London, Italian Restaurant Guide

This 55-year-old City trattoria is a popular, lunchtime rendezvous spot on account of its “huge” helpings of classic dishes; its terrace by Bow churchyard for al fresco eating; and its good regional list of Italian wines.

The Chelsea branch of this modern Italian duo (the other is in The City) “was a real godsend during the Covid restrictions” for its “special terrace” – “one of the best in London” – “well away from the King’s Road traffic” and with “lots of flowers and heaters when needed”. “The food is very good but rather pricey” – perhaps as expected at these locations.

A “family-run trattoria” three minutes’ walk from St Paul’s that rates highly for its “varied Italian menu” – and it’s notably well priced for the City, too.

2021 Review: “I am truly surprised at the low ratings this has received in Harden’s!” – Searcy’s seem to have pulled their socks up at their Italian brasserie and cocktail bar, which sits in the beating heart of the Barbican arts centre (making it a natural pre-theatre option), and which by day enjoys “excellent views” over the centre’s lake and St Giles Cripplegate church. Some diners do still say its overall performance is “no better than adequate”, but more fans this year lauded its “excellent food from a regularly changing menu”.

“Satisfying home-style southern Italian cooking, including a good-value daily fixed-price menu”, is the draw at this “bright and friendly little restaurant opposite Smithfield market” – “conveniently close to the Barbican” – which offers “decent value for the area”.

“Small plates but big flavours” from “a lovely short menu of top-quality antipasti and pasta dishes” win numerous “cheap ’n’ cheerful” nominations for this small chain, which consists of the “busy, lovely but very crammed” Soho original (for 75 years a deli, but since 2018 and its relaunch by Private Equity firm White Rabbit, in this new guise) and a newer, bigger but less commented-on King’s Cross spin-off. “We need more branches of this great restaurant” plead fans… whose prayers are soon to be answered with a 90-seater outlet in Marylebone (in Wigmore Street, on the former Sourced Market site) plus in Bloomberg Arcade and Clapham, as well as one in Tokyo!