These guys completely exceeded my expectations. In South Ken needing a quick pizza fix, they made me a pizza in the 8 minute timeframe promised. And surprisingly delicious it was too: fresh tomato passata (as opposed to a pre-prepared sauce stuffed with unwelcome sweeteners and herbs), strips of anchovies and slices of mozzarella sparingly spread on a perfectly cooked (just between soggy and crispbread) base. I'm a huge pizza fan and buy it quite regularly, but was still very pleasantly surprised by the pizza here. The pizzas are quite small, but I think this is more than compensated for by the low price (starting at £5.40 for a margherita) and the unusually high quality. I'll be back. read more

We visited this restaurant today with 4 adults and 2 toddlers. I'd recommend making reservations as we had to wait about 20 minutes to get a table. This is not a child friendly restaurant as there are no high chairs or changing tables in the restrooms and the tables are so close together it is impossible to put your buggy at your table. This left us wrangling two toddlers throughout lunch. The food was very delicious, but the waitress forgot about the wine I had ordered and I had to ask twice for it. Wine was much needed since I was trying to restrain my baby the entire lunch! We ordered pizzas, pasta, bread and some of the most delicious arancini I've ever tasted. I'd give this place a 5/5 for food, but 3/5 due to the incredible difficulty we had bringing our children here. I would go back sans child :) read more

In sum: Really good food. Really horrible service. We had an early dinner at Rocca. While our food (calamari, pizza, cod, chocolate cake) were all quite excellent and perfectly prepared, our dining experience was overshadowed by the fact that our server went AWOL in the middle of our meal. She was really friendly to begin with but perhaps she got angry at one of the other servers who were way too busy flirtling with one another? Supposely there was a shift change going on (at 6 PM?) but we had to flag down different servers for both our dessert order as well as our check. read more

Lovely little restaurant, food is very reasonably priced and portions are suprising for central LDN. Great place to go after a prom! read more

I would give this place 4.5 stars but am rounding up. Food was really excellent. I particularly loved the grilled prawns starter -- best and unique of such I ever had at an Italian place. The grilled veggies and mozzarella / tomato platter were both great too. The starters themselves were enough to get our appetite going. Then came the mains. I ordered the seafood pasta, which interestingly enough, was served in thick udon noodle type of pasta. The seasoning and seafood were good, but unfortunately, the pasta was a bit dry and sticking together. This is where I would dock .5 star. My other friends' dishes all seemed great. They ordered a pizza, lasagna and crab meat pasta, and they all said they really liked their dishes. We were very pleasantly surprised when we got the bill. For the four of us, the total came down to £70, which is a great value in London. Ambience was very nice as well. Modern and sophisticated, it is good for any type of occasion. Service was good and generally prompt, though it got a little difficult to get attention toward the end of the dinner as the restaurant got more crowded. All in all, thumbs up. read more

Not pretentious Italian restaurant in South Ken (an area populated by a lot of Italians!). On Sunday night the service was very quick, the best thing for a pre cinema dinner with a nice pizza. The pizza is okay, not the best I ever had, but not bad at all in particular with reference to the price. here is the best part: a pizza here costs between £5 and £8, like in Italy! We were 6 people, with a pizza with buffalo mozzarella each, mineral water and coke, a couple of desserts and coffees and we paid around £10 each, amazing! Perfect for a laid back dinner read more

I'm confused on the super high ratings on this one. The service was pretty bad, made worse by the weird price fixe menu dinner happening directly to our left...something I never really figured out. We were unsure who our server was the whole time, and spoke to 4 different people throughout the course of the meal. We ordered the buscatini app and it was ok, but short on bread. The pizza was not bad, but not 5/5 stars either. I might return, but with all the options in London, this won't be at the top of my list. read more

"Pricey South Kensington - Not on your nelly!" Reviewed 21 January 2014 Getting a bit hungry in South Kensington? Fantastic Lush Americana Pizza served with a smile - £8. DONE! Visited January 2014 4 of 5 stars Value 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere 5 of 5 stars Service 4 of 5 stars Food read more

Very friendly service, the pizza was delicious! My wife ordered the squid ink crab meat pasta (also very tasty). To top it off it's very affordable considering the atmosphere and location. read more

Rocca - Street Entrance - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Our group of four was on a recent trip to London, felt like having something other than pub food but not too pretentious, found some favorable Yelp reviews for Rocca, and walked over from our hotel. Very glad we did, and enjoyed our dinner very much. We all had pizzas, and shared a couple bottles of wine. The pizzas were all quite good, as good as any I've had at Italian restaurants in Europe. For my fellow Americans, the standard European pizza is a one-person affair, and thin crust style. The wines were both good, and neither the wine or pizzas were expensive. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised at the moderate prices especially in London! You could actually eat here for under £10 per person if you skipped the wino. The restaurant itself is very typical Italian place, not very large with lots of tables crammed in. Not a good place to go if you want quiet and lots of space, but a very good place if you like a lively atmosphere. We arrived about 8pm and the restaurant was still quite full, but fortunately we were seated right away as it seemed the groups with children were starting to finish and leave. The waitresses were good and efficient, friendly without being "in your face". I wish we had returned here for another dinner during our stay. read more

Excellent meal at a reasonable price. We enjoyed everything we tried, especially the ravioli.

What a delightful traditional Italian restaurant! This was my first time eating here and the next time I am in the area I will be back! Not only is the food first rate so to is the service and the bill.. cheap as chips which is quite surprising considering the area. I highly recommend you give this place a try! read more

This was 1 block away from our hotel in Kensington and the food was superb. Not too loud and we were seated quickly. I enjoyed the grilled Branzino very much. Excellent service and good wine. No reservation since it was a Monday night. Fair price for sit down Italian restaurant!!! Highly recommended. read more

Needed a quick dinner before a show on a Saturday and got here around 5:30pm. Luckily we did as most tables seemed to be booked for 6 or 7pm. There were already a fair number of tables occupied. The staff were all very Italian and the feel of the restaurant was good. The Food range is excellent and we battled to choose between pizza or pasta and ended up each getting one. The food was excellent and very fresh. The wine choice was large enough to cover all tastes including "by the glass". Good value as well would recommend. read more

Nice italian restaurant. Been here three times with my wife and two kids. The kids love this place. Very popular. It is been full each time. A bit noisy, but a great atmosphere. Will definitely come here again. read more

The best Italian restaurant in London (my wife and tried 6 highly rated Italian restaurants in London and this was our favorite). The pasta was terrific and the pizza was just as good as what we've had in Italy. On top of it all, the service was second to none (extremely attentive staff). read more

Bucatini with sausage and Rissotta Pesci with saffron. Both delicious. I t is a cute restaurant not far from the south Kensington tube station in London. The decor is welcoming and cozy feel. Good service too. read more

Rocca - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Mediocre Italian food but not expensive so at least we did not waste a lot of money. I got the pesto pasta and pesto was flavorless and pasta was a bit dry. Pizza was just okay, nothing to write home about. read more

Rocca di Papa was a great choice for an enjoyable, Saturday lunch. Showing up towards the beginning of lunch service meant we had our pick of the liter of seating, and an almost empty front patio. The restaurant is in the perfect location for spotting some of the more exotic cars of London, as within an hour I spotted multiple Ferraris, Aston Martins, and too many Maseratis to keep track of. That being said, the menu is fairly priced, and shouldn't leave a hole in your wallet. To start the meal I sat down with an Americano, which didn't disappoint. Next was the calamari as an appetizer, with my only complaint being that I wish there was more on the plate! Very good, and obviously fresh. This was all brought out quite briskly by the waiters and waitresses, who worked in tangent to bring out parts of the meal. Now onto the meat (or chorizo) of the review. Both myself and my dining partner ordered pizza off the menu. I myself ordered the Iberica, while he ordered the Prosciutto. Sitting on the plate it looked more like a piece of art than a pizza pie, but as voracious as I was it didn't stay that way for long. The sauce was delicious, and complimented the chorizo on the pizza quite well. However, the crust was the best part, being crunchy yet not flakey, and held some serious flavor. The Prosciutto was reported to me to taste quite nice as well, with the crust once again receiving rave reviews. After all was said and done, another Americano was poured and a dish of chocolate gelato was served, while a waiter pushed up the shade of the terrace to let in some more of the suns rays. The rich flavor of the gelato left me more than satisfied as we left to explore more of London's sights and sounds. I highly recommend Rocca to anybody looking for a £20 lunch in the South Kensington area. The pizza was top notch, the coffee was well above average, and both were accompanied with an enjoyable atmosphere and friendly waitstaff. read more

Great dinner after the theatre tonight. We shared calamari and king prawns to start and shared a prosciutto pizza. What an amazing dinner! Our server was from Calabria and passionate about his Italian culture. We shared the panna cotta (because there was no more tiramisu) and Hatem said it was better, and had vin santo and limoncello to finish. A perfect Italian farewell to our London visit. The wine was a Sangiovese that we forgot to photograph, but it was the top red that they carry. A definite "must visit" in this area. read more

Very tasty food. The wait staff was delightful and attentive to our children. Highly recommended!!

Pizza is excellent. I had the osso buco ravioli and it was delicious. Atmosphere was nice. Very accommodating for my picky eater 11 year old. I would go back. read more

I got the Rigatoni and it was undercooked and hard. The service was ok they did not speak English very well, which made it hard to order.

We went as a group of 4 adults and 9 kids aged 3-8. It's really hard to find a restaurant in which you can really enjoy the food, find decent food for the children (which is more than a burger and chips), fast service and friendly atmosphere. This place has it all. The pizza and pasta were superior, the wine was great, the waiters were extremely friendly and efficient and altogether we had a wonderful experience. Something about this place just works and you can feel it in the air. And at the end of the meal, we paid 60 pounds per family (including wine and dessert), a very reasonable price. Highly recommended! read more

Cheap and delicious! I got the bolognese and was happy with it. Service is also good. The pizza also looked really good but I didn't have enough stomach space. read more

We loved this place! Didn't feel much like venturing out too far in the cold and since this was right in our neighborhood, we took a short walk over, and were so glad we did! We shared pizza and carbonara and very much enjoyed our dinner! read more

In London and was looking for somewhere...so yelped and this came up. Timed it perfectly and got there early as by the time we left...it was packed! Again, went with the family, so any review I write with the family is always going to be different from reviewing on a "special night out" with my wife! So...from the family friendly perspective, they were good. Nice portions, good tasting food...classic Italian. I had the steak which I am guessing was a sirloin. Found the rosemary a little overpowering but they cooked it nicely. The lasagne was clearly made in house and although a little cheesy was great for my son. Pizza was "better than fine" (wife commentary) but not fantastic. Honestly didn't know whether to rate 3 or 4 stars...but in comparison to my other 4 star rates...it is a high 3!! read more

Really nice Italian restaurant in South Kensington - quite busy. Really enjoyed the food and the good service - I felt the pizzas could have had a bit more flavour is all (but then, I'm a bit of a pizza snob at times)....soup, wine and dessert were excellent and the prices were perfectly reasonable - everyone was happy.... next time I'm in town, I will try it again.... read more

The food, for the price you pay is great. Pizza is the way to go here for cheap eats, the lasagne is a solid decent one. The service is, neglectful, however they are very busy and don't take bookings for small groups. The bathrooms could have done with a little more attention from the staff, and the queue of customers would perhaps go down a little quicker if there was only one staff member attending to them, not three. I would give this only 3 stars, however the price was too good, I would certainly go back again and recommend it to a friend in the area. read more

Firstly, we are tourists but we try to avoid traps. This place is a short walk from our hotel and we tried it based on another excellent Yelp review from a fellow Texan. I'll just say it was so good that we ate here two nights in a row. Very nice staff and wonderful authentic Italian food. Come here and get treated like a local! read more

There's surprisingly quite a few Italian places in the area. My wife and I have tried a couple and Rocca is certainly our favorite. The service was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is buzzing but relaxed. And most importantly the food is delicious but reasonably priced considering the area. read more

Rocca serves excellent Italian standards at a reasonable price, in a comfortable setting. I had the tagliatelle bolognese, and the wife had the lasagna. Both were terrific. The burratina appetizer was interesting, and good. The bufala salad could have benefited from better tomatoes, but I'm not sure restaurants in the UK have access to good tomatoes in April. Service was a little slow as the restaurant was very busy. But everyone was incredibly friendly and cheerful. We really enjoyed the experience. read more

Not a 5, but pretty darn close for nice and relaxed in South Ken. Loved the place, went there several times. The whole package makes it a great stop where I would go back again, gladly. read more

This place is awesome! Great food and even better service... what more do you need?

I've been coming to Rocca for years, and it is consistently one of the best quality and best value Italian experiences in London. I've seen it though menu changes, interior redesign, and staff turnover. The pizzas are tastier and cheaper than Franco Manca (now open a few doors down), and the staff are always friendly and never rush you. Worth a visit for a cheeky plate of bruschetta and an aperol spritz, or a full-on Italian dinner. They're the best! read more

Great food and great service. I was just looking for something close by and this place looked great and exceeded my expectations.

Good Italian food, my pasta was a little too aldente but it was still a great atmosphere and I was with a party of six and there was no wait. It was a nice experience and very reasonably priced, nothing too special though. read more

Very good food. Not the best pizza I've ever had, but very flavorful (had the Napoletana). Staff was friendly, if overwhelmed by the volume of customers on a Saturday night. Wine selection is very good. Had a doppio with tiramisu. Coffee was very good. Tiramisu was not. I've made better at home. Didn't taste like rum or coffee (should taste like both). Very meh. read more

I came here on a Friday night. The restaurant was packed and it seemed to have a great atmosphere. It took awhile for us to get a table. The guy who was in charge of seating us could have been a bit more accurate with how long our table would be, but he was rushed off his feet so it can be forgiven! The reason for the low score is the food, which I found to be bland. The pizza base was just heavy and had no flavour. read more

Great restaurant with excellent service. Good vibe. Came for a quick meal one night and ended up coming three nights in a row. Fresh pasta with fresh sauces. Prices are also reasonable. Waiters were friendly and helpful. read more