Charing Cross, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Delicious pasta at relatively affordable prices” inspires major loyalty to these “busy” pasta pitstops in Soho, near Trafalgar Square and in Borough Yards: for their legions of fans, “a staple option for a quick meal in London”, even if “the narrow WC2 branch in particular is tight for space and can feel a little crowded and noisy”. The experience, though, can tip into just feeling “rushed”, “unimpressive” or “hyped”, not least due to the “hit ’n’ miss service”. Top Menu Tips – “obviously the ‘silk handkerchiefs’ are best”; “Cacio Pepe is like you’ll never find outside Rome at an unbelievable price”.

“A good spot in the West End if you want to guarantee a table in nice surroundings” – this all-day dining room in a boutique hotel has an “unassuming entrance on Haymarket but once inside, the unique decor, colourful artworks and African mud-cloth screens make quite an impact”. It’s not a foodie choice, but “the set menu is perfect for pre-theatre dining, with a good range of choices”, while the “smart but relaxed” atmosphere also makes it “good for business lunches”.

The “really lively atmosphere and helpful, cheerful staff” make this Italian spot from the San Carlo group “a nice pre-theatre dining venue” a few minutes’ walk from the Coliseum. One could argue that “there’s nothing exceptional about the cicchetti on offer”, but the place “doesn’t feel like a chain” and is consistently well-rated in (practically) all reports.

“Mad but fun, and actually with pretty decent food” sums up the general view of this vast and operatic mock-Italian in Covent Garden from the Paris-based Big Mama group, which majors mostly in pizza and pasta. It’s “definitely aimed at Instagrammers” and “groups of youngsters having fun” – but while it’s “seriously over-hyped”, at least that means nobody goes without knowing what they’re in for.

This “absolutely beautiful” venue in Covent Garden’s pretty Floral Court development is the central London satellite of the famous garden centre-turned-restaurant on the edge of Richmond Park and Ham Common. You pay a high price, though, for cooking that ranges from “delicious” to “overpriced” and no more than acceptable – the latter view shared by too many reporters to ignore.

“Excellent Italian food and a good wine list”, all at decent prices for central London, continue to carve a niche for this St James’s trattoria. You wouldn’t choose it to dazzle a fashionista, but it has a “pleasant if quiet ambience that allows conversation”.

In Covent Garden’s Floral Court, this “buzzy” and “cheerful” charmer is a central London offshoot of Richmond’s famous Petersham Nurseries. Leading onto an attractive courtyard, it shares its parent venue’s strength in being at its best in warmer months, when you can eat rather romantically al fresco. It offers “an interesting range of mostly small plates, not typically found on the menu of Italian restaurants in London”, but “some are not well executed” and a meal can “end up being expensive”.

2022 Review: In the heart of tourist Covent Garden – on the corner of the market itself, near The Punch & Judy pub – this large (200-seat) Italian arrived in late 2019. It’s the first venture outside Italy for Nicolo Marzotti, who has 13 restaurants back home. The jury is still out on whether or not it transcends its tourist trap location (including some seating on a balcony over the main market square).

“Absolutely brilliant” – Jacob Kenedy’s “go-to place in Soho” (in a backstreet near Piccadilly Circus) remains one of the most interesting Italian restaurants in the UK. “No stereotypical Cucina Italiana here”: “the stellar menu is constantly changing” and the finest and freshest ingredients are treated with the utmost simplicity and respect in “regional small plates” that are “seasonal, well-judged and always memorable”; and which can be paired with “a very fine Italian cellar covering every price point”. “Thoughtful and friendly staff” help “everything function like clockwork”; and while “the room is a little challenging” (“it can be NOISY”) it “has a very good atmosphere”. Top Menu Tips – “mince-stuffed olives Ascolani, Amberjack carpaccio with rosemary oil and orange zest, Sweetbreads with morels and Marsala, Sicilian cannoli with a light and tangy ricotta filling”. “Heaven for olive oil and garlic lovers. Courgette flower with mozzarella and anchovies, Wild garlic pappardelle with duck are all to die for. Every dish packs a punch, down to the sweet Pig’s Blood and Chocolate Paté”.

2021 Review: “Neapolitan influences are evident in the choice of ingredients, and the wood-burning oven makes for good, chewy, charred crusts, unlike most high-street pizzas” – so say fans of this global chain, whose HQ is indeed in Naples. Not everyone is impressed, though, and ratings are dragged down by those who feel it’s merely an “everyday” choice: “OK for a bog-standard group, but not great”.

“Good to see it’s open again!” – this “charming and efficient” Italian has built a loyal following over the years, with “caring” service and “a real family feel” that’s a welcome find in stuffy St James’s. The new site is doors away from the old in quirky Crown Passage: “a welcoming space with clean lines and tables not overly close together”. To the uninitiated, the traditional fare – Insalata Caprese; Calamari alla Brace; Ravioli del Buongustaio; Scaloppine al Limone – can seem a little “average”, which undercuts its rating. Most reporters, though, applaud its “well-priced”, traditional cuisine and consider it “a real surprise jewel in this neck of the woods”.

This “lively family Italian restaurant in Soho” has a “lovely vibe”, “very authentic food” and a “brilliant vermouth bar” (‘vermuteria’) serving their own, home-distilled creations. It’s a modern place, founded by three brothers from northern Italy. Top Tip – “head down to the basement for the best atmosphere”.

“Classic, uncomplicated Italian dishes are done accurately and well-flavoured” at Angela Hartnett’s trio of “deservedly popular” modern trattorias. “Consistently enjoyable, with a buzzy atmosphere and lovely staff”, they are widely tipped as a “good standby” for many occasions, and the worst anyone had to say about them this year is that they can seem “unimaginative but competent”. Top Tip – “the pasta is the thing here – especially the spicy rigatoni – but the menu is broad enough for kids and their parents (with a decent wine list); and staff are patient with families”; and “good-value set lunch”.

“Classic, uncomplicated Italian dishes are done accurately and well-flavoured” at Angela Hartnett’s trio of “deservedly popular” modern trattorias. “Consistently enjoyable, with a buzzy atmosphere and lovely staff”, they are widely tipped as a “good standby” for many occasions, and the worst anyone had to say about them this year is that they can seem “unimaginative but competent”. Top Tip – “the pasta is the thing here – especially the spicy rigatoni – but the menu is broad enough for kids and their parents (with a decent wine list); and staff are patient with families”; and “good-value set lunch”.

“A real sense of being a little part of history in London” – with a side order of “proper cannoli and great coffee” – is the prime attraction of this “excellent” 24/7 coffee bar, an all-but-unique survivor of post-War Soho, founded in 1949 by the Polledri family who remain committed to its legacy.

“Delicious pasta at relatively affordable prices” inspires major loyalty to these “busy” pasta pitstops in Soho, near Trafalgar Square and in Borough Yards: for their legions of fans, “a staple option for a quick meal in London”, even if “the narrow WC2 branch in particular is tight for space and can feel a little crowded and noisy”. The experience, though, can tip into just feeling “rushed”, “unimpressive” or “hyped”, not least due to the “hit ’n’ miss service”. Top Menu Tips – “obviously the ‘silk handkerchiefs’ are best”; “Cacio Pepe is like you’ll never find outside Rome at an unbelievable price”.