I LOVE big Mamma restaurants. They always have great food, tasty drinks, good service and a fun, lively atmosphere. Ave Mario did not disappoint. First- be sure to make a reservation- two weeks in advance to be safe. They are always busy according to locals. Their salads are HUGE and meant to be shared. We loved the carbonara. They did a big cheese wheel presentation at the table- yum!! So delicious. End your meal with some pistachio liqueur. Be sure to check out the fun bathrooms downstairs read more

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Sit upstairs and use the restroom at least once for the vibes (you'll thank me later) Vibey Italian place in the middle of covent garden- upstairs has a cool neon diner-like ambiance but there are also several seating rooms downstairs. Downstairs seating (where I sat) has a view of the open kitchen Food: 3.5/5 Focaccia Della Casasa 4.5/5- Good focaccia, even better when dipping it into pasta sauces Tiramisu 4/5- standard tiramisu Tagliarini Franco e Limone 3/5- pasta cooked well with good seafood lobster sauce and pieces but was a bit salty Calico e Pepe con scampi 3/5- solid dish Service was as expected read more

Ave Mario - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Is it a trip to London without going to a Big Mama Group restaurant? But seriously. These restaurants are all the rage on Tik Tok, largely in part due to their bold decor and chic vibes. We arrived to London on New Years Day and didn't have a reservation. Thankfully, we arrived early enough that they still had walk-in space available. There are a few dining spaces, but all are beautiful. The decor is seriously something to admire. It is so beautiful in here! Even the bathroom is a total vibe. I was curious about how the food was going to be, but I have to say that that was great also! My husband and I both ordered pasta that came in these cute pots. The truffle pasta was a stand out for sure! I would recommend coming here. It was so cute and I was pleasantly impressed by the food. Great service too! read more

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Everything about this restaurant is amazing! The interior of the restaurant is so fun and chic. I love how bold it is and the neon signs add a fun touch. The service here was quick and the staff was nice. The food here is so delicious. We wanted to try a few things so we split a pizza as an app and it was perfectly cooked and amazing! The real star of the show is the pasta. The truffle pasta was one of the most delicious, rich dishes I've ever had! And the bolognese my husband got was incredible too. I seriously think about these dishes all the time. I definitely want to return on my next trip to London! read more

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Great Italian restaurant located in Covent Garden. They have plenty of items to choose from including pastas and pizzas. We did family style sharing and ordered a couple of the pizzas (margherita, prosciutto, and truffle) and had their ravioli pasta. Everything was very delicious! We also love all their decorations. They have a downstairs area which gives off speakeasy vibes and you can see the chefs cooking. Highly recommend dining here! read more

Ave Mario - Outside - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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Ave Mario, a part of the BIG MAMA group of restaurants in London, is a culinary oasis that transports its patrons to the heart of Italy. Reservations open up a month in advance and fill up as soon as they are released, a testament to the restaurant's popularity and acclaim. The interior of Ave Mario is inspired by an idyllic day in Florence, with red velvet booths and intimate tables juxtaposed against monochrome walls, neon-lit mirrors, and a massive and statement bar. The decor is loud and vibrant, creating a boisterous and lively atmosphere. The menu features a variety of classic Italian dishes, all made with the freshest and finest ingredients. The Burrata Pappa al Pomodoro (£14 = $17.50 USD) is a must-try, consisting of a generous 250g burrata di Puglia filled with homemade pesto and served on Chef Andrea's pappa al pomodoro, a naughty mixture of bread, tomato, olive oil, and garlic. For an extra (£5 = $6.25 USD), diners can add a generous amount of truffle to this dish, elevating the flavor profile to new heights. The Mafaldine al Tartufo (£19.5 = $24.38 USD) is another standout dish, featuring house-made mafalda pasta prepared al dente and tossed with black Molise truffle, indulgent truffle and mascarpone cream. This dish is a true celebration of truffle, and it is easily one of the best pasta dishes that I have ever tasted. The Looking for Truffle pizza (£20 = $25 USD) was the pièce de résistance of our meal. This Neapolitan masterpiece was made with a traditional Italian baking technique called 'biga,' which involves leavening the dough for 24 hours, the pizza boasted a pillowy crust and perfectly balanced toppings of fior di latte mozzarella, provola affumicata (smoked provolone), truffle cream, sautéed mushrooms, parsley, and chive. Each bite was a symphony of flavors, culminating in a culinary crescendo that is sure to impress even the most discerning palate. To conclude our decadent feast, my group indulged in Il Tiramisu (£7.5 = $9.38 USD), an Italian classic that Ave Mario executes flawlessly. The rich espresso flavor and creamy mascarpone cheese were simply divine, making this dessert the perfect way to end our evening. Overall, Ave Mario is a must-visit for any discerning palate craving authentic Italian cuisine in a vibrant and stylish setting. With its reasonable pricing and exceptional food quality, it is no wonder that reservations fill up so quickly. read more

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Saw this spot on the YouTube Topjaw so came to check it out. Food was good, service was not. I'll preface and say I've been to Europe before, including London and Italy so understand the difference in the service, however this was almost completely inattentive. It took almost 40 minutes to get appetizers to come out, the burrata and prosciutto. After that, it was about only 30 minutes before anybody came back to take our entree order. Only towards the end of the meal, almost 2 hours after being seated, did servers clear the plates and another server came over and let us know we would need to essentially wrap it up as our time was up. Overall, it's a cool vibe and atmosphere with some decent Italian food and gimmicks such as the carbonara being mixed and served from the cheese wheel. However the service was just not there hence the lower rating. Also, if you pay via your phone on the webpage from the we code, they charge you and extra £2.99 read more

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I enjoyed my experience here! It's really hard to describe the ambiance here, but I'd say it's unique and wild and meant to be fun. There's loud music, lots of color and movement everywhere you turn. It's a large restaurant and the other sections, including the restrooms, have their own unique decor. The food was good - we shared a salad, a couple of pizzas and a pasta dish and everything helped to make a fun meal. The real standout dish for me was the Mafaldine Al Tartufo - a rich and creamy pasta dish with lots of cheese and truffles. It was satisfying and warm and perfect if you're very hungry. Ave Mario is a great spot to impress someone since the decor is so wild. While the food isn't as good as the ambiance, it was still enjoyable and I'd go back for a fun evening with friends. The service was warm and we were taken care of throughout the evening. If you're looking for a fun evening and you're in Covent Garden, visit this place! read more

The TAGLIARINI GRANCHIO E LIMONE pasta lives in my head rent free!!! It needed some Parmesan cheese but once we added that, it was a perfect dish. I can't wait to return! Our server was kind, accommodating and funny. The vibe inside is super eclectic. They had the coolest bathrooms I've ever seen lol. A very unique restaurant and one of my favorites in London. read more

What I appreciated most about this place is how funky and fun the decor was. As someone who's a huge fan of The Sopranos, I appreciated the show-themed bathrooms with multi-colored LED lights. On top of it all, the food was great! My favorite item would be the Mafaldine Al Tartufo. It was the right amount of creaminess to complement the truffle, and it didn't completely nauseate me with heavy cream (and there were a LOT truffle shavings in there, which I gratefully devoured). Although I did enjoy my dinner, the server took a while to locate towards the end of the meal, so we had to wait quite a bit. Regardless--ughhhhh I loved this place! As this place would be the ideal spot for a night out or fun brunch, you would expect a lot of younger patrons; but I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of crowds here; people of ALL ages seemed to be enjoying themselves. If I lived in London, this would be THE spot I would love to bring my friends. Sadly, I don't live in London, but I will be back! *Atmosphere: 10/10 *Food: 9/10 *Service: 8/10 Must Try Items: *Mafaldine Al Tartufo *Sirloin Alla Griglia read more

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4.5 stars if I could! Love the retro-themed vibes here, from the front of the restaurant to the colorful bathrooms. We were looking all around us and couldn't decide what to order because all the pastas looked so good! The Radich-lulous Salad was a great starter - very cool and refreshing, and I think cured my hangover. The Perfetta Pizza was also a great starter - the bread baked so perfectly and topping was delicious, might be my favorite pizza we had in London. We had a hard time picking our main dish but ended up getting the Mafaldine Al Tartufo. The pasta was rich and creamy, though not as flavorful as I thought it would be. If I had to go back I'd try the La Gran Carbonara (the table next to us ordered this and it looked amazing, but way too heavy for our hungover selves). We were also recommended the Black to Black, which sounds like a slightly milder dish I would love to try for next time. read more

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We made a reservation and were told the table (for 2) was being prepped. Ten minutes later still waiting, which is the reason for the 4-stars. That's the end of the bad. Once seated we had an excellent server, the appetizer was out quickly as were the drinks. I had the veal rague and it was excellent. Inside was interesting with great music. This place was unlike most Italian places I've been. It's worth visiting and even with the slow seating for me, I'd go bad. read more

Ave Mario - Veal Rague - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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Good Italian restaurant in Covent Garden, the food was presented well, but was just average tasting. The service was great, and the ambiance in the restaurant was fun! For Cocktails we ordered the Giant Peach Bum, Berry Bliss Martini, and I Hate Negroni. The giant Peach Bum was very peachy and it did not live up to the hype. For Antipasta we ordered Focaccia Della Casa, Smoky Straciatella Insulata Caprese , the caprese salad tasted so good we ordered a second one during dinner. For Dinner, La Gran Carbonara, Branzino, and another pasta dish. The carbonara looked amazing but fell short on taste, it was presented in a Parmesan wheel, with the server plating tableside. Overall, a fun place to maybe grab drinks and share a plate or two and soak in the fun atmosphere, just don't expect a memorable meal. read more

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What. A. Vibe! My friend snagged a reservation the moment it came out one month in advance and it certainly did not disappoint. It was lovely to see the iconic interior in person, and the lighting, drinks set up at the bar were all absolutely retro. This paired with great food is a sure key to the best night. Though the front looks quite small, keep going downstairs to find a whole other world that is ever so spacious. We ordered a smoked straciatella ton start the night with the bread basket, so light, so fluffy. The smokiness of the straciatella was just right. I had to go for the truffle pasta, loving not just the taste but also the pot it came in. This was creamy but not overly truffle focused, which was nice and didn't command too much attention away from the perfectly al dente texture of the pasta. If I lived in London, I would be back in an instant to try so many of their other items! read more

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Online reservation was simple to make. They were very helpful in ordering a tiramisu ahead of time. Food was excellent. The truffle pizza was... the bomb. Robert di Nero was great too. It's very popular so expect to wait if you don't have reservations. There is a seating time limit of 2.5 hrs. read more

This place was a last minute spot I found on yelp based on Local London places to go. We arrived shortly after finishing the Lion King play at Lyceum and were seated pretty quickly. Due to not having a reservation, our seating time was on 1.5 hours, but I guarantee you this was more than enough time to get our antipasti, drinks, and main dishes! You won't be disappointed with the atmosphere, just come ready to conversate with a friend or more and you'll fit right in! We ordered 2 antipasti's and shared them for tasting and got the truffle pasta as our meals! The truffle pasta is like everything else, hand made to order so you'll get full! Take your time, take some pics, and take in the day or night that you visit! Hope you enjoy while you're in London! read more

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Atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere!!! This place was recommended to us by a nearby shop owner for good Italian food. The food was life changing, the atmosphere was super cool and the service was fantastic. I am always looking for life changing food and the TAGLIOLINI AL TARTUFO BIANCO changed my life!! Basically it's white truffle pasta but so much more!! If you are in Covenant Garden in London, you must go here, but best to make reservations because it is super busy! read more

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Very good food, cool vibe, and pretty good prices. The truffle pasta was in particular good and the cannoli ceviche a very interesting "fusion" of Italian and Peruvian food. read more

Ave Mario - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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I wish we had one of these restaurants in California because I am obsessed. This is the third sister restaurant I've been to in the past six months when traveling, Europe, and I will definitely be coming again. The truffle pasta is to die for I'm obsessed with truffle, and it is an amazing flavor. The truffle pizza also is so good as well. I didn't get it here but I did get another pizza that was new to me. I believe it was called the chili something. we also started with the ricotta bruschetta, which was really good. I definitely would order this again we got a few drinks, one being the big Mama which was a gingery flavor, but it was very good. lastly, we got the desert sample platter which consisted of a chocolate mousse, a fruit whipped cream, something which was very good and then this other yummy cake thingy I'm not sure the name, but it was very good. It came with all 3 and i think it was around 9 euros which isn't bad at all. definitely will be checking out all the Sister restaurants you guys have. If I were to come again, I will for sure have a reservation so I can sit inside because the ambience is so cute. read more

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Restaurant is beautiful, it was my second time there. I highly recommend a reservation. Fortunately i was able to sit at the bar. It's a must stop every time I'm in London for work. read more

Ave Mario - Prosciutto Pizza and aperol spritz - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Nice vibe, music and drinks. The pasta in the cheese wheel was yummy. Fun place, but could only get a super early reservation.

Really amazing and fun restaurant. Lots of variety of options from pasta, pizza. The restaurant has multiple floors, each of which has an entirely different vibe. The bathrooms have rainbow lighting for fun selfies The beef carpaccio is a really delightful fresh appetizer perfect to be shared between 2-3 people. It is topped with generous amounts of high quality parmasean cheese and balsamic glaze. The carbonara is perfectly satisfying and al dente with a thick noodle. The veal ragu tastes like a hearty healthy option with a larger serving than expected. The pizzas all have a beautiful stone oven crust. read more

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What a fun place - went in the middle of the week and was packed. Solid service and food was very good. We split the Carbonera for 2 - was soooo good. Wine list pretty good as well. read more

Delicious food in a fun and eclectic space. Everything we ate was wonderful and the food arrived quickly. The staff were friendly and accommodating of 2 allergies within our party. We ordered an appetizer, salad, and 2 pastas which was more than enough for two people. I had the truffle pasta and it was one easily of the best I've ever had - include of my trips to Italy. A must try restaurant! read more

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What a fun experience! We got the pesto burrata, a pizza to share (her majesty) and the creamy linguini (the one they make in the wheel of parm) - would HIGHLY recommend! Between the two of us it was plenty of food. Very very fresh pizza and pasta, probably can't go wrong with anything on their menu. For the drinks we ordered the jumbo mamma, big blue g&t, peachy keen (the lemon foam is SO amazing!!!), and the Negroni. One of my favorite restaurant! read more

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Great food and service. The ambiance is fun and eclectic. Perfect spot for a bite to eat before a show. read more

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Another Mama group hit. I went to Ober Mama in Paris and was so impressed I was delighted to find another affiliated spot in London. This place books out so plan ahead! The decor and atmosphere is so unique, but stay for the food! I ordered an espresso martini, which was the only thing that fell flat, a little bitter. The fried bread app with tomatoes and pesto was addicting! So so good but I can't remember the name. They have a few vegan options so I ordered the tagliatelle with tomatoes sauce topped with vegan cheese. It was a little plain but every part of the dish was homemade and you could taste the difference. The vegan cheese wasn't the best but it worked! Definitely check out the downstairs space and the Sopranos-themed bathroom. read more

These folks know exactly how to service. You will be welcomed into a funky, eclectic environment playing wonderful music from different genres, and languages. The food is superb, I highly recommend the side salad, carbonara, and the lemon tiramisu! All in all, amazing place. read more

Ave Mario - Lemon tiramisu. - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

I'll give this 4 stars for ambience, food service, and cost. Food prices are pretty reasonable for London. However, the menu is pretty limited. We started with the burrata. It was delicious. My bf had the linguini with claims and he thought it lacked flavor. I had a Prosciutto pizza. It was really good. The waiter suggested sauce so it wasn't dry, which made it perfect. Place has such a funky vibe. Even the bathrooms are cool! read more

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Very good pizza and chocolate dessert that was right next to our hotel. Would recommend!

Allll delicious things. I had the caccio e peppe crochettes which were perfectly fried and creamy on the inside. Loved the truffle pasta - it was the best pasta dish I've had! Creamy and delicious and a must have. My friends got the carbonara for two which was great but not as unique as the truffle pasta. Note: Bathrooms kinda hard to figure out. read more

Ave Mario - Truffle pasta - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Wow. Wow wow wow! The food here was epic. The restaurant is obviously beautiful and I was skeptical on how the food would taste (all show and no flavor) but I was wrong. Every dish and every cocktail nailed it for our group. Highly recommend (if you can get a booking in advance!) read more

We had lunch on the last floor and it was an amazing experience. We sat at the bar and we were in front of the open kitchen where you can see all the chefs cooking and speaking Italian The flavours were incredible, I super recommend the croquetes. Each of the three floors of the restaurant has a different ambience, it looks like they are three different restaurants. I definitely want to come back and eat at the two remaining ones. read more

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Great meal!!! Great service!!! Great atmosphere!!! It was the perfect spot for our last dinner in London! Bianca was our server, she was so nice and helpful with suggestions, etc! Guaranteed good time! Make sure you make reservations! read more

I had a simple pasta dish and it was delicious. The restaurant is decivingly huge! The aesthetic is fun Instagram worthy. Service was very nice and food came out quick. Do yourself a favor and visit the bathroom for some funky photos. read more

Ave Mario - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Honestly having moved from LA, I've been actively trying to find my go to spots in London and it has been harder than I thought. They're are too many hyped places that have a good vibe and decor but the food is meh, and unfortunately Ave Mario falls into that category for me. Between the three of us, we got 3 cocktails and we got their garlic and cheese focaccia, a pizza, their pesto spaghetti and lemon sole. We all were very happy with our chosen cocktails. They're whimsical and delicious. The focaccia and pizza were decent- not memorable but not bad. The fish was pretty good- well cooked, buttery and well balanced. My pasta was terrible- so over cooked, felt like something I'd give my 1yo. I got it changed for the linguine scampi - it was better but it had maybe 5 pieces of pea size shrimp so perhaps 1 chopped up shrimp in all but I ate it because I was hungry. I don't see myself going back. read more

A fun and festive place ideal for Instagramers... Perfectly situated in Covent Garden, walking in the first impressions were great with its bold, almost circus like decor. Red velvet banquets, a horseshoe shaped bar with wall to wall liquor bottles, it feels like it is time to play. I sat at one of the side small tables with a perfect view of the room, as are most of the front room tables, though I didn't have much room to move. The menus are QR code with a modern, playful take on Italian cuisine. Things such as Carbonara Ravioli which I ordered along with croquettes with caviar as a starter. The croquettes were delightful which I enjoyed very much, however what I was really looking forward to was the ravioli Carbonara which sadly was disappointing. First of all there was no guanciale which basically makes the Carbonara, instead there were cheese filled ravioli -which you can get anywhere and were bland tasting. Also the sauce was very watery instead of creamy which was... well it was just all wrong. I did mention it to the waitress that there wasn't any guanciale in the ravioli and the manager was very apologetic and removed it from my bill which was very kind. No explanation was offered as to what happened. Unfortunately it still left me feeling dissatisfied even after the wonderfully playful Naughty Caffe which is an espresso with 3 mini desserts of Tiramisu, brownie, and Panna Cotta with raspberries. I loved the creative touches of the place, though this is clearly all about the 'Gram and customers, mostly around 25 years old, posing with huge drinks, and photographing their meals on engaging ceramic plates of flowers, vegetables, and even animal heads, all perfect for popular colourful photos. I'm sure every Influencer in the world will be here, I am so lucky I got a table today. I would recommend this place to have maybe a cocktail from their whimsical drink menu and some appetizers and pizza, or go with your 20 something niece who is just going to love this place. The girl sitting at the next table to mine claimed it was one of the top ten meals of her life! While I wouldn't go that far, it is a feel good place. Its just that for a foodie I don't know if it is going to satisfy the palette as it is more about style over substance. Give it a try and let me know. read more

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10/10!! Loved everything about this place. Great food, amazing service and decor was beautiful! read more

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Me and my girlfriend always try a big mama restaurant when we stop at London on our way to Greece during our summer vacation. We have dined at circolo, Gloria and this year we tried Ave Mario. Unfortunately this one was probably the worst experience we've had at any of their restaurants. I don't like to talk bad about any restaurant being that we are also in the industry ourselves, so let me start with the positives. The food is always amazing and consistent at all locations we have been to. The ambiance is always vibrant, lively and welcoming. Now unfortunately for the part that gave us a different outlook on the restaurant. I had made a reservation over a month in advance and noted that it was our anniversary. Not that we expect anything at all but would have been good hospitality if the hosts or at least server would have noted the occasion and wish us a happy one but no big deal. We were then seated and was greeted by the server as "are you ready" no hello my name is so and so, no good evening welcome to Ave Mario not even a how are you tonight. Even if the server was busy it would have been reasonable hospitality for any kind of introduction. We always like to get a bottle of wine for dinner so I asked the server about 2 different ones and she recommended the more expensive which is fine cause all their wines are fairly priced. I had asked if it had a lot tannins and she did not know what tannins are so I'm not sure why she even recommended a wine instead of maybe getting someone who is more knowledgeable and it just made it seem like she was trying to run up the check. Once we were ready to order she came over to take the order and leaned on the corner of the booth I was sitting and made it feel very unprofessional. Now I know about being casual with costumers or tables but she did not build a relationship with us as our experience just seemed to be getting worse. Overall the food amazing and we look forward to trying the 2 restaurants we haven't tried from them next year on summer trip. read more

Visiting London for the first time from the US and went to Ave Mario for lunch-- would highly recommend the truffle pasta! We also had the Margherita pizza and Big Summer Salad, both of which were tasty, but everyone at the table agreed the truffle pasta was by far the best thing we ordered. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, especially the bathrooms. Will definitely be coming here on future trips! read more

Ave Mario - The Truffle Pasta! - Italian Near Me - London, XGL