There are almost 50 Italian restaurants in Croydon, but surprisingly only 0.11 per cent of the borough’s population are Italian migrants.

Many of these restaurants are chains or run by English people, but I Calabresi stands out because it is different – it doesn’t do the usual Italian fare of pastas and pizzas. Instead, owner Antonio Pippicello prides himself in serving up good ol’ Italian paninis and coffee using the best Italian meats, cheeses and beans, and being a local favourite of his neighbourhood.

He also sells a selection of sweet Italian treats and biscuits, and makes his own arancini to sell, which are balls of risotto coated in breadcrumbs and fried. Antonio’s business is small but that just means he knows nearly all his customers by name and considers them his friends. The taste of Italia Pippicello offers is homely, simple and completely delicious.

If you’re in the neighbourhood, drop by I Calabresi for a panini and pasta-making tips! Last but not least on ELL’s #migrantmunchies week, we pop on over to Turkey.

Craving Italian food? We found all the Italian restaurants in Croydon and mapped them for you!