The food is well-presented, yet not fussy, following the simple flavours of Italian cuisine. A brand new, larger restaurant has opened in Soho so you're much more likely to get a fix of the classic bucatini cacio e pepe, or the more adventurous silk handkerchiefs, walnut butter and confit egg yolk. Then there are dishes made for comfort: tender ox cheek with lemon polenta, Hebridean lamb with bagna cauda, or a wedge of glazed, roasted Delica pumpkin with chestnuts and buttered onions. Older sister to Borough Market’s Padella, Trullo serves perfect pasta, antipasti and larger charcoal grill dishes in a romantic yet relaxed environment. Its wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas are the best in South London. Homemade pasta plays a starring role and takes a trip around Italy: pici with Umbrian sausage and porcini mushrooms, lumache (literally “snails”) with ‘nduja, pappardelle with rich rabbit ragu. But whatever you do, leave space (or undo a trouser button) for the pear and almond tart. More than 30 years since it opened its doors in Hammersmith, Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray’s Thameside restaurant is still just as This is the kind of place to go the whole hog: anchovy and stracciatella or fried squash and sage leaves for antipasti; cacio e pepe or bombolotti with ragu ‘Hazan’ as primi; chicken meatballs with green polenta or rump steak with salsa verde at secondi; and panna cotta, perfectly wobbled, for dolci. Its restaurant - an intimate two-floor space on Greek Street - delivers excellent homemade fresh pasta, simple, yet mouthwatering flavours and the best chocolate torte you'll eat in a long time. A long, marble-topped bar dominates the right-hand side, while the main room stretches behind. The Scotch Bonnet nduja is the menu must-order, as the spiced sausage is made across the road by the team at the Camberwell Arms pub. Locations: King's Cross and and SohoClick here to find out more. With a Trullo alumnus behind the stove and an ex-Barrafina and Koya City general manager on the floor, recently-opened Legare has a short but sweet menu from which to pick and mix snacks, antipasti and pastas. TRY: Whichever ravioli they’re making fresh that day, and their homemade ice cream for dessert. Chicory and beans are held up with sweet and sour onions, and a deeply savoury anchovy crumb. Downstairs, rows of tables are packed into the room and packets of breadsticks await diners in their place settings. Translating as river, the contemporary Italian sits in front of a water feature that reflects the golden hue of the recently renovated chimneys towering above. Translating as river, the, The menu proper focusses on the recipes of, Osteria Romana, Knightsbridge – for Roman cooking, A small, softly lit space, the décor keeps it simple with plain wooden flooring and furniture, earth-hued walls and little copper lamps that shine inviting pools of light over each table. The family-run Sydenham Italian restaurant couldn't get more authentic: think red-and-white checked tablecloths and owner Raff, giving everyone a warm welcome. The menu is a gustatory odyssey through Italy, from a Trentino pork and foie-gras sausage to a Sicilian tuna tartare, which manifests as a generous hillock of ruby cubes, studded with salty capers, soft pine nuts and shavings of orange peel. The wine list is largely sourced from Maremma itself – a rarity in the wine world. A bright, white room, a short simple menu and rustic Italian food: that’s Artusi in Peckham. Save up to 50% at London restaurants when you book on Tripadvisor, “The food was delicious we chose calamari and, “Glad we tried this lovely little place!”, “Probably one of the best experience in...”, “Always a good choice for a nice dinner on...”, “... with wild boar ragu and a pistacchio, “What a gem this turned out to be! Her philosophy for the food is all about 'really good simple, tasty food'. Drawing inspiration from Middle Eastern and Moorish cuisine, Jon Lawson has created an array of fusion dishes which even the most die-hard Italian would be proud of. Taking inspiration from the bustling markets of Naples, Rome and Venice, the menu changes regularly and seasonally, often showcasing unusual regional specialities and ingredients. Start with a porchetta sandwich, served Roman-style, in a crisp ciabatta roll, stuffed with crunchy bites of golden crackling and soft, slow-cooked pork marinated in rosemary and fennel seeds. The budget-friendly plates are small, so order a few to share (we recommend the nduja and ricotta dish, as well as the prosciutto to start, followed by the schiaffoni pasta served with datterini tomato, the caviar of the tomato world) and enjoy the excellent service which offers the best in Italian hospitality - warmth, character and a passion for good food. The brains behind New York's fashionable Scarpetta restaurant have opened its first outpost in London. Go with a big group of friends and spend an evening devouring its decadent sharing boards, where gooey cheeses and flavoursome prosciutto take centre stage. Delizioso. Something rather close to perfection – AKA, Soho’s Bocca di Lupo. Run by Giorgio Locatelli and his wife Plaxy, there's a family feel in a very elegant setting, in the Hyatt Regency hotel just off Portman Square. Zia Lucia is taking over London one slow-fermented pizza at a time. A shipping container on Brixton Station Road is now home to some of the most authentic regional Italian food in London. Also the Stracciatella, Ferrandina Baked Olives, Caperberries & Crostini mopped up with a few slices of bread (listen to the waiters when they tell you to ‘never say to no bread at an Italian restaurant’). However, the purists also have a short vegan (mamma mia!) Simple yet refined Italian-Japanese cooking is the focus at Angelina, and their dining concept is boldly simple: just a five-course sharing menu for £38. Meat-lovers should try the porchetta cooked with lemon and rosemary. Pull up a pew outside 40 Dean Street and watch the hustle and bustle of vibrant Soho with a hearty bowl of Italian … Our resident Italian’s top pick. With the pop-up now closed, thankfully the pair has opened a permanent home in the form of Manteca in Soho, which serves some of the same dishes from its former menu - including the mouthwatering nduja steamed mussels with cream and parsley. From cosy neighbourhood spots to grand and glamorous, these are the best restaurants for authentic Italian food in town, This post may contain affiliate links. Then don’t miss out on the chance to get this fabulous espresso machine at a fraction of the price! “The vermouth is an essential ingredient in the cocktails we serve,” says Dan. Since opening the original site on Holloway Road in 2016, the restaurant now has locations in Kensington, Boxpark Wembley and in February 2020 they'll be opening in Aldgate East. Step through the door to find an organised chaos of families crowded around tables, waiters weaving around the room with plates held high. Bocca di Lupo has become a stalwart of the Soho dining scene, as great for people-watching as it is for its simple cuisine designed for those with big appetites. Sartoria, helmed by the renowned chef Francesco Mazzei and based in elegant Mayfair, is a case in point. TRY: A flavourful wood oven pizza, of which the restaurant is famed for, with a classic Italian helping of Tiramisu for afters. The natural Puglia Miro is bursting with ripe cherries, or sip on a punchy coffee negroni as a nightcap. 12 Archer Street, London W1. Don’t leave without ordering the light-as-air churro-like parmesan fries. If you can never choose which pasta dish to go for, Pastaio is the place to go to. So far, so Italian. menu including a (soy) cream of potato pie with onions and peppers. The Lina Stores Delicatessen on Brewer Street – where the fresh pasta served in the restaurant is created – is also well worth a visit. It won’t be traditional — think pistachio and spinach or kale and chilli — but don’t fear change. Leave space for the vanilla pannacotta with grappa, and then you really will feel like you're in bell'Italia. Wash it down with Tavolino's take on classic limoncello, a small refreshing cocktail involving the famed Sorrento liqueur, tonic and a hint of mint. Locations: Golden Square and Covent GardenClick here to find out more. Based just off Old Street, this buzzy eatery offers an informal yet chic environment in which to enjoy a delicious bowl of pasta or pizza - both of which come with shavings of truffles. The menu starts with cicchetti and antipasti such as fried olives, fennel salumi and truffle arancini. Plump gnudi in sage butter, rich lamb ragù in a tangle of green pappardelle, and a tumble of tagliatelle alla vongole. Be sure to order the agnoli – a triumph of pared-back cooking; perfectly cooked and crafted pasta, a generous game filling and a seriously moreish sage-butter sauce. Map updates are paused. Lamb chops – served with ultra-smooth mashed potatoes and crispy leeks – were pink, tender and deeply flavoured. Tonnarelli with artichokes and red prawns combined juicy crustacean with dried shards of artichokes and a bisque-like sauce. Spaghetti carbonara, that iconic Roman dish, was note perfect, with a silky properly emulsified sauce. Circolo Popolare is the sister restaurant to the ever-popular Gloria. It has built up a strong reputation among local Queen's Park residents, but its traditional food, excellent cocktails and friendly staff make it worth the journey wherever you're based in London. Owners Maria Mugnano and Alessio De Laureto focus on food from the tiny south-central Italian region of Molise. Oxtail ragu (best ever ragu recipes here), slow cooked for 10 hours until sticky and sweet, clings to bouncy folds of pappardelle. The upper level is packed without being uncomfortable, cosy and intimate. The menu takes a traditional format but is also hugely influenced by the produce from the group’s own farm. Fresh pasta, which is made and rolled upstairs, is flash-boiled before being tossed with any of the 10 sauces on offer. Passo is a lively and effortlessly cool restaurant, with authentic hand-made pasta and Neapolitan-style pizzas bringing a taste of Italy to the bustling streets of London. Maremma, 36 Brixton Water Ln, Brixton, SW2 1PE. Opened by chef Stevie Parle just off Carnaby Street there's now a second outpost in Westfield White City, with more restaurants in the pipeline. Terms and Conditions /, © 2020 Country & Town House. Whatever the neighbourhood, everyone seems to have a favourite local Italian restaurant in London.