Harden's survey result
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”.
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”.
Summary
This “ever bustling traditional Italian” has brought an affordable taste of ‘la dolce vita’ to Bloomsbury for 35 years. The “standard” food “is pretty good for the reasonable price”, “but is not really the point”: it’s “very cheerful” with a “superb buzz”. “Perfect for a family get-together with children.”
Summary
“The perfect trat’” is a typically affectionate tribute to this “merry” Bloomsbury Italian, where “the food is not spectacular” but “unbelievably good value” and served in “an ambience reminiscent of 1960s Fellini and Antonioni films”. “It was my staple when I was poor and first moved to London, then I got marginally richer and moved on, but I recently went back and was reminded how great it is”.
For 30 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?
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £18.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
86-90 Lamb’s Conduit St, London, WC1N 3LZ
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 5 pm‑10:30 pm |
Best Italian restaurants nearby
Italian restaurant in LONDON
Italian restaurant in King's Cross
Italian restaurant in Clerkenwell
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Indian restaurant in Bloomsbury
International restaurant in Bloomsbury
Pizza restaurant in London
