I had the spaghetti and meatballs and it was delicious. Very simple, not over complicated. The meatballs were cooked and prepared tastefully. I've gone to a lot of Italian restaurants where they butcher meatballs. The pasta was cooked perfectly al Dante. The mussels appetizer was good as well but my dinner partner didn't particularly enjoy them. Not because of preparation but it was a tomato based sauce with the mussels she didn't really care for. The bruschetta appetizer was perfect. The dessert fresh homemade tiramisu. After the meal they offer you a range of Italian liquors on the House which is a nice touch. I don't usually care about live music but I did find the live pianist very entertaining and nice as he plays Disney classics and other love songs from movies. Might go here again if I can during my 3 day stay. Also I love the service. So friendly helpful and still quite efficient. Our server was a really nice blond young lady serving the front area. read more

La Porchetta - Italian Near Me - Holborn, XGL

I've always liked la porchetta...this branch isn't quite as hilarious as the one in Finsbury Park...but it is always friendly, cheap and delicious. The staff must have been in a happy mood when we popped in last week. They weren't slow as the previous reviewers suggested...in fact, it seemed like no time at all before my MASSIVE meaty pizza arrived in front of me. I had slight pizza envy for my friend's fiorentina pizza...but he let me try some. Phew! As always, it was delicious, thin crusted happy pizza served by enthusiastically hand-gesturing Italians. Extra notes: - This is more expensive than my student days, but still cheaper than other pizza places like pizza express - I'm not sure if they still do this, but if you tell the waiter it's someone's birthday, they sing to you, and then pull pizza dough over your head. It is pretty funny to observe! - They serve wine in carafes if you can't drink a whole bottle... - The pasta is also really good here (but huuuge) - I have never (yet) managed to finish a whole pizza here (yay for cold pizza the next morning!) read more

La Porchetta - Italian Near Me - Holborn, XGL

I ate here on a Monday evening and was surprised at how busy it was, it was packed but luckily I'd booked. We had the garlic pizza bread toppped with tasty tomato sauce to start which was absolutely delicious, followed by a huge pizza which again didn't dissapoint. They have a huge list of pizzas and pasta dishes so I was rather spoilt for choice, but was more than happy with my Bufala pizza topped with mozzarella, parma ham and rocket. We just had house wine to drink which was very palatable. The staff were friendly and attentive despite rushing around the place as it was so busy. All their pizzas and pasta dishes are less than £10 and the portions are huge so it's definitely great value for money and I'll certainly be going back there! Update: I'm upping my rating of this place to 5 stars: I've been back a few times now and the pizzas are excellent - they do the best Fiorentina in London!! read more

This was a lovely Italian meal. The restaurant is quaint and creates a homey environment. The portions sizes were great for the price range. The seafood paella was well done except the squid which was slightly overdone. This did not affect the overall dish which was delicious. read more

La Porchetta - Seafood paella - Italian Near Me - Holborn, XGL

This restaurant looked like it had good ratings so I went in for a quick lunch between meetings. Great salad while listening to Dino sing Christmas and Italian favorites in, what?, March. Some torch songs. Charming in an odd sort of way. Muscles were somewhat chewy and when I asked for bread it never came. Too bad because the broth wasn't bad on the too few, too large muscles. That was it. Afterthought service and I'm out the door. read more

First timers here in London, we've been relying pretty heavily on our Yelp community to find good places near our hotel. This one had 4 stars and the current reviews made it sound really good. However, our experience was mediocre at best. We ordered the garlic pizza bread with cheese for starters. It was basically a cheese pizza for half the price. The sauce was kinda ho hum, but it was an unexpectedly pleasant beginning to the meal (I was expecting dunking bread instead of a full pizza). For our main courses we ordered an americano pizza that has red peppers, salami and cheese on it and a penne pasta with garlic and chili sauce mixed in. Both were decent but not mind blowing. It was also slightly disappointing to see the server bring many ingredients from the basement upstairs-like packaged pizza crust and various seafood items. The service was really friendly and they were very efficient at multitasking the main dining room, the loud party downstairs, and getting the deliveries ready. Overall, It was a good fix but not somewhere I would go to again, nor recommend to other visitors. read more

Found this little place while doing a pub crawl. It's a tiny "hole in the wall" but my experience is those places are usually the best, and this place was! The menu was pretty big, lots of options. My husband and I split a pizza, the Quattro Stagioni. It was a thinner crust that was perfectly done. A slight softness inside and a slight crispness on the outside. The sauce was great and the topping were generous. We also split the Pasta Tagliatelle Boscaila. It was amazing. The sauce was perfection. The pasta was cooked perfectly. The ingredients were fresh. Service was great. Prices were fair. I'm Italian so I'm pretty picky but the place was fabulous! Unfortunately didn't have enough room for dessert. That's the only negative I can find read more

I came here for dinner for a friend's birthday, and it was a great place for a group of us to eat, drink, and be merry for cheap! I didn't eat the pizza, as I was on a pre-holiday diet (but the pizza was huge and SO delicious looking) so instead I chose a chicken salad from the specials menu. The 'salad' ended up being a GINORMOUS portion of some kind of chicken and chorizo stew, with a big lettucey-tomatoey salad on the side and two chunky wedges of bread! It was also presented to me on a plate that looked like it was made for a giant. So. Much. Food. It was delicious, although I couldn't even manage to eat half of it, and it didn't leave me with the light and healthy feeling I had desired! Definitely not my idea of a salad. The carafes of wine are cheap, which is always a plus! The restaurant itself is small and less chain-like then the one in Camden. The only downside is that the service is SOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. It took us forever to get our bill, and then forever to get the change. Plus I had to ask for a glass of water 3 times, and then it took forever for them to bring it! We ended up being there from 7.15-11pm!!!!!! read more

We really enjoyed this little spot! The food was great - we shared a pizza. We were talked into a cake that was made in-house (only two pieces left) and seriously the best cake I have ever had! It was like being with my family in Italy - made with love and fresh ingredients. Loved La Porchetta and the family working seems very sweet and nice. The restaurant unfortunately was extremely quiet and you could feel the sadness from the owners. I hope they can turn it around, because their food really is delicious. read more

Discovering there was a La Porchetta within walking distance of work was a revelation. After many great lunches at the Rosebury Avenue one, this branch was a bit of a surprise. Small and rustic inside, it contrasts with other restaurants in the chain, which tend to be a bit more white and modern. Still, what people come here for is the food, not the decor, and no surprises there - it's pretty fantastic for the price. Others have recommended the huge pizzas, but I often go for the pasta instead. The classic Penne Amatriciana is gorgeous, as is the seafood linguine. Look out for the specials too, I've had some absolutely amazing dishes from there (I tried to recreate one at home and failed miserably - sometimes it's best to give up and go out)! read more

This is a nice and homely Italian restaurant, offering rustic and comforting dishes. The menu is varied with a great selection of starters, mains and options to suit vegetarians and carnivores alike! Another plus is the wine menu, the house white is pretty decent and they also serve Moretti, a really great beer. One of the negatives though, is the ambiance of the place On the occasions i have eaten here, i've been in a group of 6 or more. Larger groups are seated downstairs at long tables, while couples are settled upstairs in the more intimate surroundings. I can see the sense in this, but it results in a near silent upstairs and an incredibly noisy downstairs, where groups can hardly talk to one another The music can also be rather distracting at times. All in all, a nice place to eat and very reasonable prices, however to experience it at it's best, go with your partner or a small group! read more

One of five family-owned pizzeria restaurants in greater London, this Holborn branch of La Porchetta was a nice lunch spot during a recent visit to the city. It seemed to have quite the crowd, people who had been coming here on a pretty regular basis. We had just arrived in London after a long trans-Atlantic flight and were hungry! We ordered some basic pizzas margherita and funghi and a couple of bottles of Peroni. It was a nice and hearty meal, nothing mind-blowing, but tasty nonetheless. It was a filling introduction to London fare and a reminder of how diverse the offerings can be. read more

The nicest pizza place in the area: both in terms of pizza quality and friendliness. I walked by it quite often during my commute and had been somewhat unhappy with the other pizza places in the area around the Brunswick Centre. I finally decided to give it a try and am very happy that I did. Cozy for a bottle of wine and tasty pizza, and equally good for take-out. read more

My favourite spot for a delicious bowl of pasta or yummy thin crust Italian pizza. The portions are more than generous for very reasonable prices. The Holborn branch staff is always nice and cheerful. No complaints, definitely try it out! read more

This is a brilliant, friendly, authentic Italian restaurant. The pizzas are great - proper thin italian pizzas with great toppings - I particularly recommend the Pizza Ortolana and Pizza Rucola. All the staff are Italian and the prices are very reasonable. The pizzas range from about £5 to about £8. I've never had any of the pasta or risotto dishes here but I've heard good things about them and they look really nice. read more

Having tried out the sister restaurant in Finsbury Park I decided to head head with a friend for lunch one day and it did not disappoint. It's down a little street between Holborn and Russel Square and has really got a nice charm about it. Even though there seems tyo be a number of these it has kept a type of small restaurant charm. Portions are big, we started with the brushetta and then had pizza. All the food was fab and we were able to take away the leftovers. Yum! read more

I'm quite fussy when it comes to food -- espeically pizza. But this is the best takeaway pizza I've had in London.

Cozy place with tasty Italian dishes. Tried pizza and calamari with very good results.

The food was excellent! The menu was really interesting and had good combinations. The prices were very reasonable especially given the superior quality of the food read more

Really nice tiny place. Italian ambiance Food is good and you need to try their excellent tiramisu: a must.

I have been dining at La Porchetta on Boswell street for more years than I care to remember, the food has always been excellent and great value for money, the staff are great with my kids and always make a fuss of them. The recent refurbishment has bought the restaurant bang up to date and now it is even more pleasurable to dine there. In fact I would go as far to say that this place does the best Pizza and Pasta that I have found in North London, my personal favourites are the Fusilli Alla Campagnola, and spaghetti GiGi. read more

Update: downgrading this review to 1 star, due to risible / fabricated response from restaurant owner. I have left the text of this review as it was before receiving comment from owner. #takenaback I was looking for a bite around the Bloomsbury area last night and stumbled upon La Porchetta, which I would describe as a homely but reasonably stylish pizzeria with great service and a lovely feel about it. In fact every aspect of the restaurant, from the classy tiling in the main dining section and toilets to the little personal touches (a couple of men on the table opposite asked for the bill but instead received a little limoncello and a small cake) every aspect EXCEPT the food itself, would score around FOUR stars on most people's scales. That is to say, hardly fine dining, but overall a pretty lovely place to come regularly, or to stumble upon and make you remember why you love discovering new places in London. Unfortunately for the diner, however, the food is not four star by any means. Nor is the value for money good. I was tempted by a lovely description of the specials that evening, however when the meatfest of a pizza arrived it looked and tasted greasy. In fact: a greasy pizza served on a slightly undercooked base, with dull, low quality ingredients. None of the crisp wood-fired oven edges you might hope from a traditional pizzeria, nor the fresh tastes that burst in your mouth. The tomato base was watery, and the cheese was heavy and utterly undelightful. If this pizza had cost £6.50, I might have put it down to experience and moved on. But the homogeneous taste of grease, oil, and crap meat described as the chef's special cost me £11.95! If this is on the specials menu, would I be right in assuming that the other standard non-special items on the menu were even worse? My pizza was washed down with a glass of red. This restaurant serves just two reds by the glass (more if you buy a bottle) naturally I chose the more expensive of the two, purely as a disappointment avoidance strategy especially as I was dining alone. Although this, the most expensive wine served by the glass, was hardly that expensive for London standards (just over four quid if I recall), it really was rubbish indeed. Being the Brit that I am, I didn't express my dissatisfaction at the time, in case I was judging it overly harshly and/or I was disproportionately grumpy for some other reason so I said yes, lovely when asked. But on reflection, having spent the best part of twenty quid on dinner for one that consisted of nothing more than a rubbish pizza and a rubbish glass of wine (plus the ubiquitous 'discretionary' service charge), I must say that was not twenty pounds well spent. All in all, lovely service, gorgeous little place, but the food itself is a huge, fat disappointment. read more

There are a few La Porchettas, all serving extremely large pizzas with lots of toppings. Most have lithe Italian waiters and lively music (although I noticed the newest one in Chalk Farm lacks the cosiness and Italian-ness of the others). This one is the liveliest, smallest and cosiest, hidden down a side street off Queen's Square and usually crammed with customers in the evenings. It opens after six p.m. and is small, so it's advisable to book a table. The music is loud but good - usually well-beloved funk, reggae and rock. The pizzas are huge. My favourite is pear and gorgonzola, sounds strange but it's amazing and you can't get it anywhere else. Some people can't eat a whole pizza because they're so big (the pizzas, not the people). Some people eat huge bowls of mussels, which I find horrible (I tend to retch under the table when that happens), but everything else about the place is wonderful. They do pastas and other Italian dishes, and the desserts include the usual tiramisu, profiteroles and some lovely cakes. Wine is plentiful. All is pretty affordable and the atmosphere lively yet cosy, loud but intimate, busy but friendly. read more

Went to this charming little restaurant last night with 6friends and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. The starters were amazing and huge! Main course, for which I had pasta was massive (perhaps a little too big) and so tasty! Puddings here are excellent also. I had three courses and we shared a litre bottle of red wine (which cost under £10) and it came to a tiny £16 each! Staff were friendly, polite and worked very hard as the place was packed. It took a little while to get our bill but for great food at a great price, who cares!! If you want to go to this restaurant then I recommend you book. We did and the place was up to capacity, which says it all! read more

The best pizzas I've had in the UK by a long way! The bases are thin and crispy, with just the right amounts of toppings and seasoning, and good prices too. I've been here many times and always come away full, as the portions are quite big - a main is definitely enough for me! The wine list is good too, they do a particularly nice Nero d'Avola. Always busy, and you need to book later on, but if you just turn up by about 7 there is usually some room for 2! read more

Found this to be a cute, local place. We shared the Parma ham and Buffala appetizer and a pizza. Both were very tasty but our pizza was cold. We informed the waitress and she took care of the problem. The pizza was much better warm. Would go back next time we're in the area. Saw a calzone at the next table and it looked amazing. Would definitely try one. Bon Appetit! read more

Not sure why it is so popular, maybe it is the large portions. Food was OK but would not return.

Nice food, friendly staff and great atmosphere! Will come back again!