Harden's survey result
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”.
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.”
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 Ciao Bella?
Restaurant details
Ciao Bella Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Been here a few times and it is always the same great food, good prices, great banter with the staff and always busy - even on Mondays! Sat outside in late November with heaters on and it was lovely!"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £19.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.50 |
 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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