Chinatown, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Wildly popular for its diverse offering of small plates of terrific and original Italian regional cuisine”: Jacob Kenedy’s “relentlessly busy” (“cramped and noisy”) West End venue is many reporters’ first choice for a favourite London Italian. Aided by a convenient situation, just a short stroll from Piccadilly Circus and “well-located for the theatres” – it’s become a regular feature in the list of Top-20 London restaurants in our annual diners’ poll. The selection of carefully researched and sourced Italian ‘tapas’ are “reliably original and sometimes surprising”; and matched with a “hugely varied” Italian wine list. The food rating slipped a tad this year, though, due to gripes of some dishes “lacking their customary perfection” or “leaning towards being overpriced”. “It’s a fairly small, intimate venue with counter seating at the front, where you can watch the chefs cook, as well as some more relaxed and comfortable tables at the back” (most regulars feeling it’s “best at the bar”). Top Tip – “superb negronis and stuffed olives and the risotto is always top notch”.

“Irresistible for its history and authenticity” (as well as for “espresso and pastries”) – this 24-hour coffee bar defines Soho as the hub of London nightlife, as it has done ever since 1949, when the Polledri family – still the owners – opened it to serve what was then a thriving local Italian community. It’s “still skanky – but great” for those who appreciate post-war interiors.

“Simple Italian dishes”, with everything freshly made in the kitchen, are on the menu at this ten-year-old independent in Soho, whose standout culinary feature is the range of house-made vermouths in the bar. Praise is pretty muted, though – and “the room really lacks something despite good service”.

“Don’t go if you have a phobia of crowds” and it’s a little “touristy”, but this outpost of the San Carlo group by the Coliseum gets the thumbs-up: it’s “buzzy and fun”; “the great small plates” are “more than competent for a large, high turnover place”; and it has “a super location for pre-theatre meals”.

“Beautiful fresh pasta, served from the heart by knowledgeable Italians” is the attractive offer at this small group, spun out of a famous veteran Soho deli (est. 1944) in the past five years under private equity outfit White Rabbit. The “food is good and good value, though limited and very focused on the pasta”. There are now branches in King’s Cross, the City’s Bloomberg Arcade and most recently Marylebone; the farthest-flung is in Tokyo, while Clapham Old Town has been long promised.

“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”.

“As good as ever” – this modern and understated Soho wine bar favourite provides “good food, if in rather cramped and noisy surroundings”. A key feature is its handwritten ‘Black Book’ which lists the fine wines available each day.

2021 Review: “Neapolitan influences are evident in the choice of ingredients, and the wood-burning oven makes for good, chewy, charred crusts, unlike most high-street pizzas” – so say fans of this global chain, whose HQ is indeed in Naples. Not everyone is impressed, though, and ratings are dragged down by those who feel it’s merely an “everyday” choice: “OK for a bog-standard group, but not great”.

“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”.

2021 Review: Now over ten years old, this Venetian/Mediterranean chain has suffered a drip-feed of branch closures, with only two now trading: Soho and Chelsea. And in August 2020 it parted ways with its co-founder Russell Norman. Fans do still applaud the duo’s “very convivial and fun” formula, but the groups woes have stemmed from Venetian small plates that are often “no better than fine”, and at worst “uncared for” or “very mediocre”. Perhaps it will now finally turn a corner?

This “conveniently placed old favourite”, on a St James’s corner, serves “above-average Italian” including “particularly good fish cooking”, backed up by an “intriguing wine list with some unusual choices”. Nobody would accuse it of much in the way of pizzazz, but even those who say it’s “middle of the road and time for a revamp” still rate it well all-round.

The undoubtedly “beautiful central London location” of this Covent Garden spin-off from the famous Richmond plant nursery makes it – for some reporters – “worth paying for the pricey food” in its two restaurants, especially if you have romance in mind. Plenty of others disagree, complaining of “disappointing” food in an operation that is “not even a decent shadow of the home port”.

The “gorgeous setting”, in Covent Garden’s newish Floral Court development and with an outside courtyard, is a highpoint at this venture from the family who own Richmond’s well-known Petersham Nurseries: “perfect for a date”. Although “expensive”, it was complimented more often this year for its “lovely”, simple Italian cuisine.

“Totally bonkers” and “Insta heaven” – the latest maximalist, Central Casting interpretation of Italian restaurant culture from the French group Big Mamma (who hit paydirt with Gloria and Circolo Populare) opened in Covent Garden in summer 2021. Despite being massive (with 295 covers over two floors and two terraces), and its cheesily cheeky menu (‘Lettuce Pray’ salad, ‘Chocolate al Porno’) it’s not inspired a huge number of reports. Perhaps this was due to the pasting it received from the press (“Nonna’s gone to Iceland”, said The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa) but our (quite limited) feedback includes no major complaints.