Good food but service was lacking. Drink order was forgotten and we had to ask for it again. The servers did not seem to understand English very well as there seemed to be confusion throughout the meal. We loved the pumpkin soup! Rich and a bit chunky, it was great for a cold blustery day. Overall a nice restaurant and lovely decor. Pumpkin soup Linguine with hand picked crab, chilli, and amalfi lemon Chestnut pappardelle with Gressingham duck ragout and pistachio read more

We found L'Anima after deciding we fancied an Italian meal near our hotel and found it on Qype. The restaurant is on the ground floor with an open and brightly lit interior and a view of the kitchen; the staff were friendly and helpful. There were a couple of specials based on the fact that they had a white truffle, and they brought the truffle to the table in a jar. The starters (£9.50-18.00) were very good, but the mains (£12.50-33.50) were even better: a piece of tuna with some vegetables, and slow roasted black pig belly with a sauce. The puddings were excellent too: a 20 minute wait was well worth it for Malaga soufflé (£12.50) and the chocolate cake with saffron pear & mascarpone (£9.00) was lovely too. The nicest Italian restaurant I've ever had the pleasure to visit. read more

L'Anima - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

City folk flock here. Yes. It's a pricey meal. Yes. You need to get over the first two points and treat yourself. Yes yes yes. Chef Francesco Mazzei = perfectionist = perfection. read more

Very very good. It actually has been a while since I have been impressed so much by a restaurant. The space is sleek and modern, but rather cold. Service though is one of the best I have ever had. Lots of attention, but never too much and careful about even the smallest detail. About the food: I had a grilled scallop appetizer that was really elegant, fresh and full of sea aromas. My main entree was the marsala and duck liver risotto. That was the best executed risotto I ever had, very elegant and powerful at the same time. The chocolate cake dessert was very impressive as well, with a nice touch of saffron pear. Espresso was one of the best I ever had in my life as well. Prices are not attractive, but honestly, I would never expect that I would pay less for something like this anyway. I cannot give a lower rating just because of price... read more

I have to agree with journalists who consistently rated L'Anima as one of the best Italian restaurants in the City. The food is eye wateringly expensive (£80 for a 7 course meal) but luckily my employer picked up the bill. The clientele are predominantly city workers so wearing a suit meant that I blended in. L'Anima consists of a bar/meeting area with the dining area separated by a glass petition. The restaurant has tiled floors throughout which makes it quite loud but adds to the atmosphere. I would definitely eat here again, provided that someone else is paying! read more

The more I think back about this meal the more I realise how much I enjoyed it! Although it was a private dining and a set menu to choose from the food did not disappoint. For starter I chose the Octopus a la plancha with cannellini beans & ricotta mustia. The octopus was cooked to perfection and the ricotta was superb. Main was a Slow Roasted black pig belly with n'cantarata sauce. The pork was so tender i could cut it with the fork, and the crackling was tasty. The sauce which is made with honey, paprika and spice was perfect. Dessert was a panna cotta with passion fruit sorbet. This was as expected but the tang of the sorbet was brilliant. I can't go past passion fruit! Although pricey, the food was amazing and the service was 5 star. The only thing I didn't like was the private dinning room we had. It was a 'cavern' and the acoustics were terrible which made for interesting dinner conversation to say the least! read more

Large restaurant, city style expensive Italian. The menu is slightly too simple, and prices are way over the quality of food you are getting. Clearly living on its reputation, the talent is gone from behind the stoves. Yet - some - of the staff still live in the times past of its fame and glitter: they treat you with disdain if you don't look like a banker. Forget this place, please... read more

Disclaimer: I've been here three times and I have never been the one paying, so please bear this in mind. L'Anima's one of the best restaurants in London and is suitable for just about anything: team lunches, entertaining clients and, in the evening, dates (because of the atmospheric lighting and live piano playing). The set lunch is of particularly good value (two courses for around £24 and three for under £30). This is one of the few places I know which serve burrata. The best way I have to describe it is that it's a posher, creamier and much-better version of mozzarella. If you've not had this, and you're a cheese-lover, you simply have to try it at least once. After that, you'll be hooked. In terms of the mains, I've heard the black pig belly and the rabbit Siciliana are particularly good. Sadly for me, I have tended to come here on days when I'm not eating meat, so haven't had the opportunity to try them out. Desserts are also good. I like anything with chocolate so would recommend the Calibrian iced truffle. Service has always been attentive and friendly whenever I was there, although it does tend to be better if you happen to be with someone who can speak Italian. And while I didn't witness this myself, my dining companion said the waiter seemed to note the tip he left with contempt during my most recent visit, despite the fact that he added on an amount on top of the 12.5% that was already added to the bill. Still, as I said, I didn't witness it personally, and I haven't had a bad experience here ever. It may be in a seemingly isolated location, but it's just over five minutes walk from Liverpool Street Station and Shoreditch, so there's plenty around should you wish to go somewhere else to continue drinking, chatting, etc. read more

Ordered: Tonnes of food, but a MUST is the Black Scotch Beef Tagliata, deep fried Zucchini, Fettucini with wild truffles, Price: £32.50 for Black Scotch Beef Tagliata, £22 for Fettucini. Per Head: £50-£100. Review: Having been here a few times since 2010, I know what to order. You know it is going to be a hit with your mouth....does that even make sense. Anyway - if you're feeling Italian, and feeling frivolous - book a table here. The bar is also quite a pleasant scene...just make sure it isn't empty...ie go on a thursday/friday as it is on the borders of the city when it gets busy....do not reserve the wine room as it gets pretty cold and the waiters come in and out for the wines - can be a little annoying....otherwise....FEELING LIKE FANCY ITALIAN? L'ANIMAAAAAA read more

As this place is mostly used for those with expenses, looking to impress their client, it's handy that it's so close to all the Exchange area businesses. In fact, most business men could literally roll out of their windows and right into this place. Glass and grey rock walls with white leather furniture gives this place a stony, corporate quality which came across a bit soulless for me. The staff was very polite but in a haughty way, which was off-putting. At one point we asked for a bit more olive oil with which to finish our bread (they put a very small amount in our dish the first time). The waiter returned and literally poured the dish full to the brim to the point that dipping bread made it spill down the sides. It was just unequivocally excessive. We found this unnecessary and a bit passive aggressive. The positive aspect for me was the food, though not the portion size. The food was contemporary Italian, definitely up-scale with ingredients such as white truffle, black scotch, and caviar. There sweetbreads, and roasted black pig, and wild boar, and rabbit. I had the large portion of Wild Boar Maltagliati with Juniper and Pistachios. When it came, I was disappointed to see that it was the same size as my friend's small portion of Crab and Lemon Chilli Linguine. Even she commented on it. However, as small at it appeared, I was full at the end of it and a glass of Rose. The dish was actually spectacular, with a rich sauce for the boar and a crisp garnish of perfectly fried skin on top. The juniper and pistachios worked well together, giving the dish an earthy, grainy feel. Lovely! The linguine dish was subtle, without having an overwhelming seafood taste but too small. My friend was not impressed and was left feeling hungry which is rather unacceptable after paying 30 pounds for a dish and a glass of wine. However, should have expected it as that's the cool thing to do at many classy modern European restaurants. Overall, a nay for any kind of actual dining with friends and paying for myself. But judging from the suited up clientele, L'Anima wants to attract a more corporate class of diners, and I believe the restaurant will be appealing for impressing a permanent or prospective client. read more

L'Anima - Wild Boar Pasta with Pistachios - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

The head chef is now Antonio Favuzzi and he is maintaining the same standards as the previous chef, Francesco Mazzei. Good Italian food, at a price, in a contemporary but somewhat stark setting. It was also a little loud at times but overall, we had another excellent meal here. Many people have suggested that this is the best Italian in London - I would not disagree with that sentiment as the food here is indeed very fine. However, some might add that no Italian restaurant outside of Italy is ever significantly better than a serious restaurant in Italy. read more

I have been recommending this place to people since the summer simply on the basis of word of mouth from people I respect and specifically from people who know and understand Italian cuisine. The theme here is southern Italian especially Calabria as well as the Islands Scicily and Sardinia. Today is the day I went and had a perfect, faultless lunch. I can already say I prefer L'Anima ( Italian for Soul ) to Locanda Locatelli ( great food but portion control gone mad) and Enoteca Tui (where the wine list is the star) - by the way for those who think the River Cafe is a serious Italian Restaurant I suggest you click to another review ! The Pappardelli with Wild Boar Sauce, a great winter dish was perfect as was a stunning Sicilian Rabbit a dish that captured everything that is good about food from that Island. The contorni were perfect - thin , light and crispy fried Zucchini and perfect lime and chilli infused sauted spinach. The olives and bread were excellent as was my cheese with hazelnut honey - a superb Pecorino Sardo ! Deserts looked amazing too and the wine list is very well selected not just with the great , Barolos , Brunellos and Super Tuscans but some great value wines from the very serious wine makers like , Haas , Felluga , etc. There are also top class wines from France and Spain. Esspresso ? well perfeto ! I'm really happy for Fracesco Mazzei who left the clutches of Corbin and King those once great restaurateurs who are unfortunateley ruining their good reputations with poor excuses for restaurants like The Wolsey. Anyway I shall return to try the Black Pig Pork Belly , Safron and Quail Risotto not to mention the top class grilled meats and fish ! As well as deserts of course. On the left there are raised tables and stools for a quick lunch/dinner and the restaurant also opens for breakfast - apparently excellent too for the local Italian Merchant Bankers who miss their Mamas ! Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adj1jJ3CZeA read more

L'Anima did not live up to my expectations at all. I'd heard about it all over the place as it seemed that everyone had been there and loved it. I always just suspected it would be too expensive for my taste, so did not go until I saw it was participating in the London Restaurant Festival. The restaurant is kind of in the middle of nowhere, and is a bit of a surprise as it is in the bottom of a new build office complex. It's large, light and white which is so different from the basement dives I am used to in the City. The kitchen is open to view right behind the diners and provides a fascinating look into a working high end kitchen. I don't know if Masterchef exaggerates but these staff seemed pretty cool and calm, joking around and relaxing. There were tons of staff, which provided a good service but was also a bit frustrating. It seemed that every 5 minutes someone was putting down cutlery, or removing it because it was put down incorrectly, or giving us a menu, or giving us a menu again. The food was a complete disappointment. I went for the festival menu which I hoped would be a showcase of the best L'Anima could do. The starter of langoustine with beans was absolutely lovely, but not out of this world. My main of salt cod on red peppers was completely bland. If the presentation wasn't so nice and the cod wasn't so well cooked I could have been at any restaurant. There were no flavours, and I was not inspired to eat it. Likewise, my fiancees pasta with homemade sausage tasted like something we whipped up in about 10 minutes the other night. The only saving grace was my dessert, rhubarb ice cream with little cakes. It was absolutely fantastic but why did they have to stick two woody sticks into the top? Bizarre. I feel like I might have missed a trick as it got such good reviews elsewhere, but with the mains mostly around the GBP20 mark, I won't be coming back to try it out again. It really felt like a corporate expense type place and the amount of suits, even on a Friday night, was testament to that. Decor: Light and white. It screams high end, but not really cozy. Price: Expensive. For two courses expect to pay a total of around GBP 40+, and most wines started at GBP40 Food: Nicely presented, average tasting. Good For: Corporate entertainment. http://www.roastedmontreal.blogspot.com read more

Honestly, there is not much to say.. It is one of those places where the experience is so intense and joyful that silence tells much more than a million words. Yes, one may pay on average 100 quid per head, but when you are paying the bill you're just thinking "just 100 quid?? They definitely deserve more!". L'Anima is priceless, food is the top, the wine list perfect, and if you're lucky enough to be served by Salvatore, you won't regret such a good experience. read more

The chef at L'anima, Francesco Mazzei, was hotly tipped for a Michelin star earlier this year. Thankfully for London diners he didn't get it, meaning that the prices had not yet been jacked up for my visit the other week! The arrival of the star is surely inevitable though - this place serves up some of the finest Italian food in London, in stylish surroundings, accompanied by a great wine list and really excellent service. The inspiration here is the south. The menu is dominated by ingredients and recipes from Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia, and the presentation is precise but not overly fussy. The highlight for me (apart from the rhubarb and prosecco aperitivo...) was the veal ragu with pistachio - freshly made pasta, perfectly al dente, with a classic ragu cut through by a refreshing hint of pistachio. A wonderfully modern take on an Italian staple. Highly, highly recommended, although bear in mind that it is not cheap. We spent £85 a head (aperitivi, 3 courses and wine). read more

Very inventive, delicious fayre, great winelist and smart decor. Always busy and I love going there. And I'm always glad I'm not paying! read more

First of all, I would like to point out that I have only been there once. Although usually I only comment on places I know well, I think this is unnecessary for L'Anima. This establishment's most striking feature is its decoration. It is flashy and decisively nouveau riche. Some might like it, I do not. I mean, blue neon light, seriously? Regarding the food, the quality was very volatile, ranging from poor to acceptable (adjusting for the price). I would like to stress that for this price-tag, the least one might expect is consistency. The common denominator of the dishes we had were their lack of authenticity. If you are seeking genuine cuisine della nona, this place is not for you and I would not dare bringing any Italian friends there. The service overall was not bad at all, but not in line with the standing this place aspires to. Put simply, the only people to which I would recommend this place are either football players or those who have no idea about how good Italian food should taste. read more

Stylish, expensive city boy restaurant - I seemed to be the only female in the restaurant apart from the waitresses. The food was gorgeous and innovative, and made a great change from heavy French cooking at other restaurants of the same calibre. The bar looked busy and cool as well. read more

My friend booked this place for us when her dad came to visit London, and I agree that it's a good venue for an adult family dinner, or as I can also imagine it is more commonly used for, business lunches and dinners. The decor is very upscale, basically as if you are in a 5 star hotel lobby. We had a 7:30 reservation for a Friday, and some members of our party were late, so we waited at the bar, which was otherwise empty but where they serve you cute bites of octopus to go with your drink. Like an amuse bouche, but at the bar. The restaurant was fairly empty when we first arrived, though it gradually filled up during the course of the evening. At no point do I think it was fully booked or very busy. My guess is that most people prefer to not be in the City on Friday evenings if they are there all week. And if you don't work in the area, people rarely think of dining in the City in the first place. For starters, we got the octopus with smoked aubergine and ricotta, fritto misto, and buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes. I thought the fritto misto was the most impressive, as it was a large portion and a good spread of fish, calamari, prawn, and zucchini. The octopus was good, but I thought the smoked aubergine and ricotta was a bit odd, and the mozzarella and tomatoes were good, but nothing to write home about. For mains, my friend and I shared the lemon/crab pasta and the marinated black cod and clams. I enjoyed the pasta; I thought it was light in flavor but the lemon taste was really refreshing. The black cod dish was good too. I don't think I quite tasted the prosecco in there, but it's an interesting concept. For dessert, we shared the chocolate dome, which melts once hot caramel is poured onto it for a wow factor. Inside, it tasted like room temperature chocolate ice cream with a hint of caramel. Overall, I thought the food was enjoyable, well presented, but not on the top of anyone's "must dine here" list. There were some interesting options on the menu, as opposed to your run-of-the-mill Italian. The service was not as good as it should have been, for a place this nice. I had to follow up multiple times on my request for hot water, and sometimes the key was to ask someone else than who you had originally spoken to. I thought it was a nice touch that they try to greet you in Italian, saying buena sera (good evening) when we arrived, and it didn't sound forced at all. It's a nice place, probably very good by City standards, I'm just not dying to come back. read more

Hands down, the best Italian restaurant in London. No homesick Italian is going to be disappointed: an impressive wine list, innovative menus and Sardinian dishes that have no rivals make this classy restaurant worth the hefty price tag. read more

Having heard good things about L'Anima I decided to try it out. The first impression a diner gets is the beautiful decor--ultra modern and very clean, but a little cold (visually and temperature-wise). My partner and I were let down by the service: two courses arrived at the table when one of us was not there, and we often found ourselves waiting a bit longer than we should've before plates were cleared or before the next course arrived. The appetizer (veal) was very good, as was the pasta (pumpkin and sage), but my main disappointing: I had the steak, which I found bland, but I guess that's what I get for ordering steak at an Italian restaurant. Still, if it's not up to par with the rest of the menu, it should be revised before being offered. My partner's lamb was good, and she quite enjoyed the cheese plate at the end. The wine selection was good and the sommelier was very helpful in pointing us to a full-bodied red to pair with our meal. All told the meal came to £200 (of which the wine was £60). The food was good overall (with the exception of my steak) but the service was a letdown, and for the price we expected better. It was my partner's second time there and she said it was much better the last time she was there, but she had more pasta. Maybe we picked the wrong dishes, but when I think about the cost of the meal in my native currency (about $200, $300 including wine) it just doesn't stack up to restaurants at a comparable price point. read more

I want to go back to L'Anima on a normal night (I went for an Action for Hunger event) but I can only think it will be even better when I do. The food was amazing. Pasta with clams is a favourite dish of mine so I was on a winner pretty much straight away. Lamb, cannelloni beans and spinach..you can't go wrong. Plus all the appertizers (cured meats in lots of forms, squid, the list went on and on..). Great night, great food. read more

This place has a really good atmosphere. Went here for a dinner one Saturday evening and it was not busy at all. The pizzas are reasonably priced and tasty. Good for a nice quiet meal with friends. read more

L'Anima's is a great Italian restaurant, the dishes are authentic and mouth watering, well presented and the quality of the ingredients is evident.Delicious, colourful and tempting, excellent dining experience. read more

Food has always been best in class here, and i cant think of an Italian that gets anywhere near this standard in the City. Francesco is a great host, and a real class act (do a cookery course with him on Saturdays if you can, its a real treat). Only limitation in the past was the service but having just eaten there again today i couldnt find fault with it hence the 5-star rating. read more

I love a good Italian restaurant and my other half treated me to L'anima one year for our anniversary. All of the menu sounded delicious but I went for some fresh pasta. Our meal was delicious and we enjoyed the atmosphere at the bar with a few cocktails afterwards. read more

the food is above average but not fantastic. The outrageous prices can be only justified by the mostly City bankers population.

I went for the special set menu of 2 courses, glass of wine and glass of prosecco for £35. When I was seated I was brought complimentary olives and a bread basket, with many different types, all tasted amazing. Started off with the beef carpaccio, maybe a few too many cheese shavings as it was a bit overpowering with the delicate beef . Risotto for a main, no complaints, waiter even suggested the wine to go with the course. Service was extremely friendly and attentive throughout and a great value for money with this offer. I would definitely come back on a special occasion and try the a la carte menu. read more

very tasty dishes. creative and authentic very good staff too

Ordered from here using deliveroo and food was unacceptably awful. Rigatoni bolognese came without sauce, dry rigatoni with dry mince meat. Had to be thrown away. With all the Italian options in London, don't waste your time here. read more

Delicious, imaginative food that is in a class of its own; accommodating, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff; exciting wine list; light, spacious, airy premises. I don't spend enough time here, and that has to change. My one quibble is, unfortunately, common, and I do wish such a fantastic place could sort this out, because it would be world class if it did. I really don't like being interrupted mid-sentence. Please wait until I've finished my train of thought before asking if everything is ok. I find it hard enough to hold the thread these days without any help, and I promise you that I'll let you know if I have a problem with anything! read more

Our offices are adjacent to the L'Anima café so they do quite a bit of business from us on a daily basis. I have eaten in once and purchased take away food twice. I decided to review my experience this time as I have found the food has continued to be bland and expensive. I bought the vegetable lasagne on Friday lunchtime last week, it was a tiny piece of gloopy, béchamel sauce covered pasta, with what I could only describe as frozen veg added. Absolutely no flavour and all for the princely sum of £5.50! The first time I ate in I had the aubergine pasta, that was watery, flavourless and again ridiculously over priced. The chefs that serve the hot dishes are inordinately unfriendly, I don't believe I have ever seen the woman smile, she just barks back at you when you ask her anything. The other thing that bothers me is the fact that the prepared food is all uncovered and next to the door where everyone walks in and out. The staff serve over this food, goodness only knows what is on the food by the end of the lunchtime rush, yuk! I am currently looking into somewhere else to suggest that my teams eat at rather than this place, it pains me to know they are taking money from us and our clients for such a bad deal/service! Avoid at all costs! read more