Esher, Italian - Restaurant Guide

“An enjoyable tapas-style menu in Covent Garden” is served at this two-floor venue near the Royal Opera House: a lively spot “with quite a lot of its former pub architecture retained”. Part of the Salt Yard Group, Hispanic flavours are to the fore here as well as some Italian inspirations. Top Menu Tips – “the broccoli and courgette tempura are two standout dishes”; “pan con tomate is particularly good”; “good orange panna cotta with matching ice cream”.

“Twenty years old and still a reasonable choice” – this duo serving Spanish/Italian tapas “remains a cut above the average”, at both the original Fitzrovia original venue and a newer site in Borough Market (an outpost at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush was short-lived). However, “there are now many more similar places available” than when quality tapas seemed a rarity in the capital, and some long-term fans dwell on the fact that they’ve “gone downhill” over the decades, now feeling “slightly more expensive than they should be”.

Amidst the gents’ outfitters of Jermyn Street (whose suave suits and shirts clad many of the clientele here), this popular stalwart (founded in 1945) is a super-convivial rendezvous for its St James’s pack of wealth advisors, art dealers and property agents; and it is “buzzing” (from its popular breakfast-time onwards) at its “closely spaced tables” (“not too bad if you are seated by a wall, but potentially claustrophobic in the middle of the room”). In that vein, it’s a “fun experience with a high standard of service and care”, plus “great Italian food”. A caveat? “Everything works but the prices are a bit daft”.

It’s hard to keep up with this “lovely Soho old-timer” which was founded in 1971 but has shifted location twice since it first opened its doors (most recently in 2021 from Poland Street). First timers say “what a surprise, it’s really good!” and those in-the-know (who include former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who had his engagement party at the former site) appreciate it as “a very friendly family-run ‘real’ Italian restaurant in the heart of the West End”. “Delicious seafood and fish dishes” in particular are a highlight of the Umbria-inspired menu; and owner Paul Matteucci (son of Vasco) is “an exceptional host” (particularly once you are known as a regular). Top Menu Tip – “the carpaccio di tonno is outstanding”; and “the range, quality and value of wine is immense and very difficult to find in these inflation-hit days”.

“Sally Clarke continues to oversee her Kensington oasis and ensures high standards are maintained” as she has since 1984 at this paragon of enduring quality, just south of Notting Hill Gate. Inspired originally by her time at Chez Panisse in California in the late 1970s, “the focus on quality ingredients pays off in the dishes and everything is deceptively simply prepared and tastes amazing”. “It’s not flash but all the better for that – not cheap but worth every penny”. “Remarkably, Sally is still working front of house every night ensuring guests feel welcomed and at home” and – especially for older romantics – “there is no music; tables are well spaced; the lighting is great; one can whisper sweet-nothings without the next table overhearing; and it slightly feels like one has taken one’s lover home to meet the family (and your mum happens to cook a good dinner). It’s a class act!”. Top Menu Tips – “all tastes are catered for and vegetables swapped round from the menu to accommodate likes and dislikes”. Highlights among starters include “super fresh crab”, “pasta with grated black truffle and an excellent white asparagus”; among mains, “superb Dover sole” and “fabulous deer, perfectly medium rare with superb accompaniments”; “excellent cheeseboard, then delicious comice pear sorbets with amazingly good pistachio wafers”.

“A stalwart that never fails to please” say the many silver-haired fans of this enduring “old-style Italian” just south of Sloane Square, founded in 1994 by Paolo Caraffini and Frank di Rienzo and run to this day by their sons and daughters. That the surroundings are “comfortable and calm”; and that service is “so friendly and caring”; and that a meal is “always such good fun” is what keeps it busy (it’s “an unreconstructed monument to the days when eating out was actually going for a meal out, rather than an act of prostration in a temple of vanity”). Regulars “know the menu by heart” – “plain, solid and reliable” fare “of a decent standard but not too fancy”. Top Menu Tips – “Don’t tell anyone, but it’s the only place I’ve found in London where you can get a good sgroppino (look it up), which is hard enough to find in Italy outside the Veneto”; “loved the plate-sized Escalope a la Milanese, and, since it was so big, so did my dogs...!”

“Seemingly effortlessly classy and convivial” – these attractive spinoffs from the national San Carlo chain provide “casual dining with Italian small plates in a lively setting” and can be particularly “great for a pre-theatre meal” given their “very convenient locations for the West End” (including a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus). There are drawbacks though: “quality of the dishes is a little variable”; “tables are squeezed in”; and conversation can be “difficult” (“this place is described as ’buzzy’, for which I would read loud”).

Just off Sloane Street, this stalwart trattoria has been a feature since 1974, and its crowd of old-faithful diners are slowly warning to the new regime, who refurbished and relaunched it in 2023. Reports are still not as numerous as during its heyday, but after last year’s dip, its ratings are improved and feedback focuses on the traditional virtues that have made it such a keeper: “a solid Italian. We experienced one ‘off day’ before Christmas, but otherwise have found it consistently good”, particularly the “wonderful and friendly” service.

“Seemingly effortlessly classy and convivial” – these attractive spinoffs from the national San Carlo chain provide “casual dining with Italian small plates in a lively setting” and can be particularly “great for a pre-theatre meal” given their “very convenient locations for the West End” (including a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus). There are drawbacks though: “quality of the dishes is a little variable”; “tables are squeezed in”; and conversation can be “difficult” (“this place is described as ’buzzy’, for which I would read loud”).

With its “lovely Italian vibe in Charlotte Street”, this Fitzrovia townhouse provides a high-quality, under-the-radar experience. Launched in 2019, it’s a slightly offbeat part of hotel group The Stafford Collection, although aside from its smart interior that’s the only hint of a wider group connection. The cooking is inspired by the crossover of southern Italian and Moorish cuisine (“I fell in love with Sicily a year or two ago and this is what I’ve been looking for!”) and the culinary offering is “delightful (albeit not cheap)”. Top Menu Tips – “the spaghetti fritters are more addictive than crack!”; and “the set lunch is an absolute steal”.

This “glitzy ‘see-and-be-seen’ Italian” in the ever-more chic environs of Lower Regent Street is the London flagship for Carlo Distefano’s national chain, which was founded in Birmingham in 1992 and expanded to most UK cities before hitting the capital in 2012 (the group also has a number of simpler ‘Cicchetti’ locations around town, see also). The aim is a traditional one: an “extensive menu” of classic dishes delivered in a golden glow of crisp tablecloths and smartly dressed servers. The food is consistent, if fully priced; and the service can be “attentive but lacking charm”.

“Upmarket Italian” – associated with a lifestyle brand originally specialising in yachtie apparel, these luxurious all-day cafés aim to recreate the retro glamour of 1950s Italy, complete with deep blue awnings, wood panelled walls and white-jacketed staff. At their best they are a “lovely dining experience”, but – especially given the aspirational pricing – they sometimes fall short of their aims with an offering that can seem “mass and carelessly produced”.

That it’s “good fun” has kept this Knightsbridge trattoria clipping along since 1984 (and it’s been part of the nationwide San Carlo Group for about half that time). Even fans admit it’s “cramped”, that “the food quality is not consistent” or that “its reputation is a bit bewildering”, but they say “you can overlook that given its convivial service and generous helpings”.

2022 Review: A short walk from Sloane Street, this elegantly panelled Belgravia dining room is part of a luxurious five-star hotel. Perhaps because it’s tucked away in such an expensive ’hood, it doesn’t generate a huge volume of survey feedback, but such as there is says it successfully sets a superior standard of Italian cuisine.