6 Great Italian Restaurants in the City of London

A candlelit meal comprising of delicious dishes made with fresh Mediterranean flavours can certainly be an incredible aphrodisiac to help you fall back in love with London life.

Helping you momentarily escape the hustle and bustle, drabness, pollution, and litter of our overcrowded city, and flooding your mind with beautiful associations of sparkling, summer holidays in Italy.

If it is a special something you are seeking to enjoy - perhaps a magical first date with a new relationship - then the richness and indulgence of Italian cuisine will set the mood.

With all that in mind, these are our top picks for the best Italian restaurants in the City of London.

Sfoglia Bologna

Based in the heart of the City of London on Middlesex Street, just a few minutes walk from both Liverpool Street and Aldgate tube stations Sfoglia Bologna offers an authentic Italian experience.

Their pasta is made fresh, daily, at the restaurant, and they specialise in offering the choice of gluten free pastas.

The staff are both friendly and helpful and are more than happy to make recommendations.

They have a wide selection of pasta dishes to choose from, many of which you may not have had the opportunity to try before including the excellent "Tagliatelle di Castagne con guanciale croccante, porri e pecori".

The only criticisms we have is that they do not offer draught beer, and as they specialise in pasta dishes there are limited choices for those looking for meat or fish dishes.

Mangio

Fast food doesn't always mean bad food. Mangio exemplifies that statement serving delicious meals made with traditional, organic ingredients.

Located on Knightrider Street, Mangio serve authentic Italian pasta dishes and salads, and in a chic and modern setting or for takeaway.

The menu is great value for money making it a great destination for a quick and tasty lunch with friends or colleagues.

Caravaggio

Named after the Italian Italian Renaissance artist, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the restaurant is located on Leadenhall Street in a former banking hall and is popular with many high flyers who work in London's Square Mile.

They serve a wide range of classic Italian dishes including antipasti, pasta, risotto, pesci, carne, and dolci. Highlights from the menu include the Iberico Pata Negra pork loin; the octopus carpaccio with seared Mazzara del Vallo red prawns; and the homemade cocoa pappardelle with wild boar ragù.

The restaurant also has an extensive wine list and friendly, helpful staff who can recommend a perfect wine pairing for your food.

Rucoletta

Located a few moments walk from St Paul's Cathedral, Rucoletta is an understated Italian restaurant with a great selection of delicious freshly prepared dishes made with seasonal ingredients available at reasonable prices.

They also stock a good selection of Italian wines.

La Tagliata

La Tagliata can be found in Spitalfields, near Liverpool Street station, and and so boasts a great location for business or pleasure.

The restaurant was opened by Carlo and Lorenzo in 2014 serving just one dish, sliced sirloin steak served with a rocket and parmesan salad and potatoes. 

Since then the menu has been expanded to include more Italian favourites without comprising on quality or freshness of ingredients.

La Tagliata also offers private dining with a variety of interesting spaces available with no minimum spend, and no room hire fee.

They offer six rooms for private dining, each of which can seat up to 10 guests. The design of the spaces take inspiration for a traditional Italian villa, with the library room, music room, pantry, wine cellar, study, and drawing room each decorated in an elegant, contemporary Italian style.

Satyrio

Satyrio can be found on Aldgate High Street where Head Chef Danny Martin of English and Italian descent, who trained under Michelin starred chefs, prepares modern takes traditional Italian fare.

The dishes are fun and inventive with highlights including "Carbonara Submarine" (grilled scallops topped with pecorino foam, grated egg yolk bottarga and a sprinkle of crispy parma ham); "Trawl Net Tangle" (tagliolino with sea urchin pulp server over bottarga pearls); and "Down the Rabbit Hole" (slow cooked rabbit rolled with olives, and a touch of dijon mustard, served with lentils).

Satyrio provides an extensive wine list with more than 600 wines available including renowned vintages from Italy and France alongside highly thought of New World reds and whites.

For more recommendations of great restaurants in lots of locations in London - offering all manner of different cuisines from all over the World - take a look at our London Blog and London Guide.