La Scala

Francesco Pasquino, who trained in Sardinia, opened La Scala on Dover's High Street in 2001 and has run the kitchen there since. The menu keeps to a classic Italian repertoire: home-made ravioli, pan-fried swordfish, and a starter of mixed olives marinated with garlic, chilli and herbs served with bread. Octopus appears alongside the seafood dishes, and desserts run to tiramisu and chocolate cake made on the premises. The dining room sits close to Dover Castle and the seafront, on a stretch of the High Street that has seen restaurants come and go, while La Scala has kept the same owner and largely the same menu. It remains a straightforward, family-style Italian restaurant rather than a fashion-led one, open six days a week.