We admit it, converting one of our favorite French bakeries, La Boulange, into yet another Italian restaurant, was never going to put us into a positive frame of mind when it came to reviewing this place. After all, there are enough run-of-the-mill Italians in town and this place certainly fits snugly into this rather depressing category. Notwithstanding, we promise you we did visit with an open mind. Unfortunately, the combined factors of gloomy surroundings, at best average food and steep prices meant that it didn’t really matter. From the cheap looking red cushions to the faux bar and plastic, laminated menus, Italy 24 is all a bit depressing, and it’s not even open 24 hours, despite the name. The servers have obviously absorbed this general vibe and while they are happy to serve, they do have a general air of disinterest—hard not to notice when you are the only diners in the restaurant. Last time, we even left with a nagging sense of nausea, as a result of the extremely salty fettucine nero di seppia allo scoglio (black ink fettucine with seafood) and the less than fresh tasting seafood it contained. The same complaint about freshness could also be leveled at the Caesar salad, where the slices of parmesan and smothering of bland sauce couldn’t disguise the distinctly limp lettuce. On an earlier visit, we also got a rather tired slice of pizza. Things do get better if you order a whole pizza, and it must be said that all the portions are big. The freshly cooked diavola (with pepperoni and green peppers) is huge and had a decent base, but the toppings lacked the necessary kick and seemed watery and a little tasteless. It’s not all bad, the simple pasta with garlic and chili was pretty tasty, if you like pasta with a Thai kick. All in all, our visits are not experiences that are likely to change our initial view: that we’d prefer some crusty fresh baguette to this, another sub-standard Italian restaurant. Corkage B300.