Soho, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Italian peasant-food fit for a king” – Jacob Kenedy’s “exceptional and distinctive” fixture, a short stroll from Piccadilly Circus, has carved a massive foodie following with its “wonderfully eclectic and ever-changing range of traditional dishes from across the country” (categorised by region, and available in ‘small’ or ‘large sizes’), with the “exciting” results “so simple and delicious you cannot believe it”. “And they’re complemented by a staggering wine list” which “is itself a trip through Italy” (“it’s worth having a detailed conversation with the wine waiter to discover outstanding vintages at sensible prices” with “lots of interesting options by the glass”). “Unsurprisingly, the place is always jammed”, and the “busy, café-style” interior with “closely packed tables” is such that “while mostly delightful, it’s bloody noisy” (“if not slightly manic”). But the “efficient and friendly staff” help keep the mood upbeat. Some guests “prefer the counter” – “there’s great kitchen theatre perched on the bar stools”.

“A tiny restaurant with a big heart… and wonderful pasta” – the “transition from great Italian deli to restaurant is a big success” at this landmark, 75-year-old Soho store, which morphed last year from pure retail to providing an “excellent, counter-dining experience at moderate prices” nearby. “If you love pasta, this is the place to go” – “delicately silky, with the most fantastic sauces” – and it’s “a brilliant stop-off before film, theatre etc”. It’s not going to take 75 years to turn this rip-roaring success into a chain, though: branch no. 2 opens in the second half of 2019 in one of King’s Cross’s ‘heritage buildings’ and will be ‘an 100-cover outfit decorated in the same pale green-and white-stripes that diners in Soho have come to know’.

“A special place” – “frozen in time and all the better for it” – this atmospheric Soho institution defies caffeine fashion and is as perfect a location for a cup of coffee today as it was when it opened in 1949. It operates 24/7 – and don’t even think of bringing your laptop...

“What a great find in Soho!” – “this quirky and funky place offers a nice twist on traditional Italian dishes”, and is “so much better than the chains”. “Looks tiny from the outside but has this ginormous expanse at basement level”, which “can be noisy”. “It’s not cheap but nor is it outrageously expensive for the area and quality”. There’s also an on-site aperitivo bar featuring home-made vermouth.

This “stylish and modern” Soho outpost of Rocco Princi’s self-service Milanese bakery is “always buzzing” with a crowd chasing its “delicious breakfasts”, “great sandwiches” and “incredible cakes”; there are “creative salads and pizzas”, too (the latter are particularly good).

“Amazing fresh pasta that’s great value for central London” has carved a strong following for Stevie Parle’s “loud” and buzzy Kingly Court operation for a “swift”, “cheap ’n’ cheerful” bite.

Especially “on a rainy night, snuggled up in the window by candlelight”, this small modern tapas restaurant off Carnaby Street can still be a valued haunt. But its ratings have dropped sharply in the past two years as the Salt Yard Group changed hands. “The food used to be really delicious: the ideas are still good” – the “brilliant inclusion of Italian elements in the tapas” – but the realisation nowadays can be “mediocre”.

Now ten years old, Russell Norman and Richard Beatty’s Venetian/Mediterranean chain faces the well-publicised challenge of a March CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement), amidst a drip-feed of branch closures. Fans do still applaud its “very convivial and fun” formula, but even they often feel it’s “somewhat lost its way”, with staff who can seem “overwhelmed” and serving Venetian small plates that are often “no better than fine”, and at worst “uncared for” or “very mediocre”.