The Dog House

‘I’m in the dog house’ is a common refrain of doleful partners after a domestic tiff. Happy days, if you sit out said stint in the new cocktail kennel at sleek Italian restaurant, Bernardi’s. In a moody, inky, 1950s Milano-inspired dive bar with a courtyard off, you can lock lips with a Dirty Bitch (a chilli-infused vodka, lime and mezcal Martini). Other drinks worth a shot include a Prosecco, vermouth and apricot granita Spritz; and Petalo (Hendrick’s gin, pink vermouth, yellow Chartreuse, rose and lemon, served short). Good too at £10.50, is a nifty range of Negronis: try the mellow sloe gin version and, if you’re feeling adventurous, Pegroni (Nastro Azzurro beer, Martini rosso, amaro and bitters). To eat, load up on cicchetti – frittata, meats, raw fish – in the certain knowledge that, when you do finally return home, your supper will be in the oven, burnt to a crisp.