Harden's says
Hot on the heels of opening Gloria, the Big Mamma Group have opened a second venture, a Sicilian joint on Rathbone Square.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A top party place” – Paris-based Big Mamma Group’s “huge and buzzing” omaggio to the Sicilian trattoria in Fitzrovia boasts an “amazing atmosphere” buoyed up by ongoing Insta-success which helps draw in an energetic crowd skewed to twenty- and thirty somethings. The food’s not for the cognoscenti of Italian cucina, but it is “consistent” and low cost.
Summary
“Massive, Instagram-tastic and buzzy” – Paris-based Big Mamma Group’s Sicilian trattoria in Fitzrovia is “great for a night out with the kids”. “If only as much thought had been put into the food as the decor!” – although to be fair, the simple and generous Italian dishes are served at a quality and price that most find very acceptable.
Summary
“A fun place to go with mates” – the Big Mamma Group’s “vibey” Fitzrovian has won renown as a ready-made party scene. The outsized portions of simple Italian fodder from a monthly changing menu are arguably “utterly bonkers” and deliver an affordable occasion, although one or two critics feel it’s “losing some of its originality” and providing too many “unmemorable” dishes nowadays.
Summary
“More fun per pound (£) than anywhere else in London”. Big Mamma group’s “completely mad” Fitzrovian is long on ambience and – so long as you don’t mind consuming a week’s worth of cream in one sitting – “so much the better for it”, especially if you want to record the outsize plates of simple Italian scoff on Instagram. Even spoilsports who feel “the food doesn’t really warrant the queue or the hype” feel that “the overall experience is pleasant and it’s not bad value for money given the location”.
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).
Have you eaten at Circolo Popolare?
40-41 Rathbone Square, London, W1T 1HX
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £27.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
40-41 Rathbone Square, London, W1T 1HX
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 5 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 5 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑4 pm, 5 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 11 am‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am‑10 pm |
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