Harden's says
As famous for the queues as well as the pasta, Borough Market's Padella opened a second branch in February 2020.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“No-one, and I mean no-one who I’ve taken here, has ever said a bad word; and moreover, many have returned separately. It’s my No. 1 ‘go-to’ for casual dining with friends, whose subsequent advocacy says it all!” – Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda struck gold with this “constantly busy” duo of superior pasta pitstops, which are rightly famous on social media and one of London’s ultimate cheap eats. They offer “the best fresh pasta” (which you can watch being made through the windows from early morning on) “at great value prices, which is why they are sooo popular: why you must book well in advance in EC2” or expect to queue in SE1 (“which operates an effective virtual queuing system”).
Summary
“Love Padella! Both the one in Borough Market and the one in Shoreditch”. “It doesn’t need any review as everyone seems to already know it” – a “go-to Italian” with “simple, perfect portions whose comforting flavours just sing” (freshly made every morning on the premises) all at “amazing value” prices. “It’s so busy, you need to book way in advance (at least in EC2, unlike SE1 where you need to queue)”. “All in all, the whole experience is devoid of pretence: nothing tries to be fancy, it is just damn good.” “I take all my friends, all of whom have been impressed… and many have subsequently returned for themselves. Says it all!”
Summary
“Still some of the very best pasta in London at half the price of most places” continues to inspire rave reviews for these genius pit stops, where “pound for pound the great value for money is always good” (“and extends to the drinks”). “For an unplanned midweek supper there’s nothing better”, although at the mega-popular Borough Market original it can feel “like a conveyor belt” at busier times. At “the funky newish premises in Shoreditch” there’s “rather more space than in SE1, with proper booking… what’s not to like?”. Top Menu Tip – “just go for the cacio e pepe… but everything else is good as well”.
Summary
“Every time we go to Padella, we’re just bowled over by the splendid simplicity of their dishes, packed with flavour, and at the most ridiculous value prices!” – Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda’s Borough Market staple added a stylish Shoreditch sibling, in early 2020 (just before Covid-19 struck) and in EC2 in particular they are absolutely crushing it as one of the capital’s best options on a budget. Indeed, “it’s hard to comprehend how they can serve such a quality meal at the price”. The formula is deceptively simple: “no reservations, no frills”: just “superlative, freshly made pasta” (“it is lovely to see the dough being rolled by hand every morning on my way to the office”) from a “compact menu”. “Arrive ultra-early to dodge the worst of the perma-queues”, although “the line moves relatively quickly, and their beeper system means you can go for a drink and come back to get your table”. “Portion sizes are definitely not large, but it’s definitely worth the wait”. “Knock back a perfectly great Negroni, tuck away three dishes and a glass of wine, and walk out less than £30 lighter!”
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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