London Top Italian Restaurants in London — Expert Reviews

Italian restaurants, trattorias, osterias, fresh pasta, Neapolitan pizza, regional cuisine

1. Plates London

★ Michelin

Plates London earns its Michelin star through an unexpected lens: Italian-influenced plant-based cuisine executed with classical precision. Chef Kirk Haworth, who founded this Shoreditch dining room alongside his sister Keeley, coaxes remarkable depth from vegetables—the maitake mushroom with black bean mole demonstrates particular mastery. Slate floors and rustic plastering create an earthy warmth that mirrors the kitchen's philosophy, while a raw cocoa gateau provides memorable closure.

2. Aqua Shard

Michelin Selected

Thirty-one floors above London, Aqua Shard commands panoramic views through soaring glass walls that frame the city's sprawling skyline. The Italian kitchen takes a disciplined approach, letting quality ingredients speak without embellishment—a philosophy evident in dishes like duck breast paired with sour cherry sauce. Genial, unhurried service complements the setting, making this Michelin-recognized address ideal for occasions demanding both spectacle and substance.

3. Bar des Prés - Mayfair

Michelin Selected

Celebrity chef Cyril Lignac brought his Saint-Germain concept to Albemarle Street, where an impressive marble counter anchors a Japanese-inflected menu featuring maki, sashimi, and miso black cod. The fusion approach shifts seamlessly to France for dessert—mille-feuille, tarte fine, and profiteroles executed with precision. A polished Mayfair setting for diners seeking refined cross-cultural cooking with Parisian credentials.

4. Kerridge's Bar & Grill

Michelin Selected

Tom Kerridge brings his celebrated British sensibility to the Corinthia's grand dining room, where Italian influences meet premium British produce. The vast space channels old-school glamour with stately proportions, while the menu balances refinement with playfulness—witness the salt cod Scotch egg with chorizo and red pepper sauce. A serious steak selection anchors the offering for those seeking substance alongside style.

5. Maru

Michelin Selected

Shepherd Market conceals Maru behind an unassuming entrance, where an earnest team delivers omakase dining across some twenty courses. The kitchen draws predominantly on British ingredients—Cornish seafood prominent among them—allowing clean, unforced flavors to define each serving. A well-matched sake pairing accompanies the progression. Two sittings per evening demand punctuality; payment occurs at booking.

6. Elystan Street

★ Michelin

Philip Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas's Chelsea collaboration delivers Italian cooking stripped of pretension, where Mediterranean influences shape dishes with clarity and restraint. The kitchen's lightness of touch emerges in preparations like barbecued octopus with aioli, crispy chickpeas and tardivo—a signature that captures the unfussy elegance defining the entire experience. Huge windows and calibrated lighting serve both leisurely lunches and candlelit dinners with equal grace.

7. St. JOHN

★ Michelin

Bone marrow, ox liver, and other overlooked cuts take center stage at this Michelin-starred Smithfield institution, where nose-to-tail cooking reaches its most compelling expression. The approach is resolutely seasonal—potatoes and greens appear daily, though never the same variety twice. Service dispenses with formality entirely, creating an atmosphere of genuine conviviality. The warm madeleines, ordered for the journey home, have become ritual.

8. Camille

Michelin Selected

Borough Market's threshold holds this intimate bistro where a blackboard menu shifts with the seasons, offering rustic French cooking with Italian influences. The pared-back aesthetic matches the kitchen's philosophy—straightforward preparations that let quality ingredients speak, from house pâté-en-croûte to whole mackerel dressed in café de Paris butter. Cheerful, unpretentious service suits the market-adjacent setting.

9. J.Sheekey

Michelin Selected

J.Sheekey occupies a curious niche on this list: a seafood institution tagged as Italian, though its soul belongs firmly to the British theatrical tradition. Wood-panelled walls hung with actor portraits create an atmosphere of clubby intimacy, while the kitchen delivers impeccable shellfish platters and a legendary fish pie. Vegetarians find surprisingly robust options amid the oceanic abundance.

10. Le Pont de la Tour

Michelin Selected

Tower Bridge fills the windows at this Butlers Wharf institution, where the terrace becomes London's most theatrical dining room on summer evenings. The kitchen maintains a French soul—ratatouille Niçoise arrives with textbook precision, crème brûlée sets the standard—while an eclectic wine list rewards exploration beyond the obvious labels. Three decades in, the formula still delivers.

1 Michelin Star Restaurant

2 Michelin Stars Restaurant

Bistronomic Restaurant

Chinese

Frequently Asked Questions

Which London neighborhoods have the strongest Italian dining traditions?

Clerkenwell's Back Hill area—historically called "Little Italy"—retains family-run establishments dating to the early twentieth century. Soho, particularly around Frith Street and Old Compton Street, hosts trattorias with decades of history. More recently, Shoreditch and Marylebone have developed concentrations of contemporary Italian restaurants focusing on regional specificity and seasonal ingredients.

What regional Italian cuisines are well represented in London?

The city offers notable depth across Italian regions. Neapolitan pizza has a strong presence, with pizzaiolos using imported San Marzano tomatoes and traditional wood-fired ovens. Roman pasta dishes—carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe—appear on many menus prepared with proper guanciale. Tuscan, Piedmontese, and Sicilian cooking each have dedicated restaurants, allowing diners to explore Italy's culinary geography without leaving the city.

Is it necessary to book Italian restaurants in advance?

For neighborhood trattorias and casual pizzerias, walk-ins are generally possible, especially for early dinners or late lunches. However, the more celebrated addresses—particularly those in Mayfair or chef-driven establishments in East London—often require reservations days or weeks ahead, especially for weekend dining. Booking platforms show real-time availability for most venues.

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London Italian

Italian cooking arrived in Britain with waves of migration from the 1950s onward, and the capital's relationship with the cuisine has matured considerably since the days of checkered tablecloths and candle-stuffed Chianti bottles. Soho remains a historic anchor—Frith Street and Old Compton Street still host trattorias that predate the postwar boom—while Clerkenwell's "Little Italy" around Back Hill preserves its immigrant heritage. Today you'll find regional specificity that would satisfy a Bolognese nonna: hand-rolled pici from Tuscany, proper Roman cacio e pepe, Sicilian seafood preparations, and Neapolitan pizzaioli who shipped their ovens from Naples. Exploring the broader restaurant scene reveals just how deeply Italian flavors have shaped local dining expectations.

The concentration varies by neighborhood and price point. Mayfair delivers polished dining rooms where white-jacketed waiters present aged Barolo alongside vitello tonnato. Shoreditch and Hackney favor the contemporary osteria model: open kitchens, natural wines, seasonal tasting menus built around whatever arrived from the Borough Market that morning. For visitors basing themselves near the action, the city's best hotels position you within easy reach of these culinary pockets. Whether you're after a €15 margherita or a multi-course Piedmontese feast, the Italian table here speaks with authentic regional accents rather than a generic Mediterranean drawl.