Marylebone, Italian Restaurant Guide

Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi’s 24-year-old flagship makes a “great stopover on a busy day” in Marylebone thanks to its “reasonably priced Italian food” of consistently high quality. The chef and his food-writer wife have a second outlet in Bray, and have produced a string of cookbooks and run cookery schools both in Tuscany and closer to home in the past two decades (but their latest restaurant, in Belsize Park, closed down last year after just nine months).

“This small, privately owned Italian restaurant just off Cavendish Square”, close to Wigmore Hall, offers “well-priced, authentic Venetian food” (“outstanding pasta”) along with “kind and generous service” – “love it!”. “Lots of locals eat here” because it’s “surprisingly cheap for Marylebone” – “so book in advance”.

2023 Review: Carrying the name of Richard Caring’s famous Harry’s Bar in Mayfair (which is still members only), this sub-brand spin-off near Selfridges aims to encapsulate classic La Dolce Vita-style glamour. All of the limited feedback acknowledges decent Italian cooking, but is riddled with quibbles feeding back to the level of expense (“good food but the tables are packed too tightly and we’ll give it miss in future, as it did not have the right ambience for the price…”; “food was mediocre at the ridiculous price…”).

Useful Italian close to Selfridges with a 50-cover outdoor terrace in secluded St Christopher’s Place, away from the hubbub of Oxford Street. One of nine in Sicilian-born Carlo Distefano’s stable across London (there are another 16 in England and more opening fast overseas), it ticks all the boxes with good food, efficient service and a lively atmosphere.

2023 Review: Few restaurants can boast the heritage of this Mayfair two-year-old: the first ever spin-off from a Milanese original of over 120 years’ standing. It’s still a case of promise unfulfilled, though, with reports that are very up and down, despite a general acknowledgement of “friendly service and a pleasant interior” (the latter very classical in style). “Eye-watering prices” are key to the ambivalence felt by diners, despite some dishes that are “clearly wonderful” – if you give it a go, perhaps try the set lunch, which is “exceptional value by comparison to other options here”.

This vibey March 2025 newcomer occupies a Mayfair basement that was previously the original branch of the hip Peruvian Pachamama and has been re-launched under the same ownership as a see-and-be-seen Italian haunt. Early feedback is too limited for a rating but buzzing: “the food overall was superb, particularly the raw fish dishes (even if a cacio e pepe pasta dish was average). Tiramisu dessert was huge and enough for 4 of us!” (The Daily Mail’s Tom Parker Bowles was more reserved in his May 2025 review – he conceded that “This is a kitchen that knows its cipolle” but found it lacked “oh-so-elusive heart and soul”.)

“A beautiful – if slightly louche – space to dine in” – this pastiche Italian-American venue in Marylebone “exudes old-school romance” and also bears some family resemblance to its none-too-subtle siblings Gloria, Ave Mario and Jacuzzi (see also). But while fans see it as a “glamorous all-rounder” with “variations on Italian-themed food served with gusto”, sceptics feel “it flatters to deceive”: “the food is below average and service is dismissive”. Top Tip – you’re here for the “over-the-top deco”, so you “must visit the toilets”.

“Standard and reliable Italian” sums up the aim of this trio from the Fraquelli brothers Andrea & Alberto (third-generation restaurateurs whose grandfather founded the Spaghetti House group). Aided by “well judged and professional service”, they often succeed in this mission with their combination of Italian cuisine, New York-style service and Parisian grand brasserie interiors, but there’s also a concern that “the food is up and down in quality” and “not cheap”. No update as yet on the long-anticipated relaunch of ‘La Brasserie’ site in South Kensington, but there was news to report this year in Notting Hill: when Thomas Straker’s hip flagship suffered a fire, the nearby Brasseria hosted him at short notice for a pop-up residency.

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??”

Party Kardashian-style at this OTT Italian-American in a glam boutique hotel in Marylebone that arrived two years ago via outposts in LA, NYC and Singapore. Although it’s not exactly a foodie choice, its menu of upscale salads, pizza and pasta does a very respectable job and you can round off in maximalist style with a helping of their famous 20-Layer Peanut Butter Cake. Top Tip – “best weekend brunch in central London”.

2024 Review: “Request the elegant first-floor dining room” when you dine at this large Italian in Mayfair, imported from LA (there’s also a ground-floor bar). It opened in late 2022 and reports are still not as numerous as we’d like; but early diners are wowed by the classily ritzy decor and high-quality cuisine. There’s also a cigar lounge and terrace.