Clang, clang, clang go the trolleys. The first is for Caesar salad, tossed at the table; the second bears sizzling rib-eye on the bone, expertly carved and ready to team with potatoes roasted in duck fat.

QT’s Creative Director of Food Sean Connolly says the menu of mainly steak, pasta and antipasti is his take on New York’s Little Italy, and the vibrant, theatrical first-floor dining room and open kitchen suits the brief. Staff seem over-worked on a busy night and there can be some gaps between courses.

Vitello tonnato is striped with tuna sauce, crunchy with salted capers, and pasta is richly sauced – pappardelle, say, with venison and pork ragu. But don’t let the richness put you off the classic tiramisu happy ending. Bonus: Gowings is still one of the rare go-tos for late-night supper in the city.

Best for: Before or after a show at the State Theatre next door.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.