Marylebone, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Very good Italian family food is served in a buzzy atmosphere” at chef Giancarlo Caldesi and his wife Katie’s Marylebone flagship – “all the classic dishes are available”, accompanied by an “interesting wine list”. The couple also have a country restaurant in Bray and a cookery school, while Tuscany-born Giancarlo has written a healthy cookbook following his diagnosis as a diabetic.

Handy as a “welcoming” spot near the Wigmore Hall – this straightforward Italian delivers “an enjoyable experience” at “surprisingly reasonable prices for a smart restaurant in a smart district”. Some reports also applaud its “really good and authentically Venetian dishes”, but a fair summary might be that the overall performance is “pleasant”.

2023 Review: Carrying the name of Richard Caring’s famous Harry’s Bar in Mayfair (which is still members only), this sub-brand spin-off near Selfridges aims to encapsulate classic La Dolce Vita-style glamour. All of the limited feedback acknowledges decent Italian cooking, but is riddled with quibbles feeding back to the level of expense (“good food but the tables are packed too tightly and we’ll give it miss in future, as it did not have the right ambience for the price…”; “food was mediocre at the ridiculous price…”).

2022 Review: Open in Autumn 2021 – a smart and traditional flagship for the San Carlo group on the prominent former St Christopher’s Place site of Carluccio’s. It’s big, with 220 seats and a 50-cover al fresco terrace. Managing director Carlo Distefano describes it as the group’s “most exciting project in years”.

2023 Review: Few restaurants can boast the heritage of this Mayfair two-year-old: the first ever spin-off from a Milanese original of over 120 years’ standing. It’s still a case of promise unfulfilled, though, with reports that are very up and down, despite a general acknowledgement of “friendly service and a pleasant interior” (the latter very classical in style). “Eye-watering prices” are key to the ambivalence felt by diners, despite some dishes that are “clearly wonderful” – if you give it a go, perhaps try the set lunch, which is “exceptional value by comparison to other options here”.

“Memorable food in a lively, buzzy but not hectic environment” maintains the appeal for fans of Giorgio Locatelli’s “classic Italian”, which he has run with wife Plaxy for over 20 years, in a “discreet” and stylish hotel dining room off Portman Square (and with its own entrance). There is a harsh view that “there’s nothing special about it other than the outrageous prices”. But that’s a minority opinion, and for its majority of fans it remains an “exceptional all-rounder”, as recommended for business as it is for being a “fantastic place to take the family”.

2023 Review: This “lovely neighbourhood Italian” in Fitzrovia opened in April 2021 as a spin-off from a successful Brighton duo, and has made a “great transition to London” on an eye-catching corner site (formerly Bonnie Gull, RIP). The food is “delicious”, although “portions are lady-sized rather than man-sized”. The business was founded ten years ago when Italian-Australian lawyer David Toscano bought an old Fiat van to participate in a Brighton street-food festival.

“FUN FUN FUN!” – that’s practically the only feedback we have so far on Big Mamma Group’s fifth London opening, which threw open its doors in Marylebone in May 2023, just as our survey was concluding. Decked out in the maximalist style that characterises their approach – here it’s a riff on a retro, Italian-glam theme with acres of ruched wall material, wood panelling, dark leather seating and loud carpeting. Cutting down on the calories? – don’t go for the 10-tiered chocolate fudge cake… in fact, maybe avoid most of the Italian/American menu…

For a “solid menu, with a wide variety” of “reliable Italian” options, this duo have a broad fanclub – both the Marylebone five-year-old and its year-old Notting Hill sibling. Their ratings are undercut, though, by a feeling that they are “expensive (but isn’t everything nowadays…”), and can “lack atmosphere when they’re not busy”. Top Tip – for some folks, “the most important thing is that they welcome both families and doggies!”

“A nice pit-stop for pasta lovers” – this expanding chain is now up to its fifth restaurant spin-off from the original Soho deli (with the June 2023 opening of a new 80-seater, overlooking Clapham Common), and fans say it provides an “attractive”, “buzzing” setting for “simple dishes, well cooked”. A meal is “unlikely to live long in the memory though”, and there’s a growing fear that “as they have expanded the quality has dropped”. Top Tip – at the W1 original (est. 1944 originally as a deli) “sitting upstairs or by the bar is lovely, the windowless basement is not particularly comfortable”.

An Italian September 2023 newcomer, from Tao Group Hospitality: the business which owns the (nowadays international) Hakkasan and Yauatcha chains. Within a swish new boutique hotel in Marylebone, the press release promises ‘a vibrant space illuminated by a colour-changing light feature that expands across the ceiling’, where you can enjoy pastas, pizzas, ‘a showstopper Wagyu meatball topped with whipped ricotta’ (wow!) and ‘an indulgent 20-layer chocolate cake’.

“Request the elegant first-floor dining room” when you dine at this large Italian in Mayfair, imported from LA (there’s also a ground-floor bar). It opened in late 2022 and reports are still not as numerous as we’d like; but early diners are wowed by the classily ritzy decor and high-quality cuisine. There’s also a cigar lounge and terrace.