Now, who can’t resist the siren call of authentic Italian food? Fortunately, you’re spoilt for choice in London – there are many scrumptious Italian restaurants near the Marble Arch to choose from.
So, once you’ve booked the best hotel rooms in London, make sure you check out one of the best Italian restaurants in London. Saluti!
Franco’s
Feeding Londoners since 1945, Franco’s is thought to be one of the very first Italian restaurants to open in London. Over 70 years later, it’s still going strong. Open all day, the personality of the restaurant evolves from bustling ‘English’ breakfast to a charged lunch, culminating in an elegant dinner setting. Highlights of the lunch menu include lobster linguine, minestrone soup, and roast beef and spinach ravioli in red wine and rosemary sauce. For dinner, theatregoers can enjoy a hearty set menu or choose pan fried fish or grilled meat from the a la carte menu. On warm days, the ambient outdoor seating will whisk you away to the beautiful Italian island.
61 Jermyn Street, St James’s, SW1Y 6LX
Bocca di Lupo
Open since 2008, Bocca di Lupo has received various awards and accolades for its stripped-down, honest regional Italian cuisine. Despite the buzzy feel and glamorous surroundings, this is a family-run, humble trattoria at heart. Choose a couple of small plates to share and give yourselves the opportunity to taste the various flavours across all 20 regions of Italy. The menus change on a daily basis to keep produce seasonal and sustainable, but you can expect to find pasta and risotto tossed with fresh veggies, chickpeas, fish and meat. All wines are sourced with care from Italy. Save space for dessert and head over the street to Gelupo, the gelateria outpost of Bocca di Lupo. Keep it sweet with the Bacio Bianco, or tickle your taste buds with blood orange!
12 Archer Street, Soho, W1D 7BB
Norma
Taking inspiration from the flavours of Sicily, Head Chef Ben Tish strives to draw out the Moorish influences on the island’s cuisine. The restaurant embodies old-school Italian hospitality and charm and captures the essence of Sicily’s grand cafè culture. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly, but you can expect such delights as fresh bucatini tossed with mussels and lemon, grilled salt marsh lamb and ‘Norma’ aubergine parmigiana. There is a special menu catering to vegans, and in addition to the main restaurant, the Crudo Bar serves up fresh, raw seafood including oysters and wild sea bream. Pair your plate with a Marsala wine flight and wash it all down with a shot of limoncello!
8 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 2LS
Bocconcino
This refined, Mayfair restaurant brings a touch of pared back luxury to your Italian dining experience in London. With the emphasis on traditional Italian cuisine, first class service and the finest selection of wines, Bocconcino is one of the most decadent places to eat near the Montcalm Hotel Marble Arch. The menu is extensive but the food keeps it real. Choose from wood-fired pizzas, homemade ravioli and tagliolini, melt-in-your-mouth risotto and contorni packed with flavours to compliment your main. Take your time, and rest assured that Bocconcino’s knowledge sommeliers will be able to match your dish with its perfect accompanying wine.
19 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8ED
Pastaio
For those seeking excellent Italian on a budget, Pastaio pride themselves on proving fresh, delicious pasta that’s affordable. Short, long and stuffed pasta is made fresh on the premises, using organic Italian semolina and fresh, free-ranged eggs. Dishes are diverse, favourites include spinach and squash ravioli, vongole linguine topped with capers and anchovies and wild mushroom tagliatelle. Many dishes are priced below £10, which is a bargain, and is one of the best Marble Arch restaurants to feed the family. Pastaio have a children’s menu and cater for those on a vegan or gluten-free diet. They also have a modest beverages menu comprising of red, white and sparkling wine and beloved Italian cocktails. Wrap up your meal with a grappa and salted caramel ice cream!
19 Ganton Street, Kingly Court, Soho, W1F 9BN
Legare
In the picturesque Shad Thames district, Legare is a neighbourhood Italian restaurant with regularly changing antipasti, pasta made by hand daily, and natural wine from Italy. The menu is simple and modest, but each dish is lavished with care and attention. Try the stracciatella with roasted radicchio, dressed with one of the world’s best olive oil, Croatian Chiavalon and snack on a plate of oysters whilst you wait. Wine is sourced from small producers from the Italian regions. A wonderful spot to grab some lunch.
Cardamom Building, 31 Shad Thames, Tower Bridge, SE1 2YR
Sartoria
Playfully named for its setting in the tailoring region of Saville Row, this stylish restaurant near the Montcalm Hotel Marble Arch offers a modern twist on Italian flavours. From creamy carbonara, aged beef with pancetta and fried fish fresh from the market – the menu is diverse and packed with flavour. Seasonal vegetables sautéed with chilli and garlic form the base of delicious contorni plates. Presentation at Sartoria is noteworthy, each plate is perfectly crafted to look like a masterpiece. This is the type of restaurant that makes any dinner into a special affair.,
20 Savile Row, Mayfair, W1S 3PR
Polpo
Polpo is an award-wining boutique chain, with four London-based restaurants and one in nearby Brighton. The menu presents Venetian dishes, which means a hearty offering of seafood plucked freshly from the Adriatic Sea. Mull over the menu with an anchovy skewer, and choose from prawns, clams and hake dishes for your main. Polpo are highly commended for their meat dishes, particularly the spicy pork and fennel meatballs and their lamb chops. There is an ample drinks menu, which is particularly creative when it comes to spritz. Try a Negroni Sbagliato, which was famously created when a bartender in Milan used sparkling wine in place of gin in a Negroni by mistake!
41 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9SB
+44(0) 7525 594 562
