: polpo!

Polpo serves Italian tapas. it is about eating simple, good quality and sharing wein in a humble environment. After we last night friends after work in a busy pub of farringdon station (packed and we couldn't talk) we decided to look for somewhere – less rammed and loud – to eat. polpo on the cowcross street of smithfield market seemed calm and relaxing.

The food can get a bit pricey for what you get, but for a tapas style experience it's a good bet. Busy in the lunchtime rush, and a comfy place for an evening outing. Little precious, but the food is high quality.