For many of us – wherever in the world we have grown up – Italian is the first foreign cuisine we encounter when eating out. Unless, of course, one has grown up in Italy eating Italian cuisine, but ‘Italian’ hardly does justice to over 2,000 years of cooking heritage that differs wildly not only from the Alps to the Adriatic, but from one village to the next. Here, then, is our guide to the best Italian restaurants in London, where you’ll find everything from perfect pizza and small-plates pasta to regional specialities and traditional four-course blow-outs.
London's Italian restaurants to wine and dine
Bocca di Lupo
Some restaurants specialise in one area of Italian cuisine; Bocca di Lupo ranges across all 20 regions, from South Tyrol to Sicily, with an all-Italian wine list to match. The name is an Italian expression of good luck that literally means ‘in the mouth of the wolf’, but the only thing one is likely to get bitten by here is the urge to come back.
Bocca di Lupo is located at 12 Archer Street, W1D 7BB,
boccadilupo.com
Brutto
The late, great Russell Norman transformed London dining with Venetian small plates at Polpo, but this Florentine-inspired trattoria is likely to be his most-loved legacy, and not just for serving Negronis for a fiver. Flattering lighting and Lady-and-the-Tramp checked tablecloths make this a no-brainer for romance, while carb-loading is the way to go with the menu.
Brutto is located at 35-37 Greenhill Rents, EC1M 6BN
msha.ke/brutto
Café Murano
Angela Hartnett’s Michelin-starred Murano is a supremely civilised setting for Italian-accented fine dining, but her three-strong group of more informal Café Muranos are far more fun, and this St James’s outpost the sleekest. Sit at the marble-topped counter for a solo treat or retreat to one of the close-set tables for simple renditions of Italian classics along the lines of chicken Milanese and veal ossobuco.
Café Murano is located at 33 St James’s Street, SW1A 1HD
cafemurano.co.uk
The Dover
Not somewhere to come for ultra-authentic cucina Italiana, this self-styled ‘New York Italian’ serves the sort of dishes one might find in Manhattan’s Little Italy – Caesar salad, spaghetti meatballs – in mid-century inspired interiors that Mad Men’s Don Draper would have felt at home in. All the cue one needs, then, to indulge in a three-martini lunch (there are seven varieties to choose from).
The Dover is located at 33 Dover Street, W1S 4NF
thedoverrestaurant.com
Legare
Short menus should always inspire confidence, and it is well placed at this Tower Bridge restaurant owned by a crack team of an ex-Barrafina general manager and a former Trullo chef heading the open kitchen. Share a few antipasti of the chicken liver crostini and artichokes with romesco ilk ahead of a trio of pastas and a meat and fish secondi, from a menu that changes by the week
Legare is located at Cardamom Building, 31 Shad Thames, SE1 2YR
legarelondon.com
Locanda Locatelli
It might no longer be the coolest spot in town – Madonna was a regular when she lived in Marylebone – but Giorgio Locatelli’s Michelin-starred HQ remains a must-visit for masterclasses in regional Italian cooking, while the David Collins-designed interior is as creamily cossetting as a caffè latte. The superb breadbasket is a meal in itself, and desserts worth saving space for.
Locanda Locatelli is located at 8 Seymour Street, W1H 7JZ
locandalocatelli.com
Luca
From the same Michelin-starred team as Shoreditch’s Clove Club, Luca impresses before one has even tasted a mouthful of food. The plain green frontage gives no hint of the chic interiors within, from the vintage lampshades and cosy booths of the front bar to the exposed brick and full-length windows of the dining room behind. Pasta made in house is a highlight, but order some gorgeous parmesan fries, too.
Luca is located at 88 St John Street, EC1M 4EH
luca.restaurant
Manteca
The sort of restaurant one walks past longingly, wishing one were inside, Manteca’s atmosphere is infectiously upbeat and its nose-to-tail cooking thrillingly distinctive. Everything is prepared in house using sustainable ingredients (whole-animal butchery, hand-rolled pastas, wood-fired breads, home-cured salumi) and though some of the menu sounds challenging, the results taste comforting.
Manteca is located at 49-51 Curtain Road, EC2A 3PT
mantecarestaurant.co.uk
The River Cafe
Simplicity, Leonardo da Vinci said, is the ultimate sophistication. The ultimate Renaissance man would no doubt approve of the cooking of his country deliciously proving his dictum at this legendary Italian by the Thames. Stick to the signatures: crab linguine; chargrilled lamb; lemon tart. A new River Cafe Cafe next door offers a no-bookings alternative.
The River Cafe is located at Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, W6 9HA
rivercafe.co.uk
Sale e Pepe
This 50-year-old veteran is looking molto bello after a top-to-toe refurb in early 2024 but is still as classic as they come: calamari fritti, salt-baked sea bass, veal chop and white truffle shaved over everything in the autumn. Save some time for a Negroni in the dinky bar and, if you’ve walked through the park to get here, note that it’s dog-friendly, too.
Sale e Pepe is located at 9-15 Pavilion Road, SW1X 0HD
saleepepe.co.uk
Trullo
If it were by Hyde Park Corner not Highbury Corner, this neighbourhood Italian, all bentwood chairs and Chiantishire chattering classes, would be twice the price – and still worth paying for. Best-of-British produce is put to work in rustic Tuscan cooking; the pasta is some of the best in London – chef Tim Siadatan is also behind Padella – as too anything from the charcoal grill.
Trullo is located at 300-302 St Paul’s Road, N1 2LH
trullorestaurant.com
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