Kensington, Pizza Restaurant Guide

2024 Review: “A wonderful display of fresh fish on ice” (“including the biggest scallops with the coral attached”) greets diners arriving at this “unique Italian” in a quiet corner of Kensington, whose “cooking is precise with a light touch”.

“Always packed, very reliable Italian” near the Albert Hall whose “formula has stood the test of time” (since 1967) and which feels “here for the duration”. There’s a “standard and well-cooked menu of pastas, pizzas and salads”, “amazing home-made ice cream”, and “plenty of photos to remind you of their most famous regular of bygone years, Princess Di!”, who used to bring the young princes from nearby Kensington Palace for a lunchtime treat (not shy about the connection, their Instagram proclaims ‘Here to serve Celebrities, Royalty, and YOU’).

“Always fun to visit” – this well-run Big Mamma group two-year-old is “certainly a unique space” and “the restaurant decor is worth a visit in its own right”: spanning four floors, the interior includes sweeping staircases, foliage, chandeliers, big banquettes and marble a-go-go. Most diners feel the traditional trattoria fare (not least “excellent, and very large, desserts”) only adds to the occasion, although there is also the view that “it’s a fun place but the best bet is to stick to the pizza”.