Top Best Italian Restaurants in Arsenal

"Ruth Rogers and the late, Rose Gray have had a profound impact on the restaurant industry in London. This leafy riverside overlook might not be the cheapest place to eat Italian food, but it’s unshakable commitment to the importance of ingredients has influenced a generation of chefs. The River Cafe alumni roster reads like the Harlem Globetrotters of food: Jamie Oliver, Theo Randall, April Bloomfield, Sam Clark, and Anna Tobias."

"Since opening in 1987, The River Café has become one of London’s most popular riverside restaurants to enjoy long lunches during the summer. Overlooking the Thames in Hammersmith, the Italian restaurant serves a daily changing menu featuring antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci. Share plates of crab spaghetti with fennel herb and lemon before digging into chargrilled leg of lamb with Italian spinach and braised chicory."

"I thought of who I would share it with, what I would wear, the endless photographs, and which song I would want played. If you think I’m talking about my wedding, you are sadly mistaken. I’m talking about the magical day where I could finally eat River Café’s signature Chocolate Nemesis dessert at home."

"Restaurants Italian Highbury. Canonbury’s star Italian has made the restaurant biz look like child’s play since day one by combining irresistible food with spot-on service and affordable prices. It’s home to some of London’s best pasta (its pappardelle with slow-cooked beef-shin ragù is a silky delight) and there’s brilliant stuff from the charcoal grill too, while a comprehensive all-Italian wine list emphasises Trullo’s calibre."

"Highbury Corner restaurant Trullo is a real gem, displaying with prominence the from-the-heart style of cooking that Italy is known for. In fact, you'll probably see the chef (glass of wine in hand) carefully dishing up plates of food at the open kitchen as you tuck into specialities including meat and fish from the charcoal grill and gutsy freshly-made pastas. Expect to pay around £10 for starters and £20 for mains."

"Padella is truly one of London’s greatest gems, but it’s also hard to grab a seat at the best of times. If you want the same exceptional pasta, but with the ability to book a table in advance for a date, sibling restaurant Trullo is for you. The cavernous basement is deeply romantic, the upstairs feels light and familial and the food is universally spectacular."

"If you’re big on pizza, pizza doesn’t come much bigger than at Homeslice. This street-market-to-restaurant convert produces 20” pizzas (£20) as standard - designed to share, but that’s to your discretion (do not fear, snackers can order by the slice in Homeslice’s favourite flavours). What to expect: The Margherita is heaven to tomato lovers, thick with fresh, zingy passata, but the more adventurous types are treated to Homeslice’s inventive topping menu, which features the likes of aubergine, cauliflower cheese, spinach and harissa or oxtail and watercress with horseradish and sorrel cream."

"London may not seem like one of those cities that are synonymous with great pizza, but Homeslice seeks to change that. Serving up a selection of hearty pies (or slices!), Homeslice also offers vegan opions. The Covent Garden (Neal's Yard) location in particular is close to great shopping, so after a day of retail therapy, stop in for a delicious slice."

"If it’s pizza that the kids are craving then give Homeslice a try, rather than the big chains. There’s no special menu, but given that the enormous 20 inch pizzas arrive whole at the table for sharing, that’s not really a problem. Certain pizzas can be bought by the slice, too, which is perfect for those who aren't so fond of communal eating."

"Cafe Monico is 140 years old, talk about a London classic and a must go-to if you're in the capital. The restaurant specialises in a mix of French and Italian gastronomy (reads: the most renowned in the world), so you'll certainly be eating well. Why is it the perfect romantic restaurant?"

"15 Lowndes Street, SW1X 9EY Zafferano is the original Italian rustic trattoria, seamlessly transported to Belgravia. Inside, there's a palpable buzz, but despite having more than a dash of Italian bella figura, this place is discreet, non-flashy and as classy as they come. Signature dishes include linguine with lobster, veal Milanese and zafferano (saffron) risotto."

"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. Led by Head Chef Joe Howley, the menu returns with a new revamp, framing the traditional and familiar Italian flavours and styles with a modern setting. The tempting selection of small plates include a creamy burrata with artichoke salad and basil pesto, mozzarella, lardo and garlic bread pizetta and rustic short rib arancini with puttanesca sauce – ideal for sharing with friends among free-flowing glasses of wine."

"When it comes to Italian food in Shoreditch, you just can't go wrong with hearty dishes, freshly made pasta and perfectly cooked pizza. Offering all that and more, Passo brings a rustic charm to the table, with the dishes and drinks and a cool concrete interior to match."

"Cin Cin started life back in 2013 when chef-owner David Toscano launched a pasta van in Brighton as a passion project on the side of his full-time job as a lawyer. Three years later, Toscano ditched his suits for good, donning an apron more permanently and bedding Cin Cin into a bricks and mortar building off thriving North Laine. It soon grew a reputation as the best pasta restaurant in the city, spawning a second site in Hove in 2018."

"In a nutshell: Brighton Italian opens in London Where is it?. 21A Foley St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 6DS Why should you care?. The original Cin Cin Italian restaurant in Brighton has been a hit and also won a Michelin Bib Gourmand."

"St Paul’s Church Covent Garden was the first new church in London to be built since the Reformation almost a century before. It was designed and built by Inigo Jones, the architect also responsible for other famous London buildings at Banqueting House, Whitehall and Queens House, Greenwich. It was built between 1631 and 1633 along with the new Covent Garden Piazza, the first formal square in England."

"Not to be confused with St Paul's Cathedral (a big attraction that comes with a ticket price), this church on the western flank of Covent Garden Piazza is also known as the Actor’s Church. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662, and there are memorials to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh."

"Also known as the Actor’s Church, this is situated next-door to Covent Garden and was designed by the famous architect Inigo Jones"

"In 1224 an order of the Franciscans was given a piece of land within Newgate. The area where the Friars settled was poor, as evidenced by local streets such as Stinking Lane and the Shambles. In 1306 the Franciscans commenced ‘a magnificent edifice’."

"In the early 1800s, art enthusiast Sir Francis Bourgeois instructed that his entire collection be turned into a gallery open to the public, handpicking architect John Soane to create the Dulwich Picture Gallery from scratch. Look up, and you can see for yourself the innovative techniques Soane used to bathe the whole gallery in sunlight, which became the prototype for all galleries to this day. Still, don't forget to look down too, to see the great Baroque masterpieces that line the walls and the mausoleum Soane designed for his friend and patron."

"The world’s first purpose-built public art gallery was established more than 200 years ago, because its founders believed as many people as possible should see great paintings. A philosophy that will never get old!. Today, Dulwich Picture Gallery houses one of the finest collections of Old Masters in the world, especially rich in French, Italian and Spanish Baroque paintings, as well as in British portraits from Tudor times to the 19th century."

"Head to pretty Dulwich in south London, where you’ll find works by the likes of Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Canaletto at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Alongside its collection of Baroque masterpieces, England’s first purpose-built gallery hosts regular exhibitions spanning many art movements and mediums."