It’s widely agreed that we’re living in a golden age of fresh pasta, people. Seemingly every week, a new pasta joint springs up in London, serving carby goodness in sheets, ribbons, bows, and stuffed parcels of joy. As you can tell, we’re quite into our pasta here at Secret London, so it’s about time we did a nifty roundup of the best pasta restaurants in London. Behold! A glorious compilation of cheese, carbs, and meat, for your pleasure:
1. Bancone, Covent Garden and Soho
Can a restaurant can be defined by just one dish? If so, then Bancone is downright notorious for their ‘gram-friendly big-ass “silk handkerchiefs”, which are dressed with walnut butter and a confit egg yolk that spills golden goodness over handcrafted pasta sheets. That’s not to undersell the rest of the menu – which boasts winning interpretations of bucatini, gnocchi, and pappardelle – but if you’ve only got room for one thing, make it the handkerchiefs.
📍 Find the Covent Garden spot at 39 William IV Street, WC2N 4DD and the Soho spot at 8-10 Lower James Street, W1F 9EL.
🚇 Nearest station is Charing Cross and Piccadilly Circus.
2. Padella, London Bridge and Shoreditch
If there’s currently a London pasta cult, then Padella surely has to be the charismatic leader. Legendary both for the quality of the pasta and the length of their queues, the original Borough Market restaurant has won legions of fans for the refined classic pici cacio e pepe (simply pasta, parmesan, and black pepper) and the melt-in-your-mouth pappardelle with Dexter beef shin ragu. Iconic for a reason, and that’s before we even mention the £5 negronis. A new site in Shoreditch offers double the excuse to pop along given the friendly staff, their lovely open-air kitchen counter area and incredible food.
📍 Find the Borough Market branch at 6 Southwark Street, SE1 1TQ and the Shoreditch branch at 1 Phipp Street, Hackney, EC2A 4PS.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge and Shoreditch High Street.
3. Lina Stores, Soho, Kings Cross, City of London
Good things come to those who wait. After 75 years as a smashing Soho deli, Lina Stores decided the time was ripe to try their hand at running a pasta restaurant a few years back. This has been widely lauded as an excellent idea, for the pasta that’s being churned out at their trio of restaurants is as special as the charming mint green decor. We recently got the opportunity to try Lina Stores’ new restaurant in the Bloomberg Arcade (pictured) and it absolutely does not disappoint; 75 years of honing their craft has paid off in spades with some truly spectacular dishes. Try the mafaldine, and don’t skip the arancini either – oh, and they’ve quietly created one of London’s best negronis, which is not to be missed!
📍 Find them at 51 Greek Street, W1D 4EH, 20 Stable Street, N1C 4DR and the Bloomberg Arcade, EC4N 8AR.
🚇 Nearest station is Tottenham Court Road, Kings Cross and Bank.
4. Pastaio, Carnaby and Westfield Shepherds Bush
Stevie Parle’s pasta restaurant was an instant hit upon opening just off Carnaby Street in 2017, and given that Pastaio translates as “the pasta maker”, it’s no surprise. Apart from an eye-popping mural designed by Supermundane, they keep things nice and simple: no reservations, sharing tables, and a range of excellent, affordable pasta dishes. The malloreddus with slow cooked sausage sauce leaps off the menu, but don’t sleep on their weekly specials of stuffed pasta, the dangerously good prosecco slushies, or their epic ‘All-In’ option on Sundays, which offers small plates of their eight signature dishes. Parle’s Rome-focused Palatino over in Clerkenwell offers a wider look at Italian cuisine, if you’re looking for an encore.
📍 Find them at 19 Ganton Street, W1F 9BN.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
5. Officina 00, Old Street
Arriving at Old Street in 2019, Officina 00 is named from the Italian word for workshop, and for the 00 flour that any self-respecting pasta whiz uses in their craft. In said workshop, you’ll find a menu that changes daily, but makes fine use of Italian produce to create cavatelli, occhi, cappellacci, and traditional corzetti. Yes please! They’ve also invented breakfast pasta, which elevates them to pasta gods in my eyes.
📍 Find them at 156 Old Street, EC1V 9BW.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
6. Oi Spaghetti + Tiramisù, Peckham
As anyone who’s eaten tortellini can attest, great things come in small packages. A tiny space with room for only four tables, Oi Spaghetti is the brainchild of Francesco (chef) and Tatiana (interior designer). Featuring a small but mighty menu of spaghettis elevated by organic, locally-sourced ingredients, and a recently-mastered tiramisù, it’s a well-kept secret that makes for a wonderful date spot (feel free to tell your beau you just happened upon it, we’ll never tell!).
📍 Find them at 133 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN.
🚇 Nearest station is Peckham Rye.
7. Manteca, Soho
When something is truly great, you have to work for it. So it is with Manteca, which existed as cult pop-up 10 Heddon Street over the summer of ’19 before finding a permanent site in Soho. Chris Leach and David Carter’s carefully crafted pasta was a bonafide hit, and you can expect much more of that at Manteca. Inspired by travels around Rome and Napoli, with a little bit of LA flair thrown in, this is as close to a guaranteed hit as can be. Honestly, you’ll want to follow the casoncelli wherever it goes, and we can’t wait for their doors to swing open once more.
📍 Find them at 49-51 Curtain Road, EC2A 3PT.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
8. Franzina Trattoria, Brixton
Inspired by the tavernas that fill the backstreets of Palermo, Franzina Trattoria brings a touch of Sicilian sunshine to Brixton. That begins with a range of schiticchio (don’t mispronounce that), small plates made from fresh produce, and continues to a menu of tagliatelle in five varieties. Yes, that’s just one type of pasta, but when it’s pimped up with stuffed baby aubergines (tagliatelle ammuttunata) or black squid ink and calamari (tagliatelle nero di seppia), we doubt you’ll be complaining.
📍 Find them at 395 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LQ.
🚇 Nearest station is Brixton.
9. Burro e Salvia, Shoreditch
Once a chain of two, Burro e Salvia (which translates as “butter and sage”) now focus all their energies on their Shoreditch site. Whilst you could take the freshly-made pasta home and cook it your way, I’d recommend grabbing a table and diving into the likes of agnolotti cavour or plin di pollo arrosto, preferably topped with a mound of snowy grated parmesan. Happily, they also run pasta-making workshops that’ll hone your technique.
📍 Find them at 52 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
10. Berto, Holloway
The noted pizza-slingers at Zia Lucia have turned their hand to pasta, and the results are pretty promising. With a range of five pasta doughs on offer (including vegan, wholewheat, and gluten-free), there’s something for everyone here. My advice? Go for the gnocchi topped with nduja and melted stracciatella, and don’t look back.
📍 Find them at 155 Holloway Road, N7 8LX.
🚇 Nearest station are Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington.
11. Legare, Southwark
Once you’ve worked your way through the crudo and antipasti at brand new spot Legare, you’ll arrive at a compact but promising pasta list. Neatly formed orecchiette arrive lashed with fennel sausage and cavolo nero ragu, whilst the stracci with crab, chilli, garlic, saffron, and pangrattato will pack an explosion of flavours. Nestled inside the picturesque Shad Thames, their careful craft and attention to detail gives Legare a winning edge.
📍 Find them at 31G Shad Thames, SE1 2YR.
🚇 Nearest station are Tower Hill and London Bridge.
12. Italo Deli, Vauxhall
Don’t get lost amongst the reams of top-quality produce or sucked into existential crises about what to cook for dinner, because Italo Deli will also sort your pasta fix. It’s proper homemade comfort food that doesn’t skimp on flavour, and since it’s cooked on the whims of the chef, there are plenty of reasons to make a repeat visit.
📍 Find them at 13 Bonnington Square, SW8 1TE.
🚇 Nearest station is Vauxhall.
13. Trullo, Islington
Before there was Padella, there was Trullo. In fact, Padella wouldn’t exist without the success of Trullo, who can claim to have been ahead of the curve on the whole fresh pasta obsession. They’re less rigidly focused on pasta than some of the other spots on this list (the restaurant’s charcoal grill is put to excellent use), but pici cacio e pepe, fettuccine, and tagliarini should sate your pasta cravings.
📍 Find them at 300-302 St Paul’s Road, N1 2LH.
🚇 Nearest station is Highbury & Islington.
14. Locanda Locatelli, Marylebone
We’ve run through a lot of great pasta already, and Locanda Locatelli neatly brings us to Michelin star-winning pasta. The Marylebone restaurant of acclaimed Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli hangs its hat on beauty and complexity, featuring upmarket plates served with panache. Pasta here is amongst the pricier offerings on this list, but dishes like chestnut tagliatelle and mixed wild mushrooms and ossobuco ravioli speak for themselves.
📍 Find them at 8 Seymour Street, W1H 7JZ.
🚇 Nearest station is Marble Arch.
15. Flour & Grape, Borough
There are two reasons to love Flour & Grape. Firstly, for their huge range of gluten-free pastas, which appeals to the frankly staggering number of gluten-intolerant folks in the Secret London office. And second, for their aggressively reasonable prices, which sees dishes such as linguine with roasted beetroot, and ravioli with ricotta, pumpkin, almond, and sage butter, clock in for a wallet-friendly £8. No wait, there are three reasons to love it: somehow, we overlooked the wicked wine list…
📍 Find them at 214 Bermondsey St, SE1 3T.
🚇 Nearest station is Borough.
16. La Trattoria La Nina Caffè & Mercato, Marsh Wall
Tucked away in London Docklands, La Trattoria La Nina is a cosy spot on Marsh Wall where Italian vibes flow freely. It’s more than just a place to eat, it’s like stepping into a friend’s kitchen run by Italian folks who love to share their passion. Treat yourself to their heavenly tiramisu or dig into classics like parmigiana and carbonara, made just right with guanciale and pecorino. Each visit feels like a mini Italian getaway, a tasty trip through Italy’s flavours.
📍 Find them at 27 Skylines Village, London E14 9TS.
🚇 Nearest station is Canary Wharf Station.
17. Bocca di Lupo, Soho
The best pasta restaurants in London generally split into two: those run by expert expats, and those run by gifted Italophiles. Bocca di Lupo falls into the latter category, having been founded by Londoner Jacob Kenedy in 2008. Pasta dishes include buckwheat pappardelle with goose ragú, and pumpkin and amaretti cappellacci – they’re also cannily split into small and large options, and I think we all know which way you’re going to go… Oh, and for dessert, you can wander across the street to sister spot Gelupo, which just so happens to be one of London’s finest ice cream parlours.
📍 Find them at 12 Archer Street, W1D 7BB.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
18. Luca, Clerkenwell
Proudly claiming to present “British seasonal ingredients through an Italian lens”, Luca mashes together the best of both worlds. Yorkshire grouse, Scottish langoustines, and Hereford beef all find expression on an expansive menu, with the standout pasta option being taglierini with white truffle. At £55 per plate, however, it might be a pasta for a special occasion…
📍 Find them at
🚇 Nearest station is
19. Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, Tower Hill & Aldgate
Classic to the core, Emilia’s Crafted Pasta take their inspiration from the trattorias of Emilia Romagna, the notoriously foodie region of northern Italy. There’s plenty of fish in this sea, with smoked salmon bucatini and yellowfin tuna rigatoni both on offer, but meat and vegetables have their day here too. Find them in St Katharine Docks and Aldgate for a leisurely dinner, but if you’re in a hurry, the Aldgate branch does a very reasonable express lunch menu.
📍 Find them at Ivory House, St Katharine Docks, E1W 1AT and 77 Alie Street, Aldgate, E1 8NH.
🚇 Nearest station is Tower Hill and Aldgate East.
20. Campania & Jones, Bethnal Green
Yes, Campania & Jones may have the wooden tables and exposed brick of many an artful London restaurant. But that’s less a deliberate decision than a preservation of the building’s former home as a dairy, a nod to rustic charm which runs right through the dishes on offer. Southern Italian cooking dominates the menu, which undergoes regular refreshes to keep things interesting. Head there on Sunday and you can combine it with a visit to the adjacent Columbia Road Flower Market.
📍 Find them at 23 Ezra Street, E2 7RH.
🚇 Nearest station is Hoxton.
21. Marcella, Deptford
Hands up, who had Deptford in the where-to-find-amazing-pasta sweepstakes? Nope, didn’t think so. But it’s well worth making the trip to southeast London for the likes of ricciarelli with nduja and cauliflower, and spaghetti with confit cod cheeks and datterini. That’s doubly true when you consider a stellar supporting cast, with saffron arancino, panzanella, and apple & gin sorbet putting in an appearance elsewhere on the menu.
📍 Find them at 165A Deptford High Street, SE8 3NU.
🚇 Nearest station is Deptford.
22. Artusi, Peckham
We’re not just staying south of the river, but we’re staying within the same restaurant group too. The sister restaurant to Marcella, Artusi is also marked by excellent pasta dishes – try the casarecce with gorgonzola fonduta, shallots, and thyme for a knockout meal. Having said that, perhaps the best thing about Artusi is their Sunday set menu, which offers a starter, main, and dessert for an unbeatable £20.
📍 Find them at 161 Bellenden Road, SE15 4DH.
🚇 Nearest station is Peckham Rye.
23. The Cheese Wheel, Camden Market
The only street food option on this list of the best pasta places London has to offer, and it’s a bloody good one to be fair. Fresh, hand-rolled tagliatelle is dressed with a sauce of your choice, and then swizzled around a giant wheel of magical melting grana padano. It’s one of London’s cult dishes for a reason – frankly, it has to be seen (and then hastily consumed) to be believed.
📍 Find them at West Yard, Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF.
🚇 Nearest station is Camden Town.
24. Popolo, Shoreditch
Italian cooking takes a rather mouthwatering diversion to the Middle East over in Shoreditch, where Popolo (literally “people”) add the likes of za’atar and tahini to their mains. Pasta dishes hew more traditionally, with the restaurant correctly gambling that a dish of agnolotti, pork cheek, and porcini butter can stand on its own two feet – or should that be four trotters?
📍 Find them at 26 Rivington Street, EC2A 3DU.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
25. La Mia Mamma, Chelsea
They don’t just import Italian ingredients, but they also import Italian mammas to conjure up the menu (which is quite the USP!). Every three months, they bring over a new mamma to showcase the cuisine of her native region – currently, it’s Puglia getting the La Mia Mamma treatment. That’s resulted in orecchiette with turnips, Italian sausage, breadcrumbs, and chilli, amongst a range of handmade pasta dishes. Truly, it’s cooking just like-a mamma used to make!
📍 Find them at 257 King’s Road, SW3 5EL.
🚇 Nearest station is South Kensington.
26. Pophams Bakery, Hackney
Yes, the name may confuse you. And for good reason; Popham’s are better known for their fearsomely gorgeous pastries than for bowls of perfect pasta. However, baker Phil King is also a dab hand at pasta – having hosted his own pasta supper clubs for a while now – so they’ve stuck the likes of carrot triangolotti, taleggio cappelletti, and nduja scarpinocc on the menu, paired them with wines, and instantly turned this place into our dreamland. I won’t judge if you grab a pastry on the way out – in fact, I actively encourage it!
📍 Find them at 197-205 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ.
🚇 Nearest station is London Fields.
27. Vasco & Piero’s, Soho
“We are not here to wow, just serve good Italian food based on our Umbrian heritage.” A humble aim, and one which Vasco & Piero’s has absolutely smashed in the nearly fifty years it’s been open. No point trying to recommend anything here given how rapidly the menu changes, but to survive this long in Soho in a time of soaring rents is the best possible testament to their cooking.
📍 Find them at 1 D’Arblay Street, W1F 8DT.
🚇 Nearest station is Tottenham Court Road.
28. Anima e Cuore, Kentish Town
Small but perfectly formed, Anima e Cuore hosts a maximum of twenty-two diners, pretty much all of whom are going home highly contented. Don’t be fooled by the extremely basic exterior (we’ve walked past multiple times without realising what lies inside), for the founders have worked at the likes of The Ledbury and sketch, and it shows in their cooking – the daily ravioli specials are an almost guaranteed hit. What else do you expect from a place named “heart and soul”?
📍 Find them at 129 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8PB.
🚇 Nearest station is Camden Road.
29. Gloria, Shoreditch
Some of the best London pasta restaurants go all in on craft and tradition. Gloria, meanwhile, goes all in on sheer OTT what-the-fuckery; giant meatballs, ten-level lasagnes, mafalda hidden under a cloak of grated truffle, and cacio e pepe served in a giant wheel of cheese are par for the course here. It’s ludicrous, indulgent, and has enchanted Londoners since its opening – now it’s your turn to visit.
📍 Find them at 54-56 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3QR.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
30. Sager + Wilde, Bethnal Green
To round off our list of the best pasta restaurants in London, we arrive at a super chic railway arch on the aptly-named Paradise Row for a bowl of Sager + Wilde’s finest. Spaghetti is elevated by courgette, mint, garlic, and parmesan, whilst fregola comes blessed with swede, pecorino sardo, and sweet potato chips. We’ll take the lot, please!
📍 Find them at
🚇 Nearest station is