Delicious Italian food, easily some of the best I've had in a long time. But then you realize it's 100% gluten free and well... it's s really gem. Small restaurant, so reservations are a must. The trio of bruschettas were so good I'm still thinking of them 2 weeks later. Handsome staff running up and down the stairs, charmers all. read more

Incredibly delicious and completely gluten free with all allergens written under each dish! I shared the bruschetta appetizer with 2 other people and had the chestnut pappardelle with truffle oil, mushrooms, and cream sauce to myself. Since I love mushrooms, my pasta was amazing. I highly recommend the bruschetta as well - they put 3 semi-large pieces of toasted bread on a plate. One had mashed peas, one had cheese and pear, and the last was tomato and balsamic. I'm not even gluten free, but will absolutely come back to Leggero for a nice yet affordable dinner! read more

Leggero - Chestnut pappardelle with mushrooms, truffle oil, and cream sauce - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

Have been wanting to try this place when in London. Had the duck ravioli and it was absolutely delicious however the portion was on the smaller side...would def go back though! The service was great and so was the food it was just the portions especially since i only eat once during my 24 hrs stay i need something more consistent... read more

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HIGHLY recommended for gluten free visitors to London. We lucked out -- happened to walk in right when a cancellation happened so we could get a table. Definitely call ahead for reservations. We ate here on our last night in the city and were so enthusiastic, we bought pasta and flew it home with us to the States! The dishes are authentic and delicious and GLUTEN FREE! They totally understand allergy needs. We will for sure be back when we're next in London. read more

I like it when new types of businesses open - innovation drives us forward and over the last 10 years, the food scene in London has really diversified and I would now put London up against any other foodie city on the planet. Yes, really La Polenteria has just opened its doors and they're still running a 30% opening discount on their polenta main dishes. That and curiosity drew me in for lunch today Italy has elevated some of their peasant food into restaurant food and polenta continues this trend. Their menu is built around polenta - crushed cornmeal. It appears with fruit in their breakfast menu, with a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian accompaniments as a main course and in desserts such as cupcakes The staff were very friendly and we had a good natter about everything Italian from football to mama;s cooking I chose Tuscan sausages to go with my polenta. I was pleased to see that polenta still had pride of place on the plate - it was creamy and well seasoned, Very satisfying on a cold day like today. The Tuscan sausages came in a tomato based sauce with beans, I felt the sausages could have done with a little more pumch but still a most satisfying plate The cupcakes looked inviting but I had other plans for dessert today. An interesting addition to London's dining scene read more

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Wow the food here was abysmal - I can't believe a restaurant called la polenteria does such bad polenta - I mean it felt like I was chewing on plastic - not one person in the group of four that came in today enjoyed it. We all felt that this restaurant should be paying its customers for the god awful polenta served. On top of the terrible food and pretty tame environment - it's gluten free ?! Make what you will of that. Finally when it came to settling the bill which we split amongst four - we had to separate service charge - so dividing it up five ways - so weird. Food is really gross - do yourself a favour and AVOID. read more

Leggero - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

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Coeliacs and vegetarians/vegans alike, rejoice! La Polentaria has it all. Extensive wine list, accommodating and helpful staff, a creative menu, and a really authentic Italian vibe. Never in my life have I seen the humble polenta dressed up so well. Try the gnocchi - you won't regret it! I was overwhelmed with the presentation of the dishes, so much so that I ordered a starter and two mains. The bruschetta was lovely and flavourful, the gnocchi was divine, and the mushroom polenta pie was almost too beautiful to eat. Attentive staff checked that we were happy with our meals and explained how they prepare polenta, and how their process, the traditional one, differed from the instant polenta on offer in supermarkets. The combination of tradition and culinary creativity and skill was wonderful, as was the meal and the feeling of being full to the bursting, yet without teetering on the edge of a carbohydrate coma, left me itching to visit again. Give polenta a chance - what this place does with it is magnificent. read more

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This is just your standard run of the mill polenta place. (Oh your neighborhood doesn't have 48 polenta places on every block? Well it should! Polenta is good!) Well, since not enough people eat polenta, this is a great place to get the word out on how great polenta is. Yeah - they have sandwiches and salads - but you know what you are here for. It comes with about 8 to 10 choices of toppings most of Mediterranean extraction and most good. The Sicilian Caponata (that's eggplant for them that don't know - like me coming in) is a wonderful italian dish that could easily stand on its own but serves well as a polenta topping. the Bacalhau (thats salt cod for them that don't know - I had to guess from the portuguese) is on the salty side - which may be a sign of not enough soaking before cooking. it is still pretty good. but the star of the show is the polenta - which if it wasn't so much work to cook, would be the kind of thing i would like to eat every day. i might not take british rail all the way in from reading just to eat at la polentaria - but if i worked anywhere in the neighborhood, this would be a regular choice for lunch. read more

What cant I say about this place? The entire restraunt is gluten free but you wouldnt know. My gluten eating boyfriend had the pink ravioli and I had the spicy ravioli. The spicy one had ricotta on the inside. I think to balance everything, I'd have mixed in a monchego. But either way. It was very good. The pink ravioli was amazing!!! Sharp cheese oozing from the center. I also went to In Parma and even my boyfriend preferred this place. We had bread at the table I could eat. I have celiac disease do I have eat this way and here, I felt normal. Just another person at a restaurant. It is noone fault, but most places, you have one or two options, mostly salads. But this place gave me a chance to just eat. It's a small thing that even after a decade, I still miss sometimes. So this is a jewel amongst jewels. P.S. it is also a quick walk from beyond bread and across the street from the sweetest gay pub that very accepting of all patrons. read more

Tried polenta for the first time here and to be honest it's not my cup of tea. Bought a voucher on Amazon local for a set menu for two people for only £21. This includes a glass of wine each so reasonably good value. The problem was the choice of dishes on the menu were quite limited, and what read well was actually quite tasteless and bland. I only ate half of both starter and main course, but the glass of white wine was really nice. The staff were lovely and the waiter didn't charge us for a bottle of sparkling water even though it wasn't included in the voucher. If you know that you like polenta, this is a lovely friendly restaurant but I've simply discovered that I really, really don't like it! read more

Leggero - Looks better than it tasted. - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

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I grew up with polenta, I love polenta, I want to eat polenta all the time. I wandered past the place within a few days of opening in December. I always look at new restaurant's menus and was lured in by the VEGAN section! It looked great, but I had just eaten. So for a dessert, we went in for an espresso and a (Ms Cupcake) lemon cornmeal cookie. It was cute, good ambiance and we had a nice chat with the owner. I tried for weeks to get someone to go with me to try it out. Fast forward to March. I had the mixed mushroom polenta. It was probably 1 1/2 cups of polenta, topped with herby mushrooms. It was nice. Nice. Just nice. And I know it's Soho, but £8 for a not-huge portion of polenta (the cheapest thing in the world) that I genuinely ate in 5 minutes (while talking), was a bit offensive. However, the sweet breakfast polenta sounds pretty tasty and if I'm ever in the area and needing breakfast, I would definitely go. And If I need a vegan treat and coffee, I will definitely go. But for dinner, I may skip. read more

Leggero - Polenta-almond-lemon cookie with an espresso - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

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Together with my friend I was the lucky winner of the Sagitter One competition during the Yelp Mad Scientist Soiree, which brought us for a dinner to La Polenteria. Being a huge fan of Italian cuisine but having tried only supermarket polenta before and not being convinced I really had liked it, I was really looking forward to having 'a proper one' to see if it'd change my mind. And I wasn't let down. We were welcomed with the typical laud & hearty Italian 'Buona Sera,' by Francesco, who to our surprise has a Polish girlfriend from a city next to ours and speaks beautiful Polish, which doesn't often happen among foreigners in London. The place isn't big, quite buzzy but at the same time very homey. It seems that people who work there enjoy themselves and share the Italian hospitality at its best (Francesco hasn't stopped entertaining us for the whole evening, evening playing 80s disco-Italiano songs at our request). I was really looking forward to trying their truffle special I'd spotted on Facebook before, but unfortunately, they didn't have it that night. We've started off with egg, black pepper, scamorza cheese, smoked salmon, lumpfish eggs and orange which was very good. To my surprise the polenta was creamy and very tasty. The other starter was a board of cheeses (cimbro salvia e rosmarino, monteveronese malga 24 months, gorgonzola and caprino cheese with truffle) which came with little pieces of grilled polenta, quince jelly and oils. I'm a cheese monster, so I've tried many interesting cheeses befor, but I must say the truffle cheese was one of the best I've ever tried! However, considering most of the mains cost on average 10 pounds, I found this starter a little bit pricey. For mains we both took creamy polenta and grilled tomino cheese with onion's marmalade (my friend went for the non-vegetarian option with pancetta). I've never tried that cheese before and I really enjoyed it especially with the onion marmalade. I couldn't finish it, though, as the starters were already quite generous. The menu changes regularly, and from me personally a big bonus for gluten free options. If you still not convinced about polenta, you can choose from regular pasta dishes like pappardelle, lasagna or gnocchi in numerous variations. You can also compose your own salad. The dessert list looked very tempting, but we were too full to try anything. After one glass of wine, I left La Polenteria in such high spirits that I felt as if I had had a few. We had great fun, we will definitely be back! read more

Leggero - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

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We were lucky enough to get a table without a reservation and how fortunate that was. If you must eat gluten free then this place doesn't leave you feeling cheated. If you don't need gluten free you wouldn't think you were eating it. It's just that good. For appetizers we had focaccia with Parma ham and the butternut squash flan with a parmesan cheese sauce. They were both repeats, but the flan won hands down. We have never had flan as an appetizer and don't even like flan, but our server spoke so highly of it that we had to try it. Delicious! For dinner we had the Gorgonzola beetroot ravioli and tagliatelle with a lamb sauce. Keep in mind all the pasta is homemade and it tastes like it. What a treat. We had the tiramisu and cheese cake for dessert and I wish I could recommend the tiramisu, but can't. It really lacked flavor and actually seemed a little watery. The cheese cake was very good and not sugary sweet. We would repeat that one. The restaurant is pleasant with soft lighting and excellent service. Would definitely recommend it and return to it! read more

Had an amazing dinner here! I came in around 6:30pm on a Sunday. I was seated and promptly given a menu. The service was amazing! Very attentive and friendly. It's a small dining room, very quaint and intimate. I ordered the salad and the bolognese pasta. Both were to die for. Those who are GF know how hard (okay, basically impossible) it is to normally eat an Italian restaurant. Was so happy I stumbled upon this gem in Soho! read more

Leggero - Greens salad + bolognese pasta. Amazing! - Gluten-Free Near Me - London, XGL

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Could not tell that the pasta was gluten free at all. Service was friendly. Pink ravioli with Gorgonzola was so amazing!! Great al dente bite and super tasty. Tiramisu dessert was to die for read more

During our holidays in London we visited Leggero once. We made a reservation but somehow we mixed up time zones and came too early. This was not a problem, one table was still free. The bad thing was that it was one at the entrance so it was cold, dark and draughty all the time. Plus there was always somebody standing beside us asking for a free table. I really hope that these tables are not for normal reservations. The food we had was good, small portions and high priced. We knew this in advance and ordered 2 courses. Our favourites where the lamb meatballs with grilled butternut squash and, much to my surprise, the pink ravioli stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and beetroot, topped with pistachio and rocket pesto. After an hour we felt too uncomfortable to stay any longer so we left with some good food in our bellies. read more

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What a great gluten free Italian restaurant! Not only is every item gluten free on their menu, but they list all other common allergies underneath the dishes as well. So fish, nut, dairy, and sulphite allergies have more than just one or two choices on the dinner menu as well. I got the creamy polenta with pork belly and my boyfriend ordered the duck ravioli and a side of red pesto with polenta. We also had a chocolate avocado (yes your eyes don't deceive you, but all we tasted was creamy chocolate) mousse and their orange almond cake. If you are want to get dinner after 7 pm, I would recommend a reservation. We were there at 5:30 pm - because we had a show at 7:30 - and the crowd came in at 7 pm. read more

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So excellent to have an entire Italian menu to order from. Delicious actually al dente gluten-free pasta, not gluey or pasty like so many. We loved the bruschetta. And the desserts are delicate and presented beautifully without being too sweet. read more

If you're going to call your restaurant 'La Polenteria', you'd better be able to cook decent polenta. And even if polenta is your thing, that's no excuse to neglect the rest of the dish. The polenta was bad, and everything else was bland. And I don't understand how a a tiny slate consisting of maybe a quarter of an avocado, some flaked salmon and polenta can cost £13. The side salad was literally just a chopped up iceberg lettuce (still wet), some tomatoes and a few slices of raw mushroom. On top of the mediocre food, the service was somewhat weird. I understand that the management may take a cut of the service charge (and I disagree with this practice and circumvent it using cash whenever I can - and feel the service warrants it), but that doesn't mean its okay to insist that we process the service charge as a separate card transaction because "it's better for us". Perhaps the staff would also be better off avoiding this place if that's the game they have to play. I really hope they were just having a bad night, but I won't be going back. read more

This is the best gluten free pasta I have ever had. Period. The entire restaurant is gluten free so no risk of cross contamination. And there are multiple vegan and vegetarian options, as well. And my dish was amazing. I had the chestnut pappardelle with mushrooms and truffle oil. Highly recommend it. Also, we had a lovely little side salad that was perfectly dressed. Took a point off for incredibly inattentive service. Couldn't attract any attention, even to get water (4 requests) or our beer. Once we ordered the food did come quickly but still, no check back after our food was delivered and we still couldn't get a beverage or water To be fair, they we're completely full up at dinner time mid-week.. When the bill arrived though they comped us the beer. Very nice of them. For those, like me, who get poisoned with gluten even in places where they swear they are careful and have serious side effects and illness, this restaurant was a haven. I plan to return for lunch tomorrow. Hoping they expand to the States. read more

Came here tonight and was very pleasantly surprised. The food far surpassed our expectations, the only real downside was the temperature - it was incredibly warm inside and we were all a bit uncomfortable. We ordered two sides as starters, the grilled polenta with red pesto and the bread with the aubergine caponata. Both were excellent. For mains, I got the duck ravioli which was very good but also very rich. It used ground duck which I'd never seen before, and had a slightly bland flavour in the duck itself, but all the ingredients combined to great flavour. Other dishes ordered were the bolognese, the ricotta and spinach balls, and the polenta gnocchi with salmon. Everyone was quite happy with their meals, though none of us were able to clean our plates - the dishes were surprisingly filling, especially after we'd had our starters. It's a small place and might be better suited for the summer as people were trying to navigate walking through with thicker coats without knocking over glasses on other tables - but other than that and the temperature, a place I would definitely recommend. read more

I had this place bookmarked for a little while but I couldn't find anyone to go with. What is it about the word polenta that makes people so reluctant?! But I know that polenta done right is an absolute delight. And I was indeed delighted! Its got a low key interior, a nice woody combination of minimal and hipster. The menu is short and simple, and on the recommendations of other yelp reviews I ordered the polenta with aubergine. We did have the little bite things to start with, but they really were so small and pointless. Not even a mouthful! Save yourself for the main event and dessert I reckon. And the main event indeed... Such a textural delight! Creamy. Grainy. Fluffy. And the the aubergine was spot on too- I was so impressed. Clean flavours, fresh... I was quiet for most of my plate which was a real occurrence! My companion had something meaty and was equally impressed. I had dessert and went for the chocolate brownie (and that lasted 0.7 seconds- squishey and intense). The service was efficient and friendly, we had some jokes with our server, and the prices were reasonable. Ideal date spot for friends with dietary requirements. I will definitely be going back again! read more

Twice in my life I have experienced rocks/dirt in the food served to me at a restaurant. Both times the server attempted to explain it away in a ludicrous fashion. This was the second time. I ordered a gnocchi made with mushrooms and polenta. They were quite mushy, which was fine because they were really quite smooth... Except for the dirt. Every bite had dirt in it. It's a pretty unmistakable crunch feeling in your mouth and it's not uncommon with mushrooms that haven't been properly cleaned. I didn't make a fuss because they'd been kind enough to seat me without a booking and told me I'd only have 35 minutes, so I knew it wouldn't be useful to ask to swap it out. And it was drowning in truffle oil. So, you know... truffle oil can kind of make anything edible. When asked how the food was, I told the server about the dirt in the gnocchi and she assured me it must have been chunks of mushroom. I mean... I've been eating food all my 40 years. I'm quite familiar with the difference between a chunk of mushroom and dirt. In addition to this, when I arrived a different server took my order and she had such contempt for me I felt bad for even visiting. And it's worth mentioning that the couple next to me complained that their dishes were both quite cold. I've been in UK for 10 days and every other dining experience has been a delight. This one stood out in the worst way. read more

Wow that was an AMAZING Bloody Orange Polenta cake !!! And the place is so nice. Very small but very well made. The service was really nice too :) read more

The outside window always made me want to walk in. Polentaria specialize in polenta dishes (who knew) and it's good. I went there for lunch and ordered the polenta gnocci with truffle and it was delicious. I was a bit disappointed by the portions at start but it was actually the perfect quantity for a main (polenta is very filling). Nice service but I have to say a bit overpriced for what it is - £10 for 10 gnocchis. read more

Awesome place with an assortment of options and accommodations for dietary restrictions! The staff was very friendly and attentive, even though they were very busy. The bruschetta and lamb meatballs were delicious! Overall, a nice ambiance in the restaurant. read more

I had the pink ravioli and it was very good. Its flavor was mild and smooth, like the flavor of nuts and mushrooms. They were busy and we did not have a reservation but they were kind enough to squeeze us in. Very happy read more

100% gluten free! I was AMAZED at how great this place was. First of all, when the server came to my table, the first thing he asked is what my food allergies were. And when I told him, he told me the options that were safe for me. When I ordered my meal, the server brought out an allergen/ingredient chart to cross reference my restrictions to make sure it was safe for me. On top of the staff being thorough and caring, the food was incredible. By far the best gluten free pasta and bread I have ever had. I got the focaccia bread to start, the pappardelle bolognese as my entree, and the vegan brownie and hazelnut cake for dessert. All were amazing. Will DEFINITELY be coming back and recommending to all my friends with dietary restrictions. read more

Popped in while passing by as it had a recent mention in Time Out for being of a new breed of restaurants specializing in one dish & I'm a fan of polenta. I was actually a little bummed that they had a wide menu of varied offerings rather than just standing by the polenta as I expected. There were pastas on the menu & the waiters were eagerly pushing me to pick items out of the display case by the street side for an a la carte tapas style lunch. Right or wrong, I came in b/c they were called Polenteria & that was what I wanted to try to see how good theirs was. There were several friendly Italian guys on staff all across the floor & I appreciated their enthusiasm for the food. I ordered the 'Sausages from begrime' upon the waiter's recommendation. It was tasty, however considering the simplicity of the dish (a ladle of stewed sausages & beans in a tomato sauce over creamy polenta) the £12 price seemed pretty outrageous. I probably won't return but I would happily look forward to the next iteration of this idea, perhaps customers could approach a food line, pick creamy or grilled polenta & select from a range of toppings to put on top, all while charging a more realistic/fair £4-6. A simple way to enjoy jazzed up polenta w/o all the fuss? read more

Total gluten free Italian restaurant in the heart of West End area. Rey lovely neighborhood. Small place so make a reservation or come after 8:30. Wine list is small and options small but all delicious. Wife had the Bolognese sauce over the tag.... pasta and I had the nduja ravioli. It was really tasty. Brownie for desert with a beer and wine for about 55£. Delightful spot and if gluten free a great homemade Italian meal read more

LOVE THIS PLACE. I had their pasta special, a homemade caserecce served with basil pesto, lemon and basil breadcrumbs, tomatoes, and burrata! It was so nice to order food without having to add "gluten free", "no breadcrumbs", or any of the other adjustments I typically have to make when eating. The food was delicious and my server was so friendly. I usually never order dessert but he mentioned a tiramisu and I had to order it. It's my favorite dessert and I have never found, and been able to enjoy, a gluten free one in my 6+ years of having celiacs. It was amazing. The prices were great too, especially given that I usually have to pay an additional $3-5 when making something gluten free and typically less tasty. Absolutely amazing experience and I will definitely be back. read more

Both my SO and I are gluten free and always have a rough time with eating while travelling. Leggero came up in our search for London, and we decided to check it out for dinner Reservations are highly recommended - we got lucky and we're able to snag a spot in this small but trendy and cute restaurant, but many others who came in after is had to be turned away as they were booked for hours. The pasta and bread were AMAZING. It is difficult to find GF foods without any corn added to them, so this was a real gem. So much food that was prepared by the great staff (everyone was so friendly and genuinely wanted to know how your meal was). The desserts were delicious too- the tiramisu was one of the best we have ever had If you are GF and have similar issues with eating out then GO HERE! and even if you aren't gf GO HERE!! You won't even know the difference. read more

Food was amazing + staff was amazing! It's awesome to be able to have a full range of choices at an Italian restaurant when you're gluten free. The staff let us know there was no risk of cross contamination before I even had to ask, which was great to know because I have celiac disease. The table bread was great (table bread is a rarity for me) and my main dish, pink ravioli, was delicious and unlike anything I've ever had. I'll ALWAYS come back here when I'm in London! read more