イタリアンダイニングDiletto at Ikebukuro, Tokyo

Casual Italian near Ikebukuro's west exit with house tomato sauce, lunch sets and free birthday dessert plates.

Italian Dining Diletto is a casual Italian restaurant about seven minutes' walk from Ikebukuro station, set just off the west exit. The kitchen makes its own tomato sauce fresh twice a day - low in acidity, gently sweet with garlic and herbs - and the shop is known as an easygoing spot for lunch, dinner, solo visits and small celebrations alike. The menu spans antipasti such as prosciutto and salami platters, caprese and cheese boards, plus pasta, pizza and main plates, with lunch sets from around 1,100 yen that include a mini salad and drink. A party course with 11 dishes and all-you-can-drink runs at 5,000 yen, the shop offers takeout and delivery, and it provides free message dessert plates for birthdays and anniversaries; hours are 11:30 to 14:30 for lunch and 17:00 to 22:00 for dinner, closed Sundays. With soft toys and playthings dotted around the room, Diletto makes a point of welcoming children as well as groups, and the team is happy to arrange surprises and private hire. Drop in for a relaxed pasta lunch or gather a few friends for a celebration - it is a friendly, unfussy corner of Ikebukuro that knows how to make a meal feel easy.