Onda

Onda, or Onda Pasta Bar, to give it its full name, is a new Italian restaurant at Circle Square. It isn’t new exactly – with pop-ups at Exhibition amongst other places, Onda has already made a name for itself. With stints in impressive kitchens like Chez Bruce and Claridges, Chef Sam Astley Dean isn’t exactly a street food trader made good, either.

The assurance shines through in silky pasta made at a workstation in the heart of the dining room. There’s a small selection of pasta made fresh every day served with classics like cacio e pepe and carbonara as well as more ambitious offerings such as Cornish crab with shellfish bisque, fennel and chilli. Onda’s popular pizzette also feature on the menu.

Perhaps the most famous dish on the menu isn’t even pasta; the tiramisu in a drawer is a social media sensation, no doubt accounting for the lengthy wait to book a table. The hype is justified though. Onda is very good at serving simple, beautifully executed pasta dishes that make you feel happy. There’s a real buzz about the place that comes from true satisfaction.