Harden's survey result
Summary
“You could be in Italy” at this “authentic” old-school trattoria that has provided four decades of its “great atmosphere” in Bloomsbury – “it’s like being at home but with no washing up”. “Everyone looks like they are enjoying themselves” – as Boris Johnson did in his days as Mayor of London, when he shared chips and house red here with his squeeze-du-jour, Jennifer Arcuri.
Summary
“Not completely cheap but extremely cheerful” – this “absolutely classic Italian restaurant” has wowed Bloomsbury for 40 years with “all your favourite dishes – pasta, antipasti, arancini, panna cotta”. “Everything is just right” and there’s “always a great atmosphere, good fun and friendly service”. It’s “perfect for groups and families, but not so much for intimate dinners” – although nobody told Boris Johnson, who wooed his paramour Jennifer Arcuri here over chips and red wine.
Summary
This “robust and lively” Bloomsbury fixture, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, “feels like you’re really in Italy” with its “great food and atmosphere” – and it “can’t be beaten for cheap and cheerful”. “I had my 40th here just before lockdown – a long table for 30 people – and it was wonderful”. It’s a “fun, noisy place, ideal for a group of friends, not a date” – although nobody told Boris Johnson, who wooed Jennifer Arcuri here over chips and red wine when he was mayor of London.
Summary
This “time-warp classic Italian trattoria” – a Bloomsbury fixture for more than 35 years – is “fun, bubbly, and has food as Mama would have made it” (somewhere between “delicious” and “not bad”). “The buzzy atmosphere makes you feel like you’ve stepped in off the streets of Rome”, and with its “1970s food at 1990s prices, the place deserves a medal” for value. Top Tip – “charming with young children”.
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 Ciao Bella?
86-90 Lamb’s Conduit St, London, WC1N 3LZ
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £19.50 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.50 |
| Service | 10.00% |
86-90 Lamb’s Conduit St, London, WC1N 3LZ
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
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