THE Mayor of London returned to his favourite restaurant in Southgate Green which has undergone a makeover.

Clem and Lee Falcone decided to redecorate and revamp their restaurant – La Vita – and were delighted when Mr Johnson said he would come by last night to see their handiwork.

Mrs Falcone said: “Since the recession, we have felt it as much as everybody else, and we had put off having the decorators in. In the end, we decided to take it on the chin and do it ourselves.”

The restaurant, in Cannon Hill, is usually closed on Monday, and with the help of friends, family, and customers, they completed the makeover without having to close and lose trade.

Mr Johnson swung by during a visit to the borough, having stopped at La Vita several times before for lunch and dinner.

He said: “I've been here lots of times, it's a traditional Italian, family restaurant and they do very good meatballs.

“It's lovely to see this kind of restaurant, and I've no doubt at all in the years ahead I will be back.”

La Vita opened in 2003, and quickly gained a loyal base of customers who come back regularly.

Mrs Falcone said: “I can't speak highly enough of our customers, they have become friends, and to us working here is a social life as well.”