There are all kinds of pubs along Blackstock Road—karaoke ones, Irish ones, Arsenal ones—but this part of Highbury is lacking if you fancy listening to a momentous life update alongside a glass of gamay and a piece of focaccia. Which is where Giacco’s comes in. An Italian wine bar and restaurant that looks at the definition of ‘tight-knit’ and squeezes in an extra candlelit bar seat for good measure, it’s the kind of pleasing (but not scene-stealing) second date spot that everyone needs in their back pocket. On the regular menu there are a few pleasing if skippable starters—a salty crudo here, and an obligatory burrata there—but you’re better off saving yourself for the pastas. A rich trough of papparadelle with duck ragu that mixes gamey flavours with the comfort of a chicken soup laughs in the face of small plates restaurants, and although Giacco’s doesn’t break any boundaries, it’s a much-needed addition to Blackstock Road.