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London's pasta scene could not be hotter right now - with everywhere from no reservation spots to fine dining restaurants doing great business. We pick out the best pasta to be had in the city.
Affordable pasta restaurants
Notto
Picadilly, Covent Garden and the City
This pasta bar comes from Phil Howard, of Michelin-starred Elystan Street. He originally started a pasta-by-post business before bringing that into real life with this affordable pasta joint which has now grown to three locations. The lead chef is a certain Ali Howard, who just happens to be Phil's son!
Pasta to go for: The menu changes seasonally, although there are a few signature dishes like a pappardelle with slow-cooked short rib of aged beef, field mushrooms and red wine.
Follow them on Instagram: @nottopastabars
Padella
Borough Market, Shoreditch & Soho
It's been 10 years since Padella arrived on the scene and changed London's pasta game. Arguably the ones who kicked off the fresh pasta bar trend, Padella remains among the best in town. Their latest arrival in Soho means there are even more opportunities to try the pasta here (which will hopefully mean less waiting for a table). Service is friendly and fast, the prices are very reasonable - all very good reasons as to why it's still a big hit.
Pasta to go for: It’s an impossible choice between the pici cacio & pepe and the pappardelle with beef shin ragu - so we’d advise just getting both.
Follow them on Instagram: @padella_pasta.
Noci
Islington, Battersea, Shoreditch, Richmond
Noci was originally launched by Louis Korovilas who seems to be the go-to chef for kickstarting fresh pasta restaurants. It started in Islington's (the borough's first proper fresh pasta restaurant) and features a menu that's evolving with the seasons.
Pasta to go for: The brown butter cacio e pepe is always on the menu, served on different pasta
Follow them on Instagram: @nocipasta
Bancone
Covent Garden, City, Borough Yards, Kensington & Soho
Bancone very early on received a glowing review from Grace Dent, who called it ‘casually orgasmic'. The praise heaped on Bancone is certainly justified, also winning the original Covent Garden branch a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Pasta to go for: The silk handkerchiefs, which have now made their way to other restaurants, started here, served with walnut butter & confit egg yolk.
Follow them on Instagram: @bancone.pasta
Emilia's Crafted Pasta
St Katherine Docks, Aldgate, Canary Wharf, Marylebone, Victoria
Head chef Simone and founder Andrew spent eighteen months studying the science and geometry of pasta to ensure they were bringing Londoners the absolute best. All that effort certainly shows in the beautifully crafted fresh pasta that’s on display in the open kitchen – and it tastes every bit as good as it looks too.
Pasta to go for: Pappardelle with 4-hour slow-cooked béchamel bolognese
Follow them on Instagram: @emiliaspasta
Flour & Grape
Bermondsey - 214 Bermondsey St, SE1 3TQ
Flour & Grape has been in Bermondsey for nearly 10 years, becoming so popular that they extended the space (and have recently launched a new downstairs bar). There are only 8-10 pasta dishes on offer and a handful of starters and desserts. If you don't fancy the queues/wait at nearby Padella, then this is a very worthy alternative.
Pasta to go for: Ravioli with ricotta, pumpkin, almond, sage butter
Follow them on Instagram: @flourandgrape
Lina Stores
Soho, King's Cross, City, Marylebone, Clapham, Shoreditch, South Ken, Canary Wharf
The original Soho Lina Stores remains an institution (it opened in 1955), but they've since expanded far and wide with restaurants all over town. The first pasta bar (around the corner from the deli) remains the best, but you can now find them all across London. Some locations also have a Bar Lina and they're worth trying too.
Pasta to go for: Their 30-egg yolk tagliolini, black truffle, butter, parmigiano reggiano
Follow them on Instagram: @linastores
Cottura
8 Elliott Rd, Chiswick, London W4 1PE
This family-run business in Chiswick takes its pasta seriously and wants to share that expertise with Londoners, offering pasta-making classes on site. All the pasta is handmade on a daily basis. Only open a few years, it already has a passionate fan base.
Pasta to go for: If you're looking for something rich, try the tagliatelle with slow-cooked duck in aromatic spices
Follow on Instagram: @cottura_pasta
Pastaio
Soho
A dedicated pasta restaurant from Stevie Parle, the man behind Town and Motorino, was always going to be a winner. The Tom Dixon-designed space just off Carnaby Street delivers the goods in spades, with a tightly-focused menu of freshly-made pasta dishes. There's a big focus on local produce, regenerative farming and sustainability here.
Pasta to go for: Regenerative farmed beef Ukrainian porcini bolognese, parmesan, tagliatelle
Follow them on Instagram: @pastaiolondon
More affordable pasta
- Both 64 Old Compton St and 40 Dean St are classic Soho Italians worth checking out.
- La Nonna (Brixton) - Also a delivery business, this is their first permanent restaurant and is getting raves.
- Vermicelli (Tooting) - inspired by pasta's origins, this popular stall in Tooting Market serves up pasta with innovative, organic sauces and toppings
Mid-range pasta
Burro
Covent Garden - 2 Floral Court, Floral Street, London WC2E 9FB
This restaurant comes from Conor Gadd, the chef-owner of excellent Islington Italian restaurant Trullo. There's a more laid-back style here that's inspired by Gadd's Irish heritage and everything is every bit as great as you'd expect from the chef (and very good value for Covent Garden).
Pasta to go for: The fettuccini with duck and porcini ragu is fantastic.
Follow them on Instagram: @burro_restaurant
The River Cafe Cafe
Thames Wharf Studios, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA
Just down the road from the OG River Cafe, you'll find their new cafe, which also does a nice line in pasta dishes that are, thankfully, a lot less expensive (pasta dishes cost about a tenner less than in the main restaurant). The quality though, isn't in question so this is a great entry-level way to try their food.
Pasta to go for: It's a regularly changing menu - at the time of writing, you can find dishes like rotolo rolled pasta with spinach, Bufala Ricotta, porcini & sage.
Follow them on Instagram: @therivercafelondon
Bocca di Lupo
Soho - 12 Archer Street W1D 7BB
Over 17 years in business, Jacob Kenedy’s Bocca di Lupo qualifies as a Soho institution. It’s still as fantastic as ever, with the pasta obviously being a particular highlight. All are freshly made in-house and are offered in small or large sizes meaning you can have it as part of a bigger meal or just pop in for a quick pasta and a glass of wine before the theatre.
Pasta to go for: It changes daily, but at the time of writing, we like the sound of the borage & nettle pansotti with walnut sauce.
Follow them on Instagram: @bocca_di_lupo.
Manteca
Shoreditch - 49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT
Properly settled down in its Shoreditch digs, there's much to love about Manteca's excellent small plates. Given the Italian influences in the menu, there's always a small selection of pasta dishes
Pasta to go for: While the menu changes, the tonnarelli with brown crab cacio e pepe has been a star of the restaurant since it opened.
Follow them on Instagram: @manteca_london
Photo by Anton Rodriguez
Brutto
Farringdon - 36-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BN
The late Russell Norman's Florence and Tuscan-inspired hit in Farringdon is a must-visit in the area. Alongside Florentine steaks, the menu's "first" section is an all-pasta affair.
Pasta to go for: The rabbit pappardelle and the tomato and vodka penne have become signature dishes.
Follow them on Instagram: @bru.tto
Vasco & Piero's
Soho - 10-11 D'Arblay St, London W1F 8DS
Having been in Soho for 50 years, it’s fair to say Vasco & Piero's has stood the test of time. They were forced to move from their original location but are still in Soho in their newer digs. They offer a proper old-school feel, and a menu focused on the Umbria region of Italy. The pastas are made in-house daily of course, just as they always have been, and are still amongst the very best in London.
Pasta to go for: Handmade tagliatelle with traditional Umbrian beef & pork ragu
Follow them on Instagram: @vascoandpieros
Campania & Jones
Hackney - 23 Ezra St, London E2 7RH
Campania & Jones serves up Southern Italian food in Hackney, with pasta made fresh daily in its beautiful rustic-looking restaurant. The food is authentic Italian, the portions are generous and it's one of the most popular restaurants near Columbia Road.
Pasta to go for: If it's on, the veal ragu for sure. Right now, the pappardelle with slow-cooked rabbit is worth a look.
Follow them on Instagram: @campaniaandjones
40 Dean Street
Soho - 40 Dean St, London W1D 4PX
40 Dean Street is an ever-reliable independent Soho mainstay from Nima Safaei (who also runs both 27 and 64 Old Compton Street restaurants). They source ingredients from local Soho businesses, and the fresh pasta dishes here are among the best in Soho.
Pasta to go for: We'd go for the lobster spaghetti with fresh lobster meat, cherry tomatoes, shellfish and brandy sauce
Follow them on Instagram: @fortydeanstreet.
More mid-range pasta
- Legare (Tower Bridge) - This has an ex-Trullo chef in charge.
- Garum (Queensway) - Roman chef Arcangelo Dandini is the man ensuring the pasta here is worth crossing town for.
- Gloria, Circolo Popolare or Ave Mario - If you like your pasta big and unrestrained, then head to any of the Big Mamma restaurants
- Artusi (Peckham) writes up its daily-changing menu on a big chalkboard, featuring fresh pasta such as pappardelle with beef shin ragu.
- Cafe Murano is the casual offshoot of Angela Hartnett’s Michelin-starred Murano – it may not have white tablecloths but the pasta is every bit as good.
- Popolo (Shoreditch) - Pork cheek agnolotti with porcini butter is the standout pasta dish
- Trullo (Islington) - The crab linguine is legendary at the restaurant that gave birth to Padella.
High-end pasta
These restaurants will feature pasta which may come at a cost, but there are some exceptional dishes here.
Mezzogiorno
Whitehall - 10a Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5AE
This is the new London home of top Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, within the five-star Corinthia London hotel. here, the chef has a menu that focuses on Southern Italy, particularly the Calabrian region where he grew up.
Pasta to go for: It's the priciest, but if you can go for it, the egg tagliolini with blue lobster sauce
Follow them on Instagram: @mezzogiornobyfrancescomazzei
Luca
Clerkenwell - 88 St John Street, London EC1M 4EH
The Clove Club team's follow-up up their debut restaurant was a laid-back Italian joint that's won them a well-deserved Michelin star. Italian in style but using British ingredients – they call it ‘Britalian’ – Luca is a very worthy point on London’s pasta map, with seasonally-changing creations made fresh in-house every day.
Pasta to go for: The rigatoni with pork sausage ragù, tomatoes, anchovy and mint is a signature
Follow them on Instagram: @luca.restaurant
Murano
Mayfair - 20 Queen Street, London, W1J 5PR
Angela Hartnett’s flagship restaurant in Mayfair has had a fairly recent makeover, and now features Piero Tiddia as head chef. Pasta features in its own section on the tasting menu and there’s usually an option on the set lunch too.
Pasta to go for: It changes regularly and at the time of writing we'd go for the braised oxtail ragù tagliatelle & herb gremolata
Follow them on Instagram: @muranolondon
The River Cafe
Hammersmith - Thames Wharf Studio, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA
Without the River Cafe, a lot of the other restaurants on this list might not exist. This hugely influential spot by the Thames in Hammersmith has had everyone from Stevie Parle to Jamie Oliver pass through its kitchen and even though it's nearing its 40th anniversary, it remains one of London’s absolute best, for pasta and almost everything else. It’s one of the most expensive places to eat in London, though, so it’s even better if someone else is paying.
Pasta to go for: Menus change twice a day at the River Cafe so there are no guarantees, but recently this looked very tempting: Spaghetti con Aragosta with Dorset Blue Lobster, chilli and Fiano di Avellino
Follow them on Instagram: @therivercafelondon
Theo Randall Cucina Italia
Mayfair - Intercontinental Hotel, 1 Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London W1J 7QY
Theo Randall has been running the restaurant at the Intercontinental Park Lane for 20 years (and it's had a recent name change too). Before that, he was the head chef of The River Cafe. Theo is in the kitchen for many of the services here, which is something you can't always expect in other big-name chef restaurants. Expect a traditional Italian menu with excellent pasta at this restaurant.
Pasta to go for: Cappelletti di Vitello - stuffed with slow-cooked veal and pancetta with porcini mushrooms - one of his signature dishes
Follow them on Instagram: @theo.randall
More high-end pasta
- Cantinetta Antinori London (Knightsbridge) - This luxe yet cosy Italian restaurant comes from a big Italian winemaker
- Belvedere (Holland Park) - With Lello Favuzzi (ex-Anima) behind the menu here, expect great pasta at luxury price points.
Best Pasta, mapped
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