Londoners have never had it better when craving a bowl of fresh pasta. Simplicity, freshness and speed are all buzzwords for the discerning diner in the capital and pasta choices are limitless. They are daunting accordingly. The best bowls stay true to two pillars of all great Italian food – 1. the pasta should be the star, and 2. the accompanying adornments must be fresh, of clarity and celebrating of the raw ingredient. Here are our IDEAL picks for the places that stay true to that mantra.
Padella
Opening in 2016 and quickly attracting cultish fandom, Padella is the brainchild of the team behind Trullo, another place of exquisite pasta and other fine Italian cooking. The premise is simple but christ it’s good – a pasta ‘bar’ where the on-the-go Londoner can grab a quick bite (if you enter the queue digitally in advance, that is) which doesn’t compromise on quality, leaving the diner with hunger sated, wallet undented and a spring in the step.
An opening year bestowed with awards and a queue to match makes Padella one of our favourite spots in London, full stop.
Address: 6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ, UK
Website: www.padella.co
Café Murano
The little, more affordable sibling of Angela Hartnett’s brilliant restaurant, Murano, Café Murano offers incredibly fresh pasta with generous sauces. Ingredients, as one would expect from a chef of Hartnett’s premium, are of the highest quality. This is of the Italian style, pedigree produce and highly seasonal, which suits an authentic bowl of pasta perfectly. A must visit when in Central London.
Address: 33 St James’s St, St. James’s, London SW1A 1HD, UK
Website: www.cafemurano.co.uk
Artusi
Brainchild of former Clove Club chef James Beer, Arutsi is a no-frills neighbourhood Italian restaurant on Peckham’s Bellenden Road which happens to do some of the best pasta the city has to offer. The quality is exceptional, and sauces suitably lowkey but delicious to complement the star of the show.
Sundays are particularly good, with a deal so ridiculously cheap we’re not sure we want to share it – £25 (yes, 25!) for three courses. A bowl of pasta will always feature on the chalkboard and that’s probably why we’ve made the pilgrimage south-east quite so many times.
If you’re in Deptford, their sister restaurant Marcella offers a similar pasta proposition.
Address: 161 Bellenden Rd, London SE15 4DH, UK
Website: artusi.co.uk
Bocca Di Luppo
This Soho staple, open since 2008, serves up some of London’s best bowls and a superb wine list to boot. Game and offal features heavily on a menu which rotates regularly according to produce availability and the seasons. Book to avoid disappointment!
Address: 12 Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7BB, UK
Website: www.boccadilupo.com
Luca
Another product of the Clove Club machine, opening in late 2016, Luca is billed as Britalian, but the pasta falls very firmly in Italy, thankfully. The room is all wood and understated elegance, and is the perfect environment to enjoy a top-quality bowl. Simplicity, as always, is the watchword, though prices are, admittedly, high. The quality of the produce used, fortunately, makes those high prices a little less painful; this a superb restaurant, make no mistake.
Address: 88 St John St, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4EH, UK
Website: luca.restaurant
Image via Artusi and Padella