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RestaurantsLondonSt John's WoodNW8

Harden's says

Taking over the former Harry Morgan’s site (RIP) in St John’s Wood, a classic Italian all-day restaurant that has transferred across from Mayfair. Owned by football agent Kia Joorabchian, it attracted a Premier League crowd in its earlier incarnation.

survey result

Summary

£104
£££££
2
Average
2
Average
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Taking over the famous Harry Morgan’s site (RIP) in St John’s Wood, this all-day classic Italian – known for its footballing associations, as it’s owned by agent Kia Joorabchian – transferred across from Mayfair in early 2025. In his January 2025 review, The Times’s Giles Coren went wanting to hate it but found 70s-style Italian food that was “not madly ambitious, but very precisely executed… what you want from a glittering local restaurant in a wealthy neighbourhood”. Diners in our annual diners’ poll are more mixed. Many do proclaim “a good neighbourhood option (if you live in NW8!)” and that “some of the dishes are very good”. “Chaotic, if friendly” service can let the side down though, and there’s also a feeling that “this so-called Italian restaurant is ‘beloved of prem’ league footballers’ and it shows in being over-expensive”.

For 34 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 Babbo?

29 - 31 Saint John's Wood High Street, London, NW8 7NH

Babbo Restaurant Diner Reviews

Reviews of Babbo Restaurant in NW8, London by users of Hardens.com. Also see the editors review of Babbo restaurant.
Peter M
Some of the dishes were very good although ...
Reviewed 11 months, 3 days ago

"Some of the dishes were very good although a lasagna came cold in the middle. Even though the waiting staff were very friendly and nice two side dishes never arrived, a coffee didn't come and altogether there was chaos. They did, however, make amends on the bill. I hope these were just teething issues but I won't know for quite a long time."

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Richard F
quite noisy and service could be a bit bett...
Reviewed 11 months, 24 days ago

"quite noisy and service could be a bit better"

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What the Newspaper Critics are saying

The Times

Giles Coren was all geared up to pour scorn on an Italian originally opened in Mayfair by “two long-forgotten ex-Chelsea players, David Luiz and Willian” (no longer involved), which has taken over the old premises of Harry Morgan’s (RIP), a landmark deli catering to the now diminished local Jewish population. As Giles put it, “Dancing on the graves of my grandparents. And so I came to bury Babbo, not to praise it.”

It turned out he was wrong. Babbo was just the sort of place his grandparents would have loved, with smart and charming service and 70s-style Italian food (aubergine parmigiana, piccata di vitello al limone) that was “absolutely spot-on. Not madly ambitious, but very precisely executed, which is what you want from a glittering local restaurant in a wealthy neighbourhood”.

Giles Coren - 2025-01-12

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£21.00 £40.00 £12.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £32.00
Filter Coffee £3.80
Extras  
Service 12.50%
29 - 31 Saint John's Wood High Street, London, NW8 7NH
Opening hours
Monday10 am‑10 pm
Tuesday10 am‑10 pm
Wednesday10 am‑10 pm
Thursday10 am‑10:30 pm
Friday10 am‑10:30 pm
Saturday10 am‑10:30 pm
Sunday10 am‑10 pm

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