Martino’s

I stopped by Martino's in Sloane Square and had one of those visits that quietly reminds you hospitality is not dead.

It shows up in small things.

The welcome that removes the awkwardness of walking into a lobby where there’s no obvious sign of a dining room. The team simply appears and guides you in like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Tables resetting so quickly it almost feels like a magic trick. A perfectly set empty table might not mean much to some people. To me it says the team cares about the next guest before they’ve even arrived and the guest that is still sat next to that empty table.

And then there’s coffee. The most quietly mishandled moment in restaurant service. Guests often wait longer for coffee than they did for their starter. Not here.

Thanks to Simona and her cat-like coffee service, the coffee arrived hot, fast, and exactly when it should.

Most people won’t notice. That’s usually the sign it’s being done well.