For a city that boasts such an eclectic food culture, London has long had a soft spot for Italian dining, with something about its warmth and simplicity that keeps diners coming back. Today, this appeal can be seen in everything from Michelin-starred dining rooms in Mayfair to kitchens where handmade pasta is treated like high art.
The Michelin guide has recognised a remarkable diversity of Italian talent in London and celebrates chefs staying true to rustic regional roots alongside others pushing boundaries with more modern and inventive menus.
In this guide, we reveal some of the very best Michelin-starred Italian restaurants across the capital.
Locatelli at the National Gallery
Just steps from Tralfagar Square, Locatelli at the National Gallery is very much in line with Giorgio and his wife Plaxy’s long-held philosophy of making Italian dining about people as much as plates.
The dining room itself reflects Milanese retro styling and is polished yet warm, whilst the menu keeps things firmly grounded in Italian tradition. Dishes like burrata with artichokes or Calamarata pasta sing with freshness and the sourcing and quality of the food remain paramount.
The cocktail list was developed by some of Italy and Europe’s top mixologists, with creations that feel inventive yet remain distinctly Italian. Highlights include the Adonisas, a delicate blend by Simone Caporale of Sips in Barcelona and La Scuderia, crafted by Alessandro Belometti of London’s Bar Termini.
Luca
Tucked away on St John Street, Luca is the second home for Isaac McHale and his long-time collaborators Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis, the trio best known for launching Shoreditch’s Clove Club.
The space is layered and intriguing and is housed in a Grade II-listed building that tells its own story through time. The menu is Italian at its heart, although it happily nods to Britain in its sourcing, with prime Hereford beef, Scottish halibut and Orkney scallops often making an appearance. The room carries an inviting buzz that is equally suited to a romantic evening or a catch-up. For a slightly lighter introduction, the bar’s express lunch makes an appealing entry point.
Murano
Angela Hartnett’s Murano has become one of Mayfair’s most enduring names. Originally launched in 2008 with Gordon Ramsay, Hartnett took sole ownership two years later and has since made it distinctly her own, with a Michelin star that has been retained consistently since 2009.
The restaurant's focus is on a contemporary seasonal menu that celebrates the very best of British produce that is brought directly from farm to fork. The restaurant’s organic supply chain is a trusted network of growers and producers and is showcased in a menu that moves from hand-crafted pastas to beautifully prepared mains such as Cornish cod with girolles ragù or Herdwick lamb with aubergine caponata. Each dish pairs with a wine list that has been designed to perfectly complement the particular flavours of each course.
Bocca di Lupo
While Mayfair has Murano, Soho has Bocca di Lupo. Since opening in 2008, it has made a name by celebrating the breadth of Italy’s regional cooking. The menu doesn’t just list dishes, it names their region of origin, a small detail that has always appealed to diners keen to explore Italy’s culinary diversity. That approach has since earned the restaurant a Michelin Bib Gourmand for value as well as flavour, alongside an award for “Best Wine List” from Tatler.
In a neighbourhood where restaurants come and go, Bocca di Lupo’s staying power is impressive. The service is sharp, the atmosphere lively and the food is rooted in classic Italian techniques people return to, time and again. The marble counter offers the best perch for the theatre of the kitchen, with Gelupo, its beloved gelateria, found across the street for the perfect finale.
Cantinetta Antinori
Just off Sloane Street on Harriet Street, Cantinetta Antinori has brought a slice of Florence to Knightsbridge. Opened in 2023, it marks the latest chapter in a story that began in Tuscany in 1385, when the Antinori family first began making wine. Now led by the 26th generation, sisters Albiera, Allegra and Alessia, the family’s name is behind some of Italy’s most revered labels, including Tignanello and Cervaro della Sala.
The restaurant stretches across three floors of the handsome period building with interiors dotted with curiosities from the family’s own collection. White tablecloths and warm Tuscan tones set the stage alongside a private dining room, an outdoor terrace and generous windows that open wide in summer, making the space perfect for al fresco dining in the warmer months.
The menu is rooted in Tuscan tradition but presented with a contemporary touch, featuring vitello tonnato and classic bistecca alla Fiorentina seared over open flames and served with the Antinori family’s own extra virgin olive oil from their Pèppoli estate in Chianti Classico. Lunch runs daily with a special Italian menu midweek and on weekends, while dinner turns the mood more atmospheric and is often accompanied by live jazz on Friday evenings.
Osteria Angelina
In a city full of Italian restaurants, Osteria Angelina stands out for taking a different path. Based in a converted Victorian warehouse in East London and as the sister restaurant to Angelina Dalston, the family-owned osteria embraces the Italian tradition of warm hospitality and beautiful food. The cooking celebrates Itameshi – Italian cuisine enriched with Japanese ingredients and influences expressed through a seasonal à la carte menu.
With an open kitchen, glass-fronted pasta lab and attentive service, the restaurant puts craft firmly ahead of convention. The dining room is minimalist and monochrome and its high ceilings lend a calm, airy feel. That same quiet confidence carries through to the food: truffle and kombu-laced tortelloni and skate wing paired with sea urchin butter.
Italian restaurants in London are more than just places to eat, they each tell a story of Italian food in the city that’s as diverse as London itself. From fine dining to comforting classics and everything in between, there’s always a table ready to welcome you.
