Covent Garden, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Mad but fun, and actually with pretty decent food” sums up the general view of this vast and operatic mock-Italian in Covent Garden from the Paris-based Big Mama group, which majors mostly in pizza and pasta. It’s “definitely aimed at Instagrammers” and “groups of youngsters having fun” – but while it’s “seriously over-hyped”, at least that means nobody goes without knowing what they’re in for.

“Classic, uncomplicated Italian dishes are done accurately and well-flavoured” at Angela Hartnett’s trio of “deservedly popular” modern trattorias. “Consistently enjoyable, with a buzzy atmosphere and lovely staff”, they are widely tipped as a “good standby” for many occasions, and the worst anyone had to say about them this year is that they can seem “unimaginative but competent”. Top Tip – “the pasta is the thing here – especially the spicy rigatoni – but the menu is broad enough for kids and their parents (with a decent wine list); and staff are patient with families”; and “good-value set lunch”.

The “really lively atmosphere and helpful, cheerful staff” make this Italian spot from the San Carlo group “a nice pre-theatre dining venue” a few minutes’ walk from the Coliseum. One could argue that “there’s nothing exceptional about the cicchetti on offer”, but the place “doesn’t feel like a chain” and is consistently well-rated in (practically) all reports.

“Traditional Italian food served in one of the older restaurants in London” generally works out better than might be expected at this Theatreland stalwart in the tourist hell around Covent Garden. The Ragona family from Sicily launched the business in 1952, and their “cosy” premises in an ancient courtyard has a fair few fans (including The Observer’s Jay Rayner, whose September 2024 review harked back to his first childhood visit in 1972). It makes an “excellent pre-theatre choice”, albeit that it’s “very expensive even allowing for the location”.

“Delicious pasta at relatively affordable prices” inspires major loyalty to these “busy” pasta pitstops in Soho, near Trafalgar Square and in Borough Yards: for their legions of fans, “a staple option for a quick meal in London”, even if “the narrow WC2 branch in particular is tight for space and can feel a little crowded and noisy”. The experience, though, can tip into just feeling “rushed”, “unimpressive” or “hyped”, not least due to the “hit ’n’ miss service”. Top Menu Tips – “obviously the ‘silk handkerchiefs’ are best”; “Cacio Pepe is like you’ll never find outside Rome at an unbelievable price”.

Regulars say this “proper, family-run trattoria in Covent Garden [unusual in itself, Ed] could be in any city in Italy, with a narrow dining room and cosy tables” – “genial host Andrea will recommend items on the menu and the food and wine are excellent”. But its old-fashioned and personal appeal can pass some people by completely: “if you want to know what dining in a slightly run-down, cramped restaurant in the 1950s was like, this is your place…”

“Really good pasta in the unexpected location of tourist-central Piccadilly” – and at “pretty good value for this quality” – has won numerous fans for this post-lockdown venture, which now has a second branch in equally touristy Covent Garden. Given the well PR’d involvement of Phil Howard, the kitchen genius behind The Square (long RIP) and Elystan Street, it’s perhaps short on magic, but nearly all reports rate it as a good “cheap ’n’ cheerful” all-rounder.