Dining
The 6 Best Pasta Restaurants in London
Six London kitchens that roll their own pasta daily, from the queue at Padella to Angela Hartnett's St James's dining room. Where to eat the good stuff, and what it costs.
In short: our top picks are Padella, Bancone and Lina Stores. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Pasta is the easiest thing in London to do adequately and the hardest to do properly. A lot of places hide tired dried spaghetti under a heavy ragu and call it a night. The ones worth your evening make the stuff that morning, by hand, and treat eight ingredients with the seriousness most kitchens reserve for forty. That’s the whole list here. Some are counter seats and a tenner a plate; one is a proper sit-down dinner off St James’s Street. None of them will make you feel clever for finding them, which is rather the point. We’ve eaten at all six, checked they’re still open and still good in 2026, and noted where you’ll queue and where you can simply book.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Padella | Borough | ££ |
| Bancone | Covent Garden | ££ |
| Lina Stores | Soho | ££ |
| Bocca di Lupo | Soho | £££ |
| Pastaio | Soho | ££ |
| Cafe Murano | St James's | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Padella
Why we pick itThe pici cacio e pepe is the dish that built the queue, and it's still about a fiver. Sit at the counter, watch them roll it, accept that you'll wait for a seat at the Borough branch (the Shoreditch one takes bookings if patience isn't your thing).
Worth knowingNo bookings, ever, and a weekend queue that can eat an hour before you see a menu. The room is narrow, loud and built for turnover rather than lingering.
Handmade pasta bar
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Bancone
Why we pick itOrder the silk handkerchiefs with walnut butter and confit egg yolk. It's the signature, it's about nine pounds, and it ruins you for lesser pasta. Properly comfortable room too, marble counter, easy to book, good for a weeknight that wants to feel like a treat.
Worth knowingPortions run small, so a proper meal means a starter and two pasta courses, and most sites take no bookings, which means a wait at peak times.
Fresh pasta restaurant
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Lina Stores
Why we pick itThe deli on Brewer Street has been going since 1944; this is the sit-down version, mint-green and handsome over two floors. The fresh pasta and the negroni at the downstairs aperitivo bar are the move. Book ahead, Greek Street fills up fast.
Worth knowingThe short menu gets familiar quickly on repeat visits, quality varies between branches, and expect a wait at peak lunch and dinner times.
Italian deli and pasta
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Bocca di Lupo
Why we pick itJacob Kenedy's menu lists the Italian region beside every dish, and the pasta changes with what's good. Sit at the marble counter, order small and large plates so you can graze across the country. Gelupo, his gelato shop, is across the road for after.
Regional Italian
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Pastaio
Why we pick itStevie Parle's loud, cheerful pasta joint just off Carnaby Street. Plates start around nine pounds, there's a full vegan list and gluten-free pasta if you need it, and the cacio e pepe arrives in a hollowed wheel of pecorino. Good for a fast, fun lunch.
Worth knowingCompact, loud and communal at peak service, and portions are small enough that two courses are usually needed to leave properly full.
Fast-casual fresh pasta
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Cafe Murano
Why we pick itAngela Hartnett's grown-up room off St James's Street, the proper dinner of the bunch. Hand-made pasta, cicchetti to start, a wine list that knows what it's doing. Book it for the night you want a tablecloth and someone else pouring the Barolo.
Worth knowingPrices sit well above what the 'cafe' branding and relaxed room suggest, and the St James's crowd can make lunchtime feel corporate.
Northern Italian
Before you book
Padella takes no bookings at Borough; join the virtual queue on the app and walk the market until your table pings. Bancone, Lina Stores, Bocca di Lupo and Cafe Murano all book online, and you’ll want to for weekends. Expect roughly 9 to 16 pounds a pasta at the casual spots, more once you’re ordering antipasti and wine. Lunch and early sittings are quieter and easier everywhere.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Padella is our editor's choice: The pici cacio e pepe is the dish that built the queue, and it's still about a fiver. Sit at the counter, watch them roll it, accept that you'll wait for a seat at the Borough branch (the Shoreditch one takes bookings if patience isn't your thing). Padella, Bancone and Lina Stores lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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