Minestrone Minestrone

A hearty Italian soup with mixed vegetables, beans, and pasta in a savory tomato broth.

Mimmo La Bufala

Mimmo La Bufala

45A South End Road, London, NW32QB, NW3 2QB, United Kingdom

Fish • Pizza • Pasta • Coffee


"I’ve been 3x to this restaurant now, and every time the service is as bad. On most recent visit, went inside, asked for a table (after being ignored by maitre’d for 5 minutes) and was told to wait. Several waiters passed me, the maitre’d maintained her position by the till, but no table was ever given. We gave up after a further 10 minutes and left. On the previous 2 visits we did manage to get a table, but the service was incredibly slow. The waiters seem trained in the art of attending to one table and then quickly rushing indoors without passing a glance to other tables who may need help. Maybe they are understaffed, but being aware of the restaurant space and customers is the first rule of serving tables. On my first visit, I complained about the service to the owner who happened to be there. He was very brief with us I would go as far to say rude. He said restaurant was very busy and we’d just have to wait for our main courses. Our starters had been cleaned away over 20 minutes previously. He later came over and apologised which is why I gave the restaurant a second go. Second visit, we sat outside again. Same very slow, very inattentive service. The bill took so long to come, I was considering just walking off. So why come back a third time after such bad service? Well, if you do manage to eat, the food is actually really good. Well cooked, traditional Italian style and really good pizzas too. I won’t be back a fourth time. I’ve given this restaurant every chance (and my visits are over a 2 year period so they have had plenty of time to sort their service out). And if the owner is happening to read this, just imagine how much business/money you are losing through your poor waiting staff? I have no doubt many, many other people simply leave after waiting to get a table and being ignored."

Spaghetti House Sicilian Avenue

Spaghetti House Sicilian Avenue

20 Sicilian Avenue Vernon Place London, WC1A 2QD, WC1B 5HJ, United Kingdom

Pasta • Pizza • Italian • Burgers


"Haven't visited this place recently, as we've not had many warm summer evenings of late, but and these seem few and far between.The restaurant is one of a chain of Spaghetti Houses in central London and is within easy walking distance of the British Museum. Its charm is the large, open air shopping arcade in which it is situated.It itself, this restaurant is a decent, run-of-the-mill outlet specialising in simple, Italian dishes, all suitably tuned to the average, British taste. The wine list is standard and has a good range of low-budget wines to suit just about any non-discerning wine buff. The menu is simple and not too detailed, but with enough choice to cater for (almost) every carnivore, with vegetarian options available too. The choice of pasta dishes is extensive and they always seem to find special shapes of pasta that you just cannot buy in any shop! The quality of the food has never disappointed.The thing that has always attracted us to this place is not just the tasty pasta dishes, but also the wide, quite grand, Victorian' arcade. It is lined with small shops and book stores and the restaurant has created a very pleasant and comfortable dining area with rows of tables and chairs to the side of the walkway. So simple, yet very useful if you don't want to sit inside a warm, crowded restaurant in the summer or if you have a pushchair and young children, or if you have an elderly relative with a zimmer frame or in a wheelchair.The staff are always really good with young children and very friendly. Each time we've visited they have always been an all-Italian crew. And very jolly they are too!"