Chinatown, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Inspired, flavour-packed and distinctive Italian food served with flair” and “rooted in owner Jacob Kenedy’s heritage” helps make it “always uplifting to dine” at this “perennial favourite”, in a backstreet near Piccadilly Circus: one of the Top-20 most popular destinations in our annual diners’ poll. “Whether you sit at the counter with a fascinating view of the chefs making the magic happen – or at the tables – they make you feel like a part of the family and keep the exquisite morsels coming”, all from a “thoughtful” and “complex” menu, presented tapas-style, which incorporates all the regions of the country. There are also “lots of interesting Italian wines, with many available by the glass”, not to mention “top-notch Negronis”. “This place has been on the top of its game for 17 years now, probably because the dishes change so often, with a fabulous, clubby atmosphere even if it can sometimes be a little too noisy” (and “too crowded”). Top Menu Tips: “exceptional charcuterie and polenta”; “lovely Rabbit risotto, fennel sausage and courgette”; “the Courgette flowers are unbeatable”; “Stuffed olives Ascolana, speck, prawn risotto, espresso & Fernet may be the perfect lunch”.

“An icon which never disappoints!” – a “classic” both for its foundational role in British coffee culture and for its barely touched 1949 interior, the Polledri family’s famous bar provides “great coffee” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – plus “a good view of the queues outside Ronnie Scott’s, so celebrity-spotting is a free extra”.

“Consistently good family-style Italian restaurant in Soho” with “well priced, excellent food, and a nice vermouth bar serving its own creations” (they claim London’s largest selection of vermouths, as well as those they themselves make). Alongside good ranges of pizza and pasta – all of it homemade – the steaks are the highpoint of the short selection of ‘secondi’.

“Perfect espresso ... perfect vibe” – Italian cocktails from mixologist extraordinaire Tony Conigliaro take centre stage at his chic Soho bar, with a supporting cast of coffee, prosciutto, salami, coppa and Italian cheeses.

“A purveyor of cicchetti, Italy’s answer to tapas” – this “bustling” outfit from the San Carlo group is noted for “speedy service”: “it needs to be, since most of the clientele are eating pre- or post-show at the Coliseum, almost next door, or other nearby theatres”. Culinary results are generally “solid”, but can be “average-ish”, “formulaic” and “varied in their success”.

This “nostalgic, if rather cramped, traditional trattoria” (est. 1952) – “tucked away in a hard-to-find courtyard in Covent Garden” – is “exactly what you imagine an old-world, cosy and comfortable London Italian should be”. The only drawback is the cooking, which is “perfectly competent” but “still back in the 70s” and “expensive for what it is”. In September 2024, Jay Rayner revealed himself as an ongoing fan due to his many happy childhood memories of the place. But less starry-eyed critics in our survey feel “there’s not too many places left like this… for good reason”.

Opening its 10th branch in 2025 – amidst the towers of Canary Wharf – this much commented- on chain is leaving behind its Soho roots – as a quaint old deli of 75 years’ standing – and is now in full-on ‘roll-out’ mode. Fans still find it “very impressive for a chain that’s growing so fast” and tip its “lovely mint-green” outlets as “an ideal place to meet and enjoy authentic pasta and Italian dishes”. Some branches, though, are better than others: in particular the “friendly and relaxed Marylebone branch at the junction of Wigmore Street is a winner”. Others, though, can show the strains of expansion: “What’s the point? It’s neither stand-out, nor cheap and cheerful. Unexceptional pasta is served in a so-so ambience. I am not sure I get it??”

“Bowled over by the quality of the pasta and the reasonable prices, especially for central London!” – that’s the appeal in a nutshell of these busy Soho and Covent Garden pitstops, which are – for their legions of fans – “useful go-tos in the West End for an affordable meal”. On the downside, some feel “the homemade pasta is less impressive than the reviews lead you to believe”; the experience can feel “rushed” (“I don’t count being reminded every ten minutes how long until they want your seats back as good service”); and the setting can seem “just too cramped”. Still, they must be doing something right, with recent openings in Borough and (as of summer 2025) Kensington.

“This small, unassuming restaurant is a favourite haunt” in Soho, featuring “imaginative, unfussy and tasty food”, with “attentive service in a buzzy environment”. Founders Cameron Emirali & Luke Wilson are “lovely people” who “get everything right”, so “the ambience is fun, with everyone enjoying themselves”. Top Tip – “it’s worth sharing plates to get twice as much pleasure for the same price”.

“Bowled over by the quality of the pasta and the reasonable prices, especially for central London!” – that’s the appeal in a nutshell of these busy Soho and Covent Garden pitstops, which are – for their legions of fans – “useful go-tos in the West End for an affordable meal”. On the downside, some feel “the homemade pasta is less impressive than the reviews lead you to believe”; the experience can feel “rushed” (“I don’t count being reminded every ten minutes how long until they want your seats back as good service”); and the setting can seem “just too cramped”. Still, they must be doing something right, with recent openings in Borough and (as of summer 2025) Kensington.

2024 Review: “A good find for a pre-theatre meal” – this “efficient and friendly” Covent Garden dining room is quite stylish for somewhere inside a modern chain hotel, and serves an offbeat mix of Peruvian and Italian dishes: “a great selection”, with “lots of small-plate choices and interesting combinations” – “just enough to choose easily and all delicious”.

“Mad but fun… and actually pretty decent food!” – that’s the verdict of the young-at-heart (including parents with youngsters to entertain) after a visit to Big Mamma group’s huge and dramatic mock-Italian in Covent Garden, whose stagey interiors (complete with 6m ceiling and 3,500 bottles lining the walls) are designed with Insta in mind. The menu is mostly pizza and pasta (the latter includes a Spaghetti Carbonara option served in a 4kg pecorino wheel).