Mentioned by Time Out London
London’s best Italian restaurants
"Trullo’s elegant dining room and simple, seasonal food, marks it out both as one London’s best Italian restaurants and one of the city’s finest neighbourhood restaurants. Dark wood, low lighting, white table cloths, and just-put-it-on-the-plate plating characterise it as decidedly anti-Instagram. Trullo’s spiritual parents are the two most important restaurants of a generation: the River Cafe and St. John, so dishes marry Italian traditions with British (and Italian) ingredients — fashioned into delicious antipasti, fresh pastas and secondi, dishes which often do a little time on the charcoal grill."
"A sleek, chic dining room in Islington sets the scene for Trullo’s unfussy Italian food. Dishes take the best of seasonal British produce and spin it into great antipasti, fantastic pastas, and secondi fresh from the charcoal grill. Skip the queues at Padella, the fresh pasta spot in Borough Market, and enjoy the signature beef shin pappardelle or pici cacio e pepe at a slower pace."
"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."
"Proving pizza can be just as delicious without the cheese is Homeslice, one of London’s best pizza joints. Plant-based options include a mushroom number with chilli flakes and a soy truffle glaze, plus the ‘Ndontja, topped with tenderstem broccoli, vegan mozzarella and vegan ‘Nduja. Various locations.homeslicepizza.co.uk"
"Zizzi serves up fantastic pizza and pasta dishes, with sophisticated options for the mature palate right alongside kids’ favourites. That’s why it’s one of the most beloved family restaurants in Wembley Park – you’ll love their huge array of delicious choices. Zizzi offers a ton of different options for kids, including a ‘build your own’ pizza that they’ll love designing, and enjoy eating even more."
"Set amongst the bustle of the London Designer Outlet in Wembley Park, Zizzi restaurant offers simple Italian recipes made with passion. Whether it's pizza or pasta, salads or risotto, or carne and pesce (meat and fish), each dish is prepared with fresh…"
"A charming family-run haunt in Fitzrovia, Conchiglia is dishing up some of the best Italian food in London. Settle into the cosy spot and enjoy a wide menu of cheese slices, creamy pasta, tasty antipasti and heady cocktails."
"Thankfully the connoisseurs themselves have an incredible vegan and vegetarian range that includes calzones and starters. With their popular dishes being re-imagined with vegan cheese and delicious toppings, you don't need to miss out on your favourite comfort food. Try their new Calzone Verdure, packed with veggie goodness like roasted peppers and aubergine, it'll soon become your favourite."
"As the country’s favourite pizza chain, Pizza Express has been serving up authentic thin crust pizzas since 1965. If you’ve been craving their legendary dough balls, a Sloppy Guiseppe pizza, or their al forno cannelloni, you’re in luck. Pizza Express is one of the Wembley Park Restaurants reopening for outdoor dining on 12 April."
"For a unique but traditional and authentic Italian Restaurant in Golders Green near Hampstead, head to L’artista which is not hard to find because of the vintage delivery van parked outside and brightly decorated inside. This family-run restaurant which is an Italian Restaurant near Golders Green Station offers a contemporary and fun feel, perfect for families to visit with children but they have not compromised on their traditional Italian food!. They have chefs from all over Italy and their pizzas are particularly famous with the dough being freshly prepared in front of customers using only the finest ingredients."
"You will notice the quirky décor with its exposed brickwork as soon as you set foot in La Vita é Bella, another popular Italian spot in Islington. There’s a wide-ranging menu here featuring wood-fired pizzas and a variety of pasta dishes. Located on Theberton St, La Vita é Bella is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Upper Street."
"Dinner and a show is a classic way to impress a date – but at Otto’s, dinner is the show. The Holborn restaurant is something of a hidden gem favoured by food critics, and its famous dish of canard à la presse – or pressed duck – is a theatrical performance like few others in the capital’s restaurants. The bird is prepared tableside, often by the charmingly eccentric Otto himself, using a silver press to extract the blood (possibly not one for the squeamish)."
"Properly old-school French, Otto's has carved out a niche for itself because of a serious bit of kit called the duck press. This dish sees the breast sliced, then the rest of the duck (bar the legs) pressed in the special screw press giving a juice to which Cognac and duck liver are added before it's poured over the rare slices which finish cooking in the sauce. Both very rich and very pricey but, by all accounts, like nothing else in town."
"Otto’s is somewhat of an institution when it comes to the best French restaurants in London. They do classic French cuisine which is old-school, traditional and deliciously hearty. Dine here if you’re after lobster bisque, foie gras terrine, French rabbit and veal sweetbreads."
"Not only does Aubaine deliver exceptional French cuisine, they also deliver on Instagrammable interiors. You already know we’re a sucker for a floral installation but seriously, how cute are these wisteria shots?!. Pull up a pew, grab yourself a cocktail and soak up these dreamy interiors."
"Situated in the fancy Broadgate Circle near Liverpool Street, Yauatcha City is a huge restaurant with a stunning outdoor seating area adorned with cherry blossom - a perfect date spot. If you fancy taking your other half, a great friend or a family member out for lunch, their Yum Cha set menu gives you a LOT for the price and takes away the stress of ordering - just pick a veggie or a meat option, your cocktail and wine/tea of choice and they'll take care of the rest. The set menu offer runs on the weekend and there are three different price points: £58 per person for half a bottle of Henriot Champagne and the rest of the menu, £49 for the same but with a bottle of wine (you can choose red or white) instead of the champagne, and £47 for a selection of teas as the drink."
"This high-end dim sum paradise has the best location within Broadgate Circle. It wraps around about a third of the public space, with large terraces on both sides. Sit out here on a hot summer’s day, nibbling on delicately crafted dumplings and meat filled bao buns."
"People flock to Yauatch for the brand’s precision-made dim sum (buttery venison puffs are a must). There is also a short menu of more substantial Chinese classics like stir-fried beef rib-eye with black bean sauce."
"The Xi’an Chinese cooking that has made chef Wei Guirong — an alumnus of Sichuanese restaurant Barshu in Chinatown—a star of London dining, is now at home in Bloomsbury. Master Wei is Guirong’s first solo project — following her joint venture, Xi’an Impression by the Emirates Stadium in Highbury, a tiny restaurant which has rightly earned cult status among lovers of regional Chinese food in the capital. At Master Wei the focus is on the region’s flour-foods, mianshi: peerless biang biang noodle dishes, with vegetables or beef and hot chilli oil; fine liang pi, cold skin noodles with a cool, refreshing, umami rich dressing, and the chef’s inimitable “burgers” with a cumin-spiced beef or pork filling."
"The first solo venture from Wei Guirong, co-owner of Xi'an Impressions, may be closed to the public, but its delivery arm seems to be working to pretty much the whole restaurant menu. Order the biang biang noodles that Grace Dent described as 'emotionally stirring' or the potsticker dumplings that Giles Coren called "excellent" in his review. Follow them on Instagram: @master.wei.3150"
"Master Wei, by London’s pre-eminent Xi’an Chinese chef Wei Guirong, is open for pre-order collection as well as delivery through multiple platforms: Biang biang noodle dishes, with vegetables or beef and hot chilli oil; fine liang pi, cold skin noodles with a cool, refreshing, umami rich dressing, and the chef’s inimitable “burgers” with a cumin-spiced beef or pork filling."
"From private supper club to Brixton Village stall to six street food restaurants in fashionable hotspots across south and east London, Mama Lan has plenty to crow about. In fact, its story began even further back, with the snack stall in a Beijing street market run by founder Ning Ma’s mother and grandfather. The menu is refined, with colourful noodle dishes vying for flagship status with mouth-watering dumplings, and all laced with authentic flavours."
"Violet Cakes is a bakery in East London that’s fast become famous for its American-style cupcakes with seasonal buttercreams as well as its whoopie pies, birthday cakes, and quiches. Owner and head baker Claire Ptak used to work as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in California and has brought all her years of experience with her to… Dalston, of all places. Boy, am I glad that Claire made the move, though."
"East London hotspot Violet Cakes serves the best American-style bakes around, which is why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle asked her to create the cake for the Royal Wedding (Meghan is a huge fan and had already interviewed the owner, Claire Ptak, for the website, The Tig). The rustic café feels a bit like stepping into your cool auntie's kitchen. We could quite happily while away an entire Sunday afternoon here."
"A post shared by Violet By Claire Ptak (@violetcakeslondon) on Jun 13, 2020 at 4:26am PDT. Famous for making Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's lemon and elderflower wedding cake, Claire Ptak's Hackney-based bakery Violet Cakes has a full menu of delights worth arriving hungry for, including artfully presented cakes, whoopie pies, blondies, cupcakes and biscuits – all made using organic and seasonal ingredients."