We're from San Francisco, and this was the very first place in London that my brother, sister and I ate at ... and it was truly wonderful. Delightful atmosphere with outside seating, I chose it based on great reviews (and that it was near the Whole Foods in Covent Garden, where we could go shopping afterwards since we were staying in an Airbnb and it was our first night there and we needed tostock up). So we started with the margherita pizza as an appetizer and it was absolutely wonderful. My sister had the roast baby chicken with chips (these were similar to American steak fries), which she loved, and I tasted some of her chips and they were perfectly cooked and seasoned. My brother had a special pasta, tagliatelle with cream sauce, which looked great and he really enjoyed, and I had your basic spaghetti with beef ragout, but it was excellent. My sister enjoyed her slice of brownie cake with vanilla ice cream, and my brother and I shared a slice of decent cheesecake. Wonderful service, great server. Highly highly recommend! read more

This is a local favorite. We are from the States. The owner is very friendly. The meals were amazing! Wifey had the lobster ravioli and I had the seafood linguine. Both were flavorful without being over powering. The homemade fuchsia bread was to die for. Finally, the best tiramisu finished the meal. We wish we had more time to cone back. read more

Best food we've ever had in London! Figure out a way to get here by taxi subway or Uber! Perfect service and if I lived here I would be here every week! read more

Terrific find during a short stay in London. Atmosphere is eclectic but cozy, and the service was outstanding. We started with the signature beef carpaccio, which was delicious and topped with an extremely generous serving of black truffle on top; then the paccheri with beef ragout and the signature black squid ink pasta dishes for dinner, both of which were excellent. Very family-friendly spot (without prompting, they let my picky 9 year-old order pasta however she wanted it, which was much appreciated) tucked away on a quiet street in Kensington - highly recommended. read more

We went to the restaurant downstairs, not the more casual cafe on the ground floor, with 2 little kids (7 and 4). We had the paccheri with ragù, the risotto of the day, and the cacio e pepe. Everything was authentic and utterly delicious. The service was excellent. They kindly split the plating of the dish for our kids. read more

The Parmesan risotto is to die for! They bring it out in a Parmesan cheese wheel and chip away at the cheese as they serve spoonfuls of risotto to your plate. SO good! read more

Spending our first night in Kensington I asked my friend what she faniced for dinner..Italian she said... so after reading positive reviews it was decided. Walking in the red room, everything oozed of romance and rock and roll.. Every wall was painted red, with the odd minature guitar and LP stuck to the wall. Through a wooden booth on the right, we spotted the receptionist who led us alway from the romancing couples cuddled on sofas to downstairs. Downstairs contained several small rooms, all as equally painted as the ones above. It was quite dark, and intimate.. A smartly dressed waiter in black provided us with a wine list, and menus. The menus consist of a set meal, Two courses for £30 or three for £34.50. Each starter was priced at a tenner and the average main £20 , so there was little difference to choose the set menu. Everything sounded as tasty as its price. Starters consisted of salmon , duck salad, baked goats cheese, scallops. and mains of veal, monkfish, various pasta dishes , lamb and seabass. I did not see a great variety of vegetarian options.. After much decision , I orderd the scallops with crispy bacon. asparagus and vanilla & celeriac puree. For the mains Squid ink gnocci with vine tomatos.My friend ordered the award winning goats cheese, beetroot puree on a bed of spinach (minus the walnuts because of her nut allergy). As a main she selected the Chefs Special Baffo Nero fillet of beef. While we waited , water was brought to the table along with complimententary amuse- bouche.. This delightful mouthful contained a paraham encasing some tasty cheese. Next a basketful of bread with parmasan crips landed..followed swiftly after some hand made breadsticks.. The presentaion of the starters were very impressive, and the taste sublime. The scallops were cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of vanilla. My companions goats cheese was rich and flavoursome, but quite large in size , which made it diffcult to finish. Starters whisked away, we tackled the mains. THe bowl that contained my gnocci was innovative , almost tulip shaped, and its contents were rich and tasty, My only gripe was that the gnocci was too soft, and the dish lacked crunch to break it up. The beef, although my friend was cautious of its raw looking nature, was incredible... so good in fact I had to snaffle some.. Mains gone we were feeling quite content... and said no to dessert.. the waiter persisted by bringing a tray of every dessert they had. Each one looked like a piece of art, so dismissing the heavy brownie, tiramissu, we selected the mint panacotta. This was most unusual, but pleasant and cleansed the pallet Finally a jar of homemade biscotti was gifted to us. I took one piece and waved the white flag. Overall a very romantic, slighly pricey place (which we expected) however the waiters were VERY attentive. A few times I caught them sneaking up behind to have a cheeky look. Also it was slighty crafty to bring the desserts to us after we declined. However all in all, highly recommend. read more

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Tiny local Italian , fresh ingredients , home made pastas and wonderful beautifully prepared and presented dishes ; the cafe next door shares the same kitchen and has slightly more casual fare. Highly recommended (the Risotto is their famous dish - of the best you'll find anywhere ) read more

A really nice neighborhood find, this place. Despite the stiff competition for great food in the vicinity (Launceston Place and Min Jian, among others), Locanda Ottoemezzo holds its own. Food is simple and nothing on the menu will blow your mind, but the restaurant is noteworthy for sourcing exceptionally fresh, high-quality ingredients and then not screwing them up. My last meal there, a few months ago, began with a timbale of crab, pomegranate seeds, rocket greens and orange dressing, a well thought out combination of flavors. The portion was generous. My main of monkfish medallions was moist and tender and came with asparagus (fresh, seasonal at the time, simply flavored) and a strongly flavored green apple / ginger chutney. Surprisingly, the monkfish stood up to the stronger flavors of the chutney pretty well, though I wouldn't call the two a natural match. I didn't love the wine list, which was fairly abbreviated and singlemindedly Italian, but did love the service, which doesn't hurry you out the door. Decor is interesting and at times, mildly racy, advertising classic (but pointedly non-classy) Italian and American movies from the '40s or so. Seating is fairly tight; the upside is that overheard conversations can be pretty interesting. Overall, this is a completely solid place for dinner if you happen to be in the neighborhood. read more

Very authentic and delicious. We dined in the cafe as it was early for dinner. The bruschetta with some added spice was absolutely delicious. Both the pasta and pizza were incredible and the service was excellent as well. Our new favourite place in the neighbourhood. read more

Locanda Ottoemezzo - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

The food here was excellent - or, at least, what I ate. I had the seared tuna with french green bean salad and it was cooked perfectly, seasoned to perfection, etc, etc. I honestly cannot think of a bad thing to say about the dish. The rest of my party all had the pasta of the day, which everyone said was divine. The only negatives were that the initial table we were given (the table immediately to the left upon entering) was incredibly hard to get in and out off and, as it was a business meeting, we asked to be moved to a less awkward table. We moved downstairs, which ended up being fine, but it was a bit difficult to get the check (we had to go upstairs to find a waiter and ask for it). But, really, the food was fabulous - and affordable, at way less than £20 per dish. I think my tuna was £12, and the pasta of the day was less than £15? I'm seeing other reviewers say the price was high, but I really don't think it was too bad. Granted, I was there for lunch and not dinner - but the price seemed right to me for a nice restaurant meal... read more

Locanda Otteomezzo is a quaint little place perched on the corner of High St Kensington. I suppose the best way to describe it as being a hospitable establishment offering intimate and informal lunching or dining experience. The menu offers a varied and delightful dishes on the Italian side and the cuisine makes the most of the in-season ingredients.The wine list is frugal and caters for the discening palate-and not a bit expensive at around 20 pounds a bottle. read more

Locanda Ottoemezzo - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

I was lucky enough to be taken to this charming Italian eatery for a lunch meeting last week and have been dreaming about it ever since. After checking out the dishes on the restaurant's website the night before with a sinking heart - it was looking decidedly meaty on there and I am vegan! - I was pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of the menu on the day, choosing the grilled vegetables to start and spaghetti with garlic to follow. A generous basket of rustic bread dotted with sundried tomatoes and olives soon disappeared, augmented by the restaurant's delicious own brand olive oil, and it was only the fact that I was there to talk business that prevented me from glugging down more of the stuff. I'm licking my lips just thinking about it My starter was a mix of courgettes, aubergines and artichokes, nicely salted and lightly charred, with a hefty side salad drizzled with more lovely oil. The spaghetti was absolutely divine, with a nice weight to it and the perfect al dente bite. The garlicky pool of olive oil left at the end served to moisten yet more lovely bread at the end of the meal - by this point I couldn't help myself. My meat eating companions made very happy lip smacking sounds throughout the meal too. Pricewise, I was pleasantly surprised to note that I might even be able to afford to dine here myself - at lunchtime anyway. The two courses for £20 deal seems entirely reasonable now I know the quality of the food is so high, and the restaurant pushes itself as a good pre-theatre option as well as accepting its privileged place in a well heeled neighbourhood. Locanda Ottoemezzo is a charming, cosy and genuine Italian restaurant, inviting to its more moneyed clientele and friendly to the rest of us too. Win win! read more

I chose this restaurant for a ceremonious "meet the parents" dinner with my boyfriend. The food is undoubtedly amazing, but rather pricey. The wine was OK, but nothing special. I would normally give a restaurant 4-5 stars for such amazing food, but the service and atmosphere were lacking. The decor is more nightclub than chic Italian restaurant and it was very difficult to hear since the place echoes. The wait staff were uninspiring and not very attentive, but they got the job done. If you like risotto though it's worth a visit. They serve it table-side in a parmesan wheel with as much cheese as you'd like. read more

Our experience here was incredible! We did the set menu and ordered the burratina and seared tuna for appetizers - both amazing. We then ordered the homemade ravioli and the prawn arrabbiata pasta - again, could not say enough great things. After such a great meal we couldn't resist dessert. We got the chocolate cake and the creme brûlée, which was a perfect ending to a flawless meal. Service was great, food was incredible, atmosphere was comfortable - all around a truly amazing dinner. read more

Locanda Ottoemezzo - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

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The food and service are good, but we had a very unpleasant experience because we ordered a set menu and the waiter told us we could substitute starters from the a la carte menu, but then we got a huge bill, and were told by the manager that "you can substitute, but of course the price will be much higher". That is just BS. read more

Welcome - 5/5 - Walked in and seated straight away. We were instantly offered drinks and water as soon as we got to our table. Atmosphere - 3/5 - We came in the evening and strangely we were the only people there all evening. It has more of a Café vibe than a restaurant and therefore I assume it's probably busier in the day. Cleanliness/Decor - 4/5 - The place seemed really clean. As above it's like a café so it's less formal, but the décor does works really well and does make you feel relaxed. I could see myself sitting near the window in the day just having a coffee and something small to eat. Service - 5/5 - The service was great throughout. Always made sure we had plenty of drinks. Food came out really quick. I even think they let us stay longer than it was supposed to be open, without them even trying to kick us out. Food - 5/5 - Was spot on. The pizzas are huge and as a bonus looked like they had been cooked in an actual pizza oven. They had a wide range of pizzas, so we all got different types and shared, each individually great. I went for one with a white sauce base, unfortunately can't remember the name of it, but ask if you go as it was my favourite of the night. This place definitely falls in my top 5 best pizza restaurants in London. We all then had dessert and went for the typical Tiramisu. It was slightly different to normal and was served deconstructed and reconstructed in an ice cream sundae glass, just like an eton mess. Not sure it worked texturally, but the flavours were still there. Would I recommend - Yes Would I come back - Yes Visit - 09/04/2016 (Evening) read more

Eh, decent food in an authentic Italian style, but for the high price, prime location and uninspiring atmosphere I would go elsewhere in the area. Not a bad option for a last minute, booking free place if you want to eat good food, and are happy to pay up to sit in a basement with movie posters. read more

The Locanda is a charming little italian place, hidden not 5 min walk from High St Ken. The daily specials are almost more numerous than the tiny a la carte menu, yet everything deserves your attention because it is simply delicious. It is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but you won't regret any penny spent on either the food or the great wines available. read more

Locanda was absolutely amazing. The owner and staff was incredibly kind and attentive. It's teeny tiny, I think the whole place only sits 15 people!! Perfect place to have a really special dinner with friends or family. read more

We arrived at this hidden restaurant at 7 p.m. precisely when it opened. We knew we didn't have a dinner reservation and wanted to make sure that we were able to get in. The host promptly walked us down the stairs to a dark, club-like dining room and seated us in a back corner with barely any lights. In light of the fact that it was still light out when we walked downstairs, it felt a little early for the club music, but whatever. We were promptly served with some delicious homemade focaccio and their house produced olive oil, which had a wonderful grassy quality to it. We had a couple of starters. Hubby had the beef carpaccio and I had the smoked duck carpaccio. The duck had a wonderful smokiness to it with honey, pomegranates and pine nuts. It had this amazing crunchy, earthy, and sweetness to it all at the same time. Awesome! Hubby's beef carpaccio was good, but not as delicious as mine. We shared 2 pastas, which they freshly make in-house everyday. We had the black squid ink pasta with scallops, tomatoes, and shrimp. They were a little stingy with the scallops and they were the small ones. The pasta was done perfectly. We also ordered the pappardelle with veal ragout. It was initially delicious, but was very one note in terms of the taste. Again, the pasta was awesome. Will we return? Maybe. It cost us 112 pounds, which is no bargain. We ordered a 2005 Italian wine at 39 pounds and the gratuity was included. read more

Excellent hand-made pasta and risotto. Now they have the cafe open during evening serving good Pizza (wed to Sun).