King's Cross, Italian Restaurant Guide

Opening its 10th branch in 2025 – amidst the towers of Canary Wharf – this much commented- on chain is leaving behind its Soho roots – as a quaint old deli of 75 years’ standing – and is now in full-on ‘roll-out’ mode. Fans still find it “very impressive for a chain that’s growing so fast” and tip its “lovely mint-green” outlets as “an ideal place to meet and enjoy authentic pasta and Italian dishes”. Some branches, though, are better than others: in particular the “friendly and relaxed Marylebone branch at the junction of Wigmore Street is a winner”. Others, though, can show the strains of expansion: “What’s the point? It’s neither stand-out, nor cheap and cheerful. Unexceptional pasta is served in a so-so ambience. I am not sure I get it??”

2024 Review: One minute’s walk from Google HQ, amidst the clean-lined new canyons north of King’s Cross, this is the year-old London outpost of Brighton & Hove’s well-regarded chain (whose unit in Shoreditch’s Boxpark is no longer in operation). Reports on the Brighton operations are all very upbeat, but this one has yet to spark much in the way of interest.