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CF's Autumn/Winter Guide

Eight Of The Best Pasta Places In London

For a bowl of something (seriously) good, discover our list of lip-smacking pasta joints in London – from the pastel-hued Lina Stores to the sophisticated Bacone. Buon appetito.

While you peruse our index of lip-smacking pasta joints, don your own Negroni hoodie and check out Citizen Femme X Novel Mart’s playful playlist, ‘Welcome to the Italian Riviera’. The culmination of our cacio e pepe and Negroni-fuelled dreams, the playlist is compiled with an Aperitivo lifestyle in mind; so pour yourself a spritz and let the music play. Listen here.

Lina Stores

Their stalwart Soho Deli has been considered something of an institution since it opened in the 1940s. While the option to shop some A-grade supplies to whip up a wowing meal at home certainly appeals, on lazier days we find great comfort in the knowledge that we can whizz over to one of Lina Stores’ multiple eateries for a pasta-focused dining experience (with none of the cleanup). Seated amidst mint green décor you’ll feel transported to the likes of Portofino (or somewhere equally paradisiacal). Our go-to order: the spicy ‘nudja with ricotta washed down with one of the best negronis in London.

Burro e Salvia

Shoreditch-dwelling Burro e Salvia (which translates as “butter and sage”) is a real gem of a place. Drop by to pick up freshly made pasta to cook at home, or grab a table at the rear of the premises and dive into, for example, a sumptuous mezzelune coated with a sheath of grated parmesan. Alternatively, why not hone your technique at one of Burro e Salvia’s pasta-making workshops, trying your hand at anything from tagliatelle to farfalle? At the end of the class, you’ll get to take your creation home. Yum.

Bancone

Bancone’s Piccadilly and Covent Garden outposts are perfectly positioned for city-dwellers’ lunchtime escapades. We’re loyal to the CG location, and like to grab a spot along the marble countertop for a front-row seat to the real-time cookery show: watch as chefs roll out and assemble fresh pasta front and centre. Best known for its luscious silk-handkerchief pasta with walnut butter and confit egg yolk, if it’s your first visit to Bancone this dish is a must. Whatever dish you choose, you can expect big portions at a reasonable price.

Credit Joakim Blockstrom

Gloria

Feeling a little extra? Gloria is the place for you – read: subtlety is not in this sunshine-yellow trattoria’s vocabulary. The dining rooms are Capri-inspired, whilst Italian waiters are dressed in candy-striped uniforms. But if you thought the interiors were theatrical, consider the menu. The restaurant’s La Gran Carbonara – served in a giant pecorino – and vertiginous slices of lemon meringue pie are the stuff of Instagram dreams. Another great (and impossibly XL) pasta option: the high-rise lasagne: ten layers of fresh pasta, meaty ragù, aubergine, and melting mozzarella.

Luca

Italian flair and the best of British ingredients combine at Luca, a small but mighty eatery in Farringdon. Upscale Italian, without an inch of pretension, Luca is all charm. Pasta is the main event here, with the open pasta kitchen serving delicious homemade dishes. If it’s on the menu the day you visit, order the lobster spaghetti. Post-prandial hit the chic bar and order ‘The Luca Spritz’, with notes of bergamot and bitter-sweet orange.

Campania & Jones

With all wooden tables and exposed brick, this former dairy has oodles of rustic charm. The Southern Italian restaurant, located just off Columbia Road, serves a menu of traditional dishes from the region. The short daily menus feature homemade pasta – think tortellini, gnudi, pappardelle, and co – with Campania’s pasta made by hand daily. They also offer pasta ‘to go’ should your meal leave you craving for more of the same – pick up a jar of their fresh ragu while you’re at it.

Photography by @emmahitsthespot

Sorella

From the team behind The Dairy and Counter Culture, Sorella, located in Clapham, is one of our favourite Italian restaurants in the capital. Fresh, simple dishes are the menu’s overarching theme. Their crab linguine with fennel and chilli is a must-order – but do leave room for a slice of zingy Amalfi lemon tart.

Trullo

This Islington neighbourhood eatery is a pasta mecca. With no frills, but oodles of charisma, diners will enjoy an array of full-flavoured dishes, including delicious fresh pasta (psst, it’s hand-rolled before each service). Our top choices: the pappardelle with beef shin ragu and the tagliarini with black truffle, parmesan, and egg yolk.

Pophams

Artisan bakery by day, Instagram-able pasta spot by night, Pophams is easily one of East London’s better-kept secrets. The only thing more aesthetically alluring than the restaurant itself is its Italian-inspired dishes which are gently presented atop elegant stone crockery. With its ‘less is more’ approach to design, you will be pleasantly surprised by just how intricate and aromatic the dishes are. The menu consists of pasta made from scratch (with both meat and vegetarian options available), accompanied by summery cocktails and, after, heavenly desserts. Striking the perfect balance between trendy and high-quality, Pophams truly redefines the standards of al fresco dining.

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