Charing Cross, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Bowled over by the quality of the pasta and the reasonable prices, especially for central London!” – that’s the appeal in a nutshell of these busy Soho and Covent Garden pitstops, which are – for their legions of fans – “useful go-tos in the West End for an affordable meal”. On the downside, some feel “the homemade pasta is less impressive than the reviews lead you to believe”; the experience can feel “rushed” (“I don’t count being reminded every ten minutes how long until they want your seats back as good service”); and the setting can seem “just too cramped”. Still, they must be doing something right, with recent openings in Borough and (as of summer 2025) Kensington.

This “nostalgic, if rather cramped, traditional trattoria” (est. 1952) – “tucked away in a hard-to-find courtyard in Covent Garden” – is “exactly what you imagine an old-world, cosy and comfortable London Italian should be”. The only drawback is the cooking, which is “perfectly competent” but “still back in the 70s” and “expensive for what it is”. In September 2024, Jay Rayner revealed himself as an ongoing fan due to his many happy childhood memories of the place. But less starry-eyed critics in our survey feel “there’s not too many places left like this… for good reason”.

“A purveyor of cicchetti, Italy’s answer to tapas” – this “bustling” outfit from the San Carlo group is noted for “speedy service”: “it needs to be, since most of the clientele are eating pre- or post-show at the Coliseum, almost next door, or other nearby theatres”. Culinary results are generally “solid”, but can be “average-ish”, “formulaic” and “varied in their success”.

“Mad but fun… and actually pretty decent food!” – that’s the verdict of the young-at-heart (including parents with youngsters to entertain) after a visit to Big Mamma group’s huge and dramatic mock-Italian in Covent Garden, whose stagey interiors (complete with 6m ceiling and 3,500 bottles lining the walls) are designed with Insta in mind. The menu is mostly pizza and pasta (the latter includes a Spaghetti Carbonara option served in a 4kg pecorino wheel).

2022 Review: In the heart of tourist Covent Garden – on the corner of the market itself, near The Punch & Judy pub – this large (200-seat) Italian arrived in late 2019. It’s the first venture outside Italy for Nicolo Marzotti, who has 13 restaurants back home. The jury is still out on whether or not it transcends its tourist trap location (including some seating on a balcony over the main market square).

“Inspired, flavour-packed and distinctive Italian food served with flair” and “rooted in owner Jacob Kenedy’s heritage” helps make it “always uplifting to dine” at this “perennial favourite”, in a backstreet near Piccadilly Circus: one of the Top-20 most popular destinations in our annual diners’ poll. “Whether you sit at the counter with a fascinating view of the chefs making the magic happen – or at the tables – they make you feel like a part of the family and keep the exquisite morsels coming”, all from a “thoughtful” and “complex” menu, presented tapas-style, which incorporates all the regions of the country. There are also “lots of interesting Italian wines, with many available by the glass”, not to mention “top-notch Negronis”. “This place has been on the top of its game for 17 years now, probably because the dishes change so often, with a fabulous, clubby atmosphere even if it can sometimes be a little too noisy” (and “too crowded”). Top Menu Tips: “exceptional charcuterie and polenta”; “lovely Rabbit risotto, fennel sausage and courgette”; “the Courgette flowers are unbeatable”; “Stuffed olives Ascolana, speck, prawn risotto, espresso & Fernet may be the perfect lunch”.

“Hidden in a tiny alley off Pall Mall” – this “wonderful, small, family-owned Italian”, is “a ‘banker’ in a part of London where you sometimes feel you need to own a bank to eat out. Not here: great food, wine and service comes at acceptable prices”. Opened in 1994, it has moved a few steps along Crown Passage – “but the new venue is a great improvement”, “brightly but tastefully decorated and tables not overly close together”. “Service by the sisters/owners is as caring and knowledgeable as ever” – “long may the sisters flourish”.

“Perfect espresso ... perfect vibe” – Italian cocktails from mixologist extraordinaire Tony Conigliaro take centre stage at his chic Soho bar, with a supporting cast of coffee, prosciutto, salami, coppa and Italian cheeses.

“Consistently good family-style Italian restaurant in Soho” with “well priced, excellent food, and a nice vermouth bar serving its own creations” (they claim London’s largest selection of vermouths, as well as those they themselves make). Alongside good ranges of pizza and pasta – all of it homemade – the steaks are the highpoint of the short selection of ‘secondi’.

Kudos to Angela Hartnett’s team for the “consistently high standards and predictable quality” of these “handy Italians”, which inspire many recommendations in our annual diners’ poll for “a casual bite with great Italian food” in the West End. “The food is hearty (e.g. rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu), simple but well executed and service charming and friendly”. In summer 2025, she opened her fourth location, with a Marylebone site joining her other operations in St James’s, Bermondsey and Covent Garden. In particular, they are “perfect pre-theatre”; and they also often get a shout-out for their welcome to families (“my two-year-niece from Australia was over and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly”).

“An icon which never disappoints!” – a “classic” both for its foundational role in British coffee culture and for its barely touched 1949 interior, the Polledri family’s famous bar provides “great coffee” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – plus “a good view of the queues outside Ronnie Scott’s, so celebrity-spotting is a free extra”.

“Bowled over by the quality of the pasta and the reasonable prices, especially for central London!” – that’s the appeal in a nutshell of these busy Soho and Covent Garden pitstops, which are – for their legions of fans – “useful go-tos in the West End for an affordable meal”. On the downside, some feel “the homemade pasta is less impressive than the reviews lead you to believe”; the experience can feel “rushed” (“I don’t count being reminded every ten minutes how long until they want your seats back as good service”); and the setting can seem “just too cramped”. Still, they must be doing something right, with recent openings in Borough and (as of summer 2025) Kensington.

2024 Review: “A good find for a pre-theatre meal” – this “efficient and friendly” Covent Garden dining room is quite stylish for somewhere inside a modern chain hotel, and serves an offbeat mix of Peruvian and Italian dishes: “a great selection”, with “lots of small-plate choices and interesting combinations” – “just enough to choose easily and all delicious”.

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??”

The arrival of top-class Italian chef, Francesco Mazzei (most recently of Sartoria and Fiume) was trailed at this luxurious five-star near Trafalgar Square in September 2024, but its ultimate launch took about a year to complete. He’s taken over the space that was previously the Northall (RIP) that was formerly managed by André Garrett. The Northall’s interior is a fine space, but it’s always played second-fiddle to Tom Kerridge’s Grill just along the corridor, something the new launch is doubtless designed to change.

Taking over the mezzanine dining room in the National Gallery’s Sainsbury wing, an all-day Italian restaurant from Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli (with the recent closure of their famous Locanda Locatelli, RIP, this is now their sole London flagship). It’s a good-looking space overlooking the square that’s never before properly found its mojo. Maybe it’s time is now? Branded with the name of the famous Italian chef, it will be run by British caterers Searcy’s and it remains to be seen how hands-on Giorgio and Plaxy will need to be as the menu of ‘Giorgio signatures’ is considerably more straightforward than that at Locanda Locatelli. Below, on the ground floor there is also a new espresso bar, ‘Bar Giorgio’, specialising in Roman maritozzi brioche buns.