469443 Fri Dec 14 09:38:23 -0800 2007 24 42 U.K./Ireland 0 3207880 I love Locanda Locatelli, but can't afford to eat there very often. would love recommendations for the best unsung family-style places in central london...I recall JC Novelli raving about a place near his old restaurant in clerkenwell where the matriarch used to make all the sauces, etc herself. Are there any places like that left? Fri Dec 14 09:38:23 -0800 2007 134814 DietStartsTomorrow 1 3212259 Before visiting London in September, I read tons of chowhound reviews and then mapped restaurants in the city near my daughter's college [UCL] and "points of interest" that were in my price range. Only one Italian restaurant made it on to my google map, and we enjoyed our meal there very much. The food was fresh and light, the quality of the oil was fine, and the house wine was very reasonable. The atmosphere was casual and bright. Not a place to impress a client with dinner, but a simple restaurant that serves basic and well-prepared dishes. I felt that we received a good value for our pounds. As I said before, my daughter and I enjoyed our meal and when I return to London in the Spring, I suspect that I will eat at Pollo Cafe again. Pollo Cafe 20 Old Compton St Westminster, London, UK Sun Dec 16 07:54:56 -0800 2007 3207880 59258 smtucker 1 3215337 well, it's not unsung, and there's no matriarch, but I reckon the Carluccio chain serves pretty good everyday Italian. They do an excellent all-day breakfast dish too. And much of their deli food is excellent, such as the black olive paste, tapenade style. Mon Dec 17 10:09:07 -0800 2007 3207880 15923 Jenny Sheridan 2 3216461 I like the Carluccio chain as well. And am particularly pleased they've opened a branch near me in the frozen north (even it is at the mall). Had a recent post-shopping dinner of arancini, followed by penne alla luganica. Nice. Not spectacular - but very nice. Mon Dec 17 15:33:58 -0800 2007 3215337 78808 Brit on a Trip 3 3222964 Giusto, Blandford Street. Love it, but they have to do something about the ground floor because from the street, it just looks like an empty Italian Coffee Bar. Have the pork. Wed Dec 19 13:42:27 -0800 2007 3216461 19800 loobcom 3 3505050 Ditto on Carluccio's. I especially enjoy their pastas and cappuccinos. Tue Mar 18 13:59:11 -0700 2008 3216461 124476 FoodieKat 1 3224313 firstly, I LOVE your user name!!! I know that sounds sad, but Pizza Express, in my opinion, is a safe bet in UK. There's no Matriarch (it's a chain) but it's quite close to the real deal. Cafe Brera (Canary Wharf and I believe Soho too) is the closest thing to an italian cafe / espresso that I have encountered in the UK. no little osteria or taverna spring to mind though unfortunately. Wed Dec 19 23:26:03 -0800 2007 3207880 104230 kmh 2 3224971 Luigi's off the Finchley Road (kinda behind Waitrose). Very cosy and great food. Thu Dec 20 08:01:08 -0800 2007 3224313 66022 bronwen 1 3227825 Spaccanapoli on Dean St (near Oxford). Whilst considering mostly a pizza place, the pasta and the meat dishes are excellent. Most of the patrons appear to be Italian. If you want something other than pizza, try the panuozzi, the pepper steak, the Naples egg pasta (long flat noodles, forget the name) with ragu and spiral pasta with corguettes. Fri Dec 21 06:35:04 -0800 2007 3207880 144886 Will125 2 3521708 Would second Spacca Napoli - awesome pizzas. Also a big fan of L'Artista in Golders Green, Caldesi in Marylebone, Sardo in Fitzrovia & Sardo Canale in Primrose Hill (although both are now much more expensive than they used to be - touching Locanda price levels), Latium in Fitzrovia (try the fish raviolis) and Oliveto in Westminster. Mon Mar 24 08:10:05 -0700 2008 3227825 177434 Londoner27 1 3232766 I think this is the restaurant you're referring to...never heard of it myself! (La Rocchetta on Clerkenwell Green) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine/main.jhtml?xml=/wine/2005/08/27/efperfect27.xml This is neither family-style nor central-London, but I like Locanda Ottomezzo in Kensington. Sun Dec 23 12:15:14 -0800 2007 3207880 51531 kristainlondon 2 3232890 ottoemezzo is my local - its about a 100 yards from my house! the original deli/coffee shop is a very nice place to read the paper and get a snack. Sun Dec 23 13:24:42 -0800 2007 3232766 11086 howler 1 3238152 Can't get better than the Lorelei in Bateman Street, Soho. Prices are very, very reasonable and the pizzas are thin with excellent toppings. It's got sandbags inside the door and the tables are small wooden affairs but don't let that put you off. Been like that ever since I can remember. It's a little Mom and Pop joint. Totally unpretentious.You can smell your pizza coming from the kitchen ..... Mmmmm mouth-watering. BYOB. No loud music either. Just the clink of glasses and conversation. Other places come and go but the Lorelei rolls on. Wed Dec 26 14:39:56 -0800 2007 3207880 152358 sirfrancisdashwood 1 3276881 Marine Ices in Chalk Farm is legendary. It's famed for its ice-cream but the rest of the food is good too, traditional, comforting Italian, inexpensive, and the atmosphere is fantastic - a proper family business. If you are anywhere near Tufnell Park then do try Trattoria Nuraghe, it is a tiny neighbourhood Sardinian place with the hugest portions of seafood and great pasta. lovely service too. Wed Jan 09 07:56:23 -0800 2008 3207880 155956 foodequalslove 1 3280181 Another good spot is Caffe Caldesi (Marylebone Lane, London). Simple, unfussy, and utterly authentic. I was first introduced to it by an Italian, and everyone who works there appears to be Italian as well. Indeed, the same people run a well-known cooking school around the corner and also Caldesi, Tuscan Restaurant, also on Marylebone Lane. Thu Jan 10 04:58:50 -0800 2008 3207880 117598 bombaybeauty 2 3280556 Mmmm..can't wait to try these out! Am on (yet another) diet at the mo so will have to ration it out ..thanks everyone for your recommendations Thu Jan 10 07:24:24 -0800 2008 3280181 134814 DietStartsTomorrow 1 3465103 I also enjoy Il Bacio in Highbury, they also have a new branch in Dalston under the Vortex Jazz Club. Great homemade Sardinian pasta dishes and excellent light and crispy pizzas, if you are into that whole pizza thing. Thu Mar 06 05:29:32 -0800 2008 3207880 19800 loobcom 2 3500394 I used to work round the corner from Olivo's in Ecclestone Street (I think), which is where Locatelli started out in London. I always enjoyed it there, although I have no idea if it was during Giorgio's reign. There are a couple of spin-offs on nearby Elizabeth Street - one of them is called Olivetto's (upmarket pizza - I once saw Ralph Fiennes and Joan Collins there). I haven't been for a few years, but I also enjoyed Sardo's on Grafton Way, just round the corner from Warren Street tube. It specialises in Sardinian dishes, such as spaghetti with bottarga and Sheet Music Bread. I've never been, but my friend raved about a little family-run place in Kentish Town, Pane Vino. Mon Mar 17 08:20:16 -0700 2008 3465103 110146 greedygirl 3 3500973 Olivetto's is pretty good. The pizza is good and the menu often has some Sardinian specialties, so you can find more than the typical Italian dishes there. Mon Mar 17 10:52:21 -0700 2008 3500394 23776 DavidT 4 3503259 I definitely disagree with Carluccio's (was once good, is now very average and overpriced), and Pizza Express? come on... Strada does a pretty decent pizza if that's what you're after. Il Bacio is my local, and I rate it as fairly average. I agree with the recommendation for Nuraghe - it's fresh pastas and the fish stew (cassola) are excellent and well-priced. Also recommended, but in a higher price bracket (still much cheaper than Locatelli!), are Sardo for excellent sardinian food and Spiga (the latter makes the best authentic Italian pizzas in London, probably). I grew up in Italy so I'm pretty fussy when it comes to Italian food, mind you. Tue Mar 18 04:15:27 -0700 2008 3500973 153888 londonfrenchie 5 3559406 Going to London next week and will stay at Hyatt, so LOCANDA LOCATELLI would be super convenient. What would you guys recommend us to have? Thu Apr 03 17:59:32 -0700 2008 3503259 108016 theskyflyer 6 3560148 If you havnt already made a reservation for Locatelli, I'd think about Plan B. On & off, we've been trying to get a table there for a couple of years. Either they havnt got one when we can travel or we can't travel when they do have one. Fri Apr 04 02:22:56 -0700 2008 3559406 154102 Harters 7 3563051 Harters, you are so right. We can only have a table at 9:45PM. Way too late... Scrambling for option B now.. Fri Apr 04 16:57:22 -0700 2008 3560148 108016 theskyflyer 8 3563683 Try to pick up a copy of Delicious Magazine. This month's issue has some recipes from Locatelli. It's probably the closest some of us will ever get to trying his food. :-) Sat Apr 05 00:00:09 -0700 2008 3563051 11939 zuriga1 8 3563723 Zafferano (Knightsbridge) - if you are looking for something in the Locatelli league Sat Apr 05 00:47:53 -0700 2008 3563051 64584 PhilD