Cute Italian place located in the Clapham neighborhood of London. Stopped by for the following: 1) Olives - http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=x8FOkh_qMv_iPw03c3nyxQ 2) Margherita Pizza - tomato, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan and fresh basil - http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=-jo9SxF6ZO9DslzczEqPPQ Flavors were good. Dough was chewy... but didn't think the dough was "charred" enough. 3) O'spaghett Donna Margherita - spaghetti with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and extra virgin olive oil - http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=RTnmp57GwC-gKUHRF6ljdw Tomato sauce was too sweet for my tastes. Otherwise, all of the other flavors were very good. 4) Desserts - http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=pI-ZFKdhCVkWaRYa7YBMcQ 5) Bottle of Wine - http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=WYiONJWm9bLOrbkCtM9nPw http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz_photos/XPMcfMZoeG2-pQjsD0E5LA?select=1ogGY4ag1-KJ3owHR8dXLw This wine was a recommendation from our waiter. The wine was pretty good but did not pair with the pizza or spaghetti. Not sure what he was thinking... Anyhow, food was pretty good overall. Worth a stop by. read more

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What can I say, Marco has don't it again! Introduced us to a wonderful, authentic Italian restaurant with a the quality and finesse you'd only expect in Italy itself. Named a traditional Neapolitan restaurant, you enter and instantly feel at home. We were seated upstairs by a warming fire and the waiters instantly brought water and the menus. The waiters were truly wonderful, recommending wines and telling us about their history and the what's and whys. We started by sharing the bruschetta and calamari. The calamari was green, green and divine - perfectly cooked and not remotely chewy. The bruschetta was crunchy and covered in oil - just the way I like it. I then had the Pizza Lesbica: Half tomatoes, mozzarella, extra virgin, mushrooms, parmesan and basil. Half mozzarella, porchetta, rocket, shavings of parmesan and cherry tomatoes... it was by far one of the best pizzas I've had in london - toppings delicious and the crust, my god, the crust - pure doughy goodness! I also had a forkful of the truffle and mushroom pasta - amazing!!! We had a wonderful evening and left smiling and very full! I'll be back and SOON! read more

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That dough tho! It's legitimately the best pizza crust I ever had...so soft and yummy! Here's the trick according to the enthusiastic chef: Use type one flower and let it sit for 24 hours. I had the traditional bruschetta and calamari to start with, followed by Pizza Diavola with delicious Neapolitan salami and added black olives. It just all tastes very natural and authentic, which I really liked. The service was quick and good crack - I'll definitely be back! read more

Donna Margherita - Pizza Diavola - I added black olives and you should too :) - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

One of my favourite Italian restaurants in London primarily for its authenticity to Cucina Napoletana. It's far from fancy and service can be a bit slack but this place is all about the food. It's worth the visit alone if you want good, honest, traditional and quality Neapolitan cuisine. Pasta is perfectly cooked (al dente) while the pizza is the the best you'll find outside of Naples - it's all in the dough preparation and resting process. In a nutshell, the restaurant is much like Naples itself; rough around the edges, but ultimately satisfying. read more

Donna Margherita - Pennet'Ro Sicilano (penne pasta in a tomato sauce with aubergines and mozzarella - though I swapped out for scamorza) - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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A great Italian, locally famous for its wood-fired pizzas, but serving great antipasto, pasta and other dishes as well. It can be a bit noisy, but they're always friendly and welcoming, and some of the pizzas I've had have been world-beating. They've got stiff competition, with Firezza and Basilico nearby, but I always get my pizzas from here. read more

When your boss tells you this place has the best pizza in London you sort of have to go with it. But actually this place is absolutely perfect, from the decor and the staff to the amazing food - this place is worth trekking across London for. I recommend the meatballs and bruschetta for sharing starters and a quattro formaggi pizza for main. Was too full for Tiramisu - maybe next time! read more

Donna Margherita - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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I stopped in here before heading over to Battersea Arts Centre for a show. Oh my word, I don't understand the other reviews on here - perhaps the place has changed hands or something - because our meal was bad in pretty much every way a meal could be. The service was awful - not just tiresomely slow, but rude and uninformed when it got there. And it wasn't just one waiter having a bad day - this was what we got across the board. Admittedly we were in a corner outside that was easily overlooked, but we were pretty clear that we were in a rush, and yet it still took over an hour between sitting down and getting any kind of food. And it's not like the food was worth the wait. The pasta was undercooked (I am not talking al dente - I am talking raw), the salad was oily and tasteless, the garlice bread was burnt, dry and tasteless. Then they got annoyed when they asked if everything was fine and we didn't rave. Then they got the bill wrong. Then they couldn't get the card machine to work. I realise that you're not exactly flush with places to eat if you're going to BAC but, really, avoid this place at all costs. read more

Best pizza with terrace seating south of the river, or possibly London area. I had Pizza Napoli and Salade pulp (octopus) on a wonderful summer eve. Great attitude and great pizza. read more

Had an excellent pizza here, and cheese board which introduced me to Tallegio cheese which explains the enormous half devoured chunk in my fridge and the stabbing pains in my abdomen. Donna Margherita doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it has the jumbled warmth of a lovingly assembled Italian restaurant. Italian football shirts pinned high up on the walls and black and white pictures of Totò affectionately framed. I was eating with two seafood lovers (aka FREAKS) so I was forced at gunpoint to try the seafood linguine and the octopus and a million other betentacled/shelled things which shouldn't really be eaten and should acutally just be left well damn alone in their rockpools. All were delicious and dressed well. Like most italians (And I mean actual Italians and Italian restaurants) there is about as much space as there is chance for quiet contemplation, but eating in an italian restaurant that is any different would detract massively from the experience. read more

Seriously! Go! I had the most authentically scrumptious plate of pasta (http://londonist.com/2009/05/donna_margherita_the_best_pizza_out.php) I've had outside of Naples. I hate the fact that Donna Margherita is so far from where I live. It's tough for me to find the time to make it down to Clapham. But if I were local, I'd go there all the frickin' time. I found service to be exceptionally gracious. The wine list is top notch. The decor, very Neapolitan. And the glorious, glorious food is some of the best Italian you'll find in London! read more

I maintain all the bellow - but had to raise the review to 5 stars! Everything is delicious and fresh!

This is not only the best Pizza in London, Id say its the best Pizza in Europe. Having been to Italy recently I found the pizza at Donna Margherita to be vastly superior. They are right on the button with their ingredients and pizza bases. Often after pizza I feel bloated, a bit sick or feel like I need to run 6 miles. I just can't get enough of Donna Margherita's pizzas though, it is well worth the mission. read more

Best pizzeria in the neighborhood. Ok, I haven't tried all of them, but still. The pizza are just awesome (especially the dough), the Italian wine was great and the manager is very commercial and nice. Thank you for the night. :) The frenchy family. read more

Have heard it is better if you dine in than get takeaway. We ordered pizza which arrived quite soggy. Have read reviews though about the pizza bread being amazing in the restaurant so maybe we were unlucky. It didn't feel much different to Firezza and is not up there with Alba from Clapham. read more

On holiday we looked for a dinner alternative, in the Clapham area where we were staying, to the many meals of fish and chips we'd eaten. Although we wanted to eat a traditional English meal, and especially didn't want to spend our time in the UK eating a typical American meal like pizza, Donna Margherita was the highest rated restaurant around so we gave it a shot. What I first noticed once we sat down was that out waiter was actually Italian (and Neapolitan) and didn't speak much English. He called the owner over because we'd asked about what vegetable dishes they had for the kids and the waiter didn't quite understand our question. It's obviously an authentic Neapolitan restaurant. (By the way this doesn't seem to happen much where we live. Restaurants with authentic-ish food/atmosphere from another country tend to have servers who are pretty assimilated and speak English as though it's a first language.) The owner said they had some asparagus, which our kids like, and he asked how we wanted it cooked. We were embarrassed to make a specific request about the preparation but did anyway and when they brought the dish it was exactly as we'd described and presented beautifully: stalks splayed apart with swirls of balsamic. The kids loved the asparagus but the pizza may have been the best any of us have had. Other reviewers have described the chewy crust and the delicate, fresh, and well balanced tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients. The crust is a little floppy towards the tip of the slice but that's the style and for us didn't detract from the experience. We got two normal size pizzas and two kids sized pizzas. The normal sized were too large for one person but somehow I ate my entire pizza -- I couldn't stop eating -- and the kids ate all of theirs. The owner explained that because of the ingredients and preparation, the pizza is very light and not filling. He spent a lot of time with us enthusiastically describing how he changed his diet, lost a lot of kilos of weight, and started experimenting with healthier cooking. He doesn't use "00" most finely-ground flour but uses more coarsely ground. He doesn't cook pasta until it's soft and gluey. He described how much difference that makes to one's digestion. His volubility and charm made this feel more like an initiation into a private cooking club than a lecture. We also enjoyed seeing him interact with his 11-year-old son who helps out in the restaurant. The owner remembered us when we returned for our final dinner in the UK and made that evening just as enjoyable. We will return on our next trip even if we don't stay in that area. read more

This is the place to be for good Italian pizza in London. I've been there countless times by now, and I am never disappointed. The only time I didn't want a pizza while in here I went for a seafood pasta and again it was delicious. They recently enhanced the wine selection so make sure to ask for a recommendation based on what you have ordered. The only thing I don't like here is the tiramisú but no one can be perfect right? Just get cannoli or pastiera and enjoy yourself! read more

Everything we got here was amazing and the staff is amazing as well. You can tell they care- chef even came out to make sure everything tasted good! We tried a cocktail, beer, bruschetta, and two pasta dishes here and everything was amazing. Watching what other people got as well makes me want to go back again and again to try all their specialties! They even told us if we come back with our receipt to our next visit, we get 20 percent off on our next order Monday Through Wednesday! You can tell they work really hard to make others happy so go give them a try, you will not be disappointed! read more

This is the place for Neapolitan food - and though you can get a range of food, I love the pizza the best. It's another cosy and buzzing restaurant that can accommodate a group of friends or a romantic dinner. The first time I was there, the owner came over and showed me how to eat my pizza the true Neapolitan way by folding each slice over so it was easy to eat by hand. read more

Been coming here for years. Speaking as an italian, it's one of, if not THE best authentic neapolitan pizza in London. The rest of the menu is great too - authentic neapolitan grub. Warm, lively atmosphere and all for a good price. read more

Still very upset after a horrible experience at Donna Margherita last night. Not only do they kill lobsters on site, but they bring them out beforehand, tied to a board, to be paraded around the restaurant, laughed at and photographed before dying a painful and unnecessary death. I had to sit there quietly while the lobster was being killed in the next room. I'll never eat here again. Not recommended to anyone who cares about animals suffering. read more

Now...Italian food is difficult. It's easy to make a decent dish. But to make it very good is difficult. The path to authentic pizza is full of failures...pizza express for one. This place does it very well and that should be the reason to visit it. The service is relaxed... maybe too relaxed. If you have the time to sit and enjoy very good pizza and nice surroundings then you have to come here. read more

Donna Margherita is a bit of a hike to get to, but worth the journey. The pizza is truly sensational with a thin yet soft base and toppings which are tasty and yet never greasy. Service is friendly and you feel like you could be in a trattoria in Italy. read more

http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/04/donna-margherita-battersea/ You really don't have to leave London, in fact you don't even have to leave work, for international cultural and culinary exchange. I learned more than I ever thought I wanted to know about Neapolitan cuisine as, for the past 4 years I have worked in the midst of Little Napoli. I know now how a perfect pizza has to look and taste like (with Naples being the cradle of pizza) and I have also learned about Friarielli, a green vegetable from the same family as broccoli (only much better in my opinion) which grows on the hills around Naples. So there I was, perfectly equipped to scrutizinze the Neapolitan food at Donna Margherita. This rustic and cosy Italian trattoria is located on Lavender Hill, about 5 minutes walk away from Battersea Junction. What makes it interesting for me is its closeness to the Battersea Arts Centre, one of my favourite theatres in London (if you like quirky and different and a lot of attention to detail you will love it too). According to Donna Margherita's website it is the favourite restaurant of Johnny Vaughan, Capital FM 2010. I have no idea who this guy is and in general I don't trust radio DJs, so the maybe better recommendation comes from Time Out nominating Donna Margheritaas one of the best pizzas in London. Interestingly, the Pizza Donna Margeritha (9.90) did not blow me away at all. It tasted lovely (what can possibly go wrong when you combine melting buffalo mozzarella with aromatic and sweet cherry tomatoes) but the dough was soggy. I learned from my Italian friends that a perfect Neapolitan pizza has to be crisp so this felt like a small let down. The pasta on the other hand was divine. From the specials menu we chose Rings of pasta with olive oil, aubergine, pesto, cherry tomatoe, sea bass and chili. The combination of perfectly al dente pasta with plenty of olive oil, the concentrated taste of eggplant and cherry tomatoes was so good, I could have eaten a second portion straight away. I would not have needed the sea bass but then again it came as a welcomed addition. This was one of the nicest pasta dishes outside of Italy I have eaten in a long time . Ahh and the Friarielli! It fortunately has in my opinion very little to do with broccoli, the slightly bitter taste reminds me more maybe of pak choi or some other Chinese leaf vegetable I can't name. Again with plenty of olive oil and some garlic this was a wonderful side dish. The service was rather bad (or deaf) I have to say we got 2 wrong starters! instead of rings of pasta we got rings of calamari and instead of Friarielli we got Friarielli and Beans. I hope the waiter went to an ENT specialist straight afterward. Anyway, the pasta was so delectable that I can forgive a couple of minor issues. I don't know if the flaccid pizza base was a one time bad luck or a recurrent feature. Has any of you eaten at Donna Margherita and experienced the pizza? I wouldn't go back for pizza but would happily eat myself through the pasta menu. Nom. read more

I have just been to this restaurant and in general it was a very good experience. And I would be back again, at least for their apppetizers! The oven baked calamari and octopus salad were just out of this world as long as you weren't watching the calorie intake as they are covered in oil. I had a pizza for the main course and it was great apart from the pizza tasting slightly burnt because of what seems bad cleaning of the oven and the spaghetti that my wife had had too much tomato puree in its sauce that it was acidic. The service was as it should be, smiley and quick. but its charge was added automatically to the bill. The price is quite reasonable, expect to pay 15-20£ a head for food without drinks read more

Donna Margarita was recommended by a friend's boss and it wasn't a disappointment. Situated quite far up lavender hill in quite an out of the way spot it's a testimony to this place's popularity that it was packed out! Its got a rustic, warm interior and great selection of pizzas, pastas and salads. Generous portions too, beats pizza express any day! read more

Donna Margherita has a fantastic menu including the best of the Italian cuisine. It has got a great selection of pizzas with a homemade taste. It is busy and a bit noisy but the food is just beyond your expectation of a Italian restaurant in London read more

Was in the area and fancied some italian food, and this place is really good. if im ever in the area again I will definetly eat there.

Mind blowingly good pizza

This is a great go-to spot for Italian around Clapham Junction. The service is always really friendly and the food comes put pretty quickly. You usually don't even need a booking, even on busy nights! Pizzas are thin crust. To give you a portion perspective-- I probably couldn't eat a whole one alone but would need a side or salad to feel full. The ravioli, on the other hand, I would NEVER share. Little pasta puffs of heaven! read more

Great pizza's on offer,next to decent Italian fare. Great deal during the week on takeout pizza. Can't beat the takeout offer on price and quality. read more

My partner and I have been here several times since moving to Clapham in 2012, and have always loved the food and have previously had good experiences. Unfortunately, after this last time I don't think we can ever go back. We came in for dinner on Wednesday night to celebrate news of my promotion at work. Though we were seated right away, we were given only one menu with the unfulfilled promise that another would come. We then waited 30 minutes until 9:45 p.m., when a waiter finally came to our table to take our order. I expressed frustration that we'd been waiting so long. The waiter not only refused to apologise, but actually dismissed our complaint outright, saying : "What do you expect? There's only two of us working here tonight. What do you expect?" There are so many things wrong with that response. All we needed to hear was, "Really sorry, guys, it's been so busy. I appreciate you waiting." Instead, we got "tough luck, suck it up and deal with it." When my partner rightly suggested that the staffing shortage is something the waiter should raise with his manager, not with his customers, the waiter responded, "I am the assistant manager" and then again with "What do you expect? You want something faster? There's only two of us. I'll take your order now. What do you want?" Talk about inhospitable and making us feel unwelcome. I was totally shocked, and began to comment on how we are repeat customers and shouldn't be spoken to this way, when the waiter cut me off and asked us to leave. "Thank you, goodbye. Thank you, goodbye. Thank you, goodbye." I'm sure he said it at least three times to us, before turning his back on our table and attending to the table next to ours (which had had its order taken, and first course served and consumed during the 30 minutes we'd been waiting). Needless to say, we got up and left. Two other people who were waiting for a table observed what had happened and were incensed enough to leave as well, commenting to the staff before they left on the bad attitude of our waiter/assistant manager. To the extent the restaurant challenges my accounting of what happened, I'd note that those people - who we've never seen before in our lives - wouldn't have left if the restaurant's mistreatment of us hadn't been so obvious. It's a shame. I really do like their pizzas. And we'd gone there specifically to celebrate something. But they ruined it. Their treatment of us was downright insulting. I'd have to have pretty low self-esteem to ever consider returning. read more

Nice atmosphere and good food. Had an Argentine Angus tenderloin special that was out of this world. Superb service and good choice in wines. Best place for good quiet dinner. read more

I don't get it. We went to Donna Margherita on the recommendation of a Neapolitan friend & had Pizza. It was so disappointing. The pizzas were doughy, soggy and fairly bland. The coffee was superb however. read more

Bread was real fresh baked and chewy. Delicious pizza with organic ingredients. Tasty Italian desserts. A great evening!

Lovely romantic place in Clapham. Ideal for a night out to relax and chat.. Loevely food, starters and wine...Would definetly recomend to all italian food lovers!!! read more

A very disappointing evening considering this restaurant was recommended in the Saturday Express Magazine. Although the main courses were good, the deserts were overpriced and not good and the customer service was appalling 12.5% service charge added insult to injury as the waiters without exception treated us as if they were merely tolerating our presence. read more

food is ok , but the worst service of any company i have ever dealt with , phoned for delivery on many ocassions the lady doesnt speak english,.thats fine. phoned tonight 22 times the 5th time I am told to phone back in 5 minutes. 17 calls later no answer ... useless.... best to try amazing thai,, at least you can get good food and good service. read more