Harden's survey result
Summary
“All it’s cracked up to be” – Mustapha Mouflih’s tiny but dynamic Italian restaurant and gelato bar in Kentish Town delivers “exceptional value”. “The homemade pasta is a revelation, and is cooked with invention” alongside other “amazing” dishes. “It’s all a bit cramped and hectic in spite of the extension”.
Summary
“Fab creative Italian food” – “an ever-changing menu with great homemade pasta” – is “served with charm in the most unpretentious environment”, at this “tiny BYO café” in Kentish Town. With ratings improving every year, locals are smitten by this “lovely hidden gem”, so the only problem is the increasing difficulty of grabbing a seat – but then again “they’re expanding, so perhaps it’ll become a little easier to get a table”.
Summary
“Fab creative Italian food” – “an ever-changing menu with great homemade pasta” – is “served with charm in the most unpretentious environment”, at this “tiny BYO café” in Kentish Town. With ratings improving every year, locals are smitten by this “lovely hidden gem”, so the only problem is the increasing difficulty of grabbing a seat – but then again “they’re expanding, so perhaps it’ll become a little easier to get a table”.
Summary
“A hidden gem in Kentish Town” – “don’t be put off by the transport caff surroundings, this is Italian cooking at its very best”, “prepared with great care in a tiny kitchen by young chefs who work their socks off to produce excellent food”. “BYO is the icing on the cake!”. There’s a Catch 22: “they never answer the phone so it’s almost impossible to book, but booking is essential”. Top Tip: “strangolapreti (or priest stranglers), gnocchi made from stale bread rather than potatoes”.
For 31 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 Anima e Cuore?
Restaurant details
Anima e Cuore Restaurant Diner Reviews

"The food here is good, but the restaurant now seems to be taken over by large groups and parties which are very noisy and make it difficult to enjoy an intimate meal. "
Prices
![]() |
|
---|---|
Wine per bottle | £16.00 |
Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
![]() |
|
---|---|
Service | 12.50% |
129 Kentish Town Rd, LONDON, NW1 8PB
Opening hours
Monday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑8 pm |
Tuesday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
Wednesday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
Thursday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
Friday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
Saturday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑11 pm |
Sunday | 11 am‑5 pm, 5 pm‑8 pm |
Best Italian restaurants nearby
Italian restaurant in Primrose Hill
Italian restaurant in Kings Cross
Italian restaurant in Primrose Hill
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Pizza restaurant in London
Pizza restaurant in London
British, Traditional restaurant in Camden Town