Padella is a restaurant on the edge of Borough Market in London and they serve up some of the most exquisite pasta I have ever eaten.

Be prepared to wait a long old while to get a seat though, as they are super popular and it’s first come, first served. But it’s all completely worth it. I promise.

I was lucky to get a seat at the bar surrounding the small open kitchen, so I could watch all the pasta, sauces and salads being prepared right in front of me.

This is especially great when you’re eating solo, as you are completely occupied while you wait for your pasta!

I can honestly say, the gnocchi here is the best that I have ever eaten. There was nothing overly fancy about it, but it was just so wonderful. It was served with a seasoned butter and topped with parmesan and that was that. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly and even the ratio of butter to gnocchi to parmesan was spot on. The simplicity of the dish allowed for you to taste each and every flavour and I’m literally salivating just thinking about it.

I followed that up with the pappardelle with chicken livers.

Oh my gosh. The richness of this dish was just heavenly. The thick ‘sauce’ that the melty chicken liver gave when it coated the pasta was out of this world. Love. Love. Love.

I’m so glad that I was eating alone. I couldn’t have shared these dishes with anyone. At all.

I would love to say I could have eaten another plate, but after two I was done. The rich chicken livers did me in. However, my pudding stomach still had space, so I finished off with a frangipane tart (so buttery) and lived happily ever after.

I did have to queue for 45 mins after opening time – and this was on a weekday lunchtime – but I was so thrilled with the outcome that I honestly didn’t mind. It was worth every one of those minutes. The staff never rushed me at any point (no matter the queue length) and the service was extremely friendly, inviting and very quick.

I would 100% recommend a visit to Padella. The menu changes seasonally, so you’ll likely find different dishes when you go, but it won’t matter. Just promise you’ll order the gnocchi (in whatever incarnation it happens to be) and then anything else. You will leave happy as a clam!