Harden's survey result
Summary
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, this “old-fashioned, elegant Italian” in a sidestreet off a stretch of the King’s Road near World’s End “still feels family-run after all these years” and is beloved of well-heeled parents from SW3 and beyond for a “perfect Sunday Sunday lunch en famille” thanks to its “lovely atmosphere”, especially in summer in the charming garden. Its wider fanbase are struggling, though, and the days when it was a magnet for stars from Jack Nicholson to Liz Taylor are largely in the past. It doesn’t help that it can increasingly appear “incredibly expensive for what it offers”, with several reporters noting that it has “gone downhill recently” (“good things have disappeared from the menu…”; “they seem to have stuffed in more tables…”; “revisited after several years… heart-broken at the decline”).
Summary
Regulars still adore this Chelsea haunt with origins in the Swinging Sixties – “not the best food in town” and “at Chelsea prices”; but “an old-established family-run Italian restaurant with a lovely atmosphere, an old-fashioned dessert trolley, spotlessly clean and full of character”. In particular, local parents say it’s “lovely for families for Sunday lunch”. Founded by Tuscany-born Alvaro Maccione, who fed everyone from Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor to Michael Caine and Princess Margaret back in the day, it’s still “very popular with loyal Chelsea supporters (and some players...)”, while Simon Cowell was also spotted here last year.
Summary
Fans of this “old-fashioned” and datedly glam trattoria near World’s End in Chelsea (est. 1966, and the haunt, in its heyday, of folks like Jack Nicholson) say it may “not be tops for food, but the atmosphere and ambience are addictive”(especially in its adorable garden in summer). Fears that it’s becoming too long in the tooth have been around for years, with sceptics suggesting “they’re just painting by numbers nowadays”; but true believers insist this view is “just snotty – the food is delicious and the service charming”. Top Tip – for a blast from the past, “the dessert trolley is an attractive feature”.
Summary
This “old favourite” Tuscan may “live on its reputation” (stretching back to 1966) and the appeal of its superb garden, but on “weekend lunches half of Chelsea appears here” (the half that’s not somewhere in the country…) taking the grandchildren for Sunday lunch. Fans say the food is “not the very best but good…”, sceptics that “the only thing that isn’t average is the price… still, it is one of the poshest SWs!”
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 La Famiglia?
7 Langton Street, London, SW10 0JL
Restaurant details
La Famiglia Restaurant Diner Reviews
"It's always nice to dine here, but the pricing is significantly higher. The menu and the food offer no surprises, which is a plus."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
7 Langton Street, London, SW10 0JL
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
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