Harden's says
London’s appetite for fresh pasta specialists remains undimmed (Pastaio, Padella, Pastifico all spring to mind). The latest addition is this Covent Garden-fringe venture from William Ellner (of Joanna’s in Crystal Palace) and David Ramsey with ex-Locanda Locatelli chef Louis Korovilas in the kitchen whipping up the likes of pappardelle with kid goat and rosemary ragù. There’s also an aperiviti and cicchetti bar.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A perfect pre-theatre choice that’s quick and classy” – these West End pasta-stops off Trafalgar Square and in Soho provide “excellent pasta, reasonable prices and a speedy turnaround”. “Buzzy rather than comfortable (many tables only have stools), really keen nearly all Italian staff provide the (fairly) limited menu” – “fab fresh pasta” with “modern Italian flavours” that’s “not complicated, but done with precision”, all “at an amazing price”.
Summary
“Superbly-flavourful” pasta dishes at “extremely good-value” prices – especially for the West End – make Louis Korovilas’s “handy” yearling “one of the better options in the tourist centre” of town, just off Trafalgar Square. Some reporters feel it’s “let down by the long, narrow shape of the restaurant”, but more commonly it’s judged an “elegant, buzzing, if packed space”.
For 32 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).
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Restaurant details
Bancone Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Perhaps just a shade too popular for its own good, but the food is always good, and it's another place where a ringside seat adds to the entertainment. "
"An excellent pasta restaurant where the silk handkerchiefs dish really shines. Very good value. "
"I'd put this place 2nd behind padella. Certainly streets ahead of Pastaio. Good food and good environment. Staff do their best but despite there being seemingly hordes of them, service can be a little patchy. "
"The problem here is the narrow room. seated at the counter or an many of the seats means you are in the corridor with customers and staff passing constantly. The few tables seem very hard to book - we have tried before and they never seem available. Staff are very friendly and move it along at the right pace. Impressive to keep up the standards The food here from a relatively limited menu remains interesting. Signs of cutting to reduce costs - the starter of anchovies was strips on toast... Polenta chips on the other hand is simple and clever although sauce modest. Duck ragu was full of shredded duck; Cod Tagliatelle had small cod but lots of noodles which they do well. Limited deserts but Cannoli is great."
"Its not very comfortable as the seats are mainly stools, but the food is very good and the staff delightful, interested in the food and friendly."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £21.50 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
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