July 2026: Our latest update includes tasty new openings Tiella in Bethnal Green and Casa Felicia in Queen’s Park, as well as much-loved neighbourhood joints like Peckham’s Artusi, the legendary Ciao Bella in Bloomsbury and Lardo in Hackney. Try also the well-worth-seeking-out Polentina in Bow and walk-ins only Canteen in Notting Hill. If you’ve got the cash to spare, there are super plush spots such as Luca and Murano, which both have Michelin stars. If you’re on budget, then one-stop pasta shop Padella is a good shout, and if you’re really, really skint, then a simple coffee and cannoli at Bar Italia is never a bad move. Wherever you end up, London’s Italian dining scene is irreproachable.
London’s best Italian restaurants at a glance:
🇮🇹 Best for an old school vibe: Ciao Bella, Bloomsbury
💅 Best for the fashion crowd: Auguste, London Fields
🍕 Best for pub pizza: Elephant, Clapton
🍝 Best for pasta: Artusi, Peckham
🍷 Best for date night: Brutto, Farringdon
Pasta and pizza are way more than just fast-food comfort carbs at these exceptional London restaurants and trattorias, which excel in properly good and authentic Italian cuisine. The basics – a creamy carbonara, say, or a simple margherita – are all present and correct, but the capital’s repertoire extends to stylish antipasti, sourdough pizzas, richly sauced pasta and beyond. You can also find finely crafted specialities drawn from the traditional trattorias of the rustic south and fashion-conscious north of the country at London’s best Italian restaurants.
RECOMMENDED: The best pasta restaurants in London.
Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.