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The 20 best Italian restaurants in London

Twenty Italian restaurants: trattorias, hand-rolled pasta, a Michelin star and old-school family dining rooms.

Updated · 3 min read

8 of the 20

  1. The River Café

    HammersmithItalian fine dining££££

    The Thames-side Hammersmith restaurant, open since 1987, that changed how Britain cooks Italian food. Seasonal, simple and expensive.

  2. Trullo

    HighburyNeighbourhood Italian£££

    The Highbury restaurant behind Padella, an unhurried grown-up dining room for hand-rolled pasta and dishes from the charcoal grill. Bookable, unlike its sibling.

  3. Trattoria Brutto

    FarringdonFlorentine trattoria£££

    Russell Norman's Florentine-style trattoria tucked down a Farringdon lane: checked tablecloths, candles, bistecca, negronis and a tiramisu everyone orders.

  4. Padella

    BoroughPasta bar££

    The Borough Market pasta bar whose fresh pasta at low prices draws a queue every day; put your name down and wander the market.

  5. Bancone

    Covent GardenFresh pasta bar££

    A buzzy pasta spot just off Trafalgar Square, rolling its pasta fresh daily (the silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter are the order), with a Bib Gourmand since 2020.

  6. Bocca di Lupo

    SohoRegional Italian£££

    A Soho favourite since 2008, cooking dishes from across Italy's regions; sit at the marble counter, then get a scoop at Gelupo across the street.

  7. Murano

    MayfairAngela Hartnett's Italian££££

    Angela Hartnett's Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant, where her family's Italian cooking meets top British produce in a calm, elegant room.

  8. Sorella

    ClaphamItalian restaurant££

    A romantic, rustic Italian just off Clapham's high street, serving fresh pasta, arancini and hearty ragùs.

The other 12

The 20 are spread across 16 neighbourhoods. Columbia Road (2), Covent Garden (2), Mayfair (2) and Soho (2) have the most; Bloomsbury, Borough, Clapham, Clapton, Clerkenwell, Farringdon, Hammersmith, Highbury, Peckham, Queen's Park, Shad Thames and Shoreditch have one each.

London Italian · 20 places

+12 more in the app

Family-recipe polpette with pints on Columbia Road, parmesan fries in a glamorous Clerkenwell room, nose-to-tail Italian cooking in Shoreditch, a boisterous Lamb's Conduit Street Italian full of birthdays for three decades, and more.

Add all 20 to your Whosly map

Every one lands on your own map in a tap — save them, rate them, plan around them. City Packs are included with Planner Pro.

Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store

Add all 20 to your iPhonePoint your iPhone camera here — the London Italian pack opens in Whosly, ready for your map.

For pizza, see the best pizza in London.

Common questions

What is the best Italian restaurant in London?
The River Café, the Thames-side Hammersmith restaurant, open since 1987, that changed how Britain cooks Italian food; Trullo in Highbury, for hand-rolled pasta and the charcoal grill; and Trattoria Brutto, Russell Norman's Florentine-style trattoria down a Farringdon lane, where everyone orders the tiramisu.
Where is the best pasta in London?
Padella, the Borough Market pasta bar whose fresh pasta at low prices draws a queue every day (put your name down and wander the market), and Bancone, just off Trafalgar Square, for the silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter.
Where should I eat Italian in Soho?
Bocca di Lupo, a Soho favourite since 2008, cooking dishes from across Italy's regions: sit at the marble counter, then get a scoop at Gelupo across the street.
Which London neighbourhood is best for Italian restaurants?
On our list, Columbia Road, Covent Garden, Mayfair and Soho tie for the most, with 2 of the 20 each. The rest are spread across 12 other neighbourhoods, so there is a good one in most parts of the city.
What are the best Italian restaurants in Central London?
On our list: Trattoria Brutto in Farringdon; Padella in Borough; Bancone in Covent Garden; Bocca di Lupo in Soho; Murano in Mayfair. 11 of our 20 are in Central London, and all of them are in the Whosly app.
Where can I see all 20?
Whosly's London Italian pack has all 20, mapped, with our notes and booking links. Add it in the app and every one lands on your own map, ready to save, rate and plan around. The pack is included with Planner Pro.
City Packs in the Whosly app
City Packs in the app — add one and every place lands on your map.

All 20, on your own map

This page is 8 of them. The London Italian pack in Whosly has all 20 — add it and every one drops onto your map, ready to save, rate and turn into a plan your friends RSVP to from a text, no app needed to answer. The pack is included with Planner Pro.

Get Whosly — free on iPhone

Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store

Get it on your iPhonePoint your iPhone camera here — or open the App Store and search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
About Whosly. Whosly is an iPhone app for group plans, saved places and RSVPs. Anyone you invite can RSVP from a link on any phone, with no app and no account — that part is free for everyone, always. On the free tier you host three plans at a time and RSVP to as many as you like; multi-stop nights, Surprise mode and City Packs are Planner Pro. whosly.app

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