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The Tiny Italian

London / Places to eat / TTI Top 5s

TTI top 5 – Best London pasta restaurants

Welcome to the PASTA PARTY.

Pasta has had a HUGE come back over the last couple of years. It’s bounced back after it’s reputation was slurred during the ‘clean eating’ movement a few years back. Plus I’ve heard many people say ‘if you want to lose weight, then stop eating pasta. However, recent studies has discovered that pasta is not as bad for you as so many want to believe.

My mantra is that we should be able to to enjoy all foods – everything eaten in moderation. You cant’ keep a good ‘thing’ down and recently London has opened its loving arms to pasta again.

Over the last couple of years, a number of new London pasta restaurants have opened priding themselves on making the freshly made famous Italian carb. Opening their doors to those who embrace a good plate of pasta and those who appreciate beautiful al dente pasta coated in well balanced flavoured sauces.

Pasta is food for the soul for me and I want to share with you my top London pasta restaurants (so far) on where to have the best Pasta Party!

Lina Stores

One of the latest London pasta restaurant openings, Lina Stores is the extension of long standing Italian deli in Brewer street, Soho, which has been opened since 1944. Serving a selection of freshly made pasta dishes inspired by central Italian cooking. My favourites include the veal ravioli with wild garlic and toasted breadcrumbs and pappardelle with a rabbit ragu, rosemary and olives. In addition, there is a delicious selection of Italian antipasti to start with and beautiful cocktails and wines to compliment your meal.

51 Greek St Soho, London W1D 4EH

Nearest tube: Leicester square.

5pm – 11pm Monday to Saturday

Closed Sundays

Tel: +44 (0)203 929 0068

hello@linastores.co.uk



Via Emilia

Down a well lit street, off Hoxton square, Shoreditch, stands Via Emilia, the sister restaurant to ‘In Parma’ (Fritzovia, central London) and is owned by the guys behind Food Roots. Via Emilia prides itself on bringing the best pasta dishes from Emilia Romagna – the Italian northern central region, which is considered the food valley of Italy. Its also where fresh egg pasta was invented. Each pasta dish is from a different city/town from the region offering a menu with something for everyone. My favourite pastas include Tagliatelle with the bolognese pork and beef ragu and Gnocchi with borlotti and tomato sauce. But before you start your meal, you must try the Gnocco Fritto – a softly fried bread that compliments beautifully with their selection of charcuterie and cheeses from Emilia Romagna. Order a bottle of chilled Lambrusco and prepare yourself for an unforgettable dinner.

37a Hoxton Square N1 6NN London

Nearest tube: Old Street

Mon–Fri 11:30am–11:00pm

Sat 1:00pm–11:00pm

Sun 1:00pm–10:30pm

+44(0)20 7613 0508

viaemilia@food-roots.com

Via emila
Filled Pasta – Spinach Ravioli, Pumpkin Tortellini
Paola Maggiulli
via emilia
Tagliatelle in Bolognese Ragu

via emilia
Via Emilia – Antipasti selection

Fat Tonys

Starting out as a pop up, Fat Tony’s pasta has now become a permanent resident at Bar termini – central and I couldn’t be any happier. James French, self trained chef has set up shop and is delivering a menu centred around southern Italian cooking in one of my favourite bars in London. Pasta favourites were the Tagliarine with crab, chilli, garlic and parsley and Rigatoni with a datterini tomato and basil sauce. I’ve also read that the Bucatini cacio e pepe is also excellent and will try on my next visit. Starters are also excellent. Panzanella, burrata, octopus salad and chargrilled aubergines are also a must. With the amazing Italian cocktail offered at Bar Termini your in for a special PASTA PARTY

31 Duke Street, W1U 1LG

Nearest tube: Bond Street

Tuesday to Saturday 12-3pm & 5-9pm

Tel:  +44 (0) 784 101 7138

Fat Tonys Pop up
Tagliolini with crab, garlic & chilli
Fat Tonys Pop up
Rigatoni in a tomato sauce
Paola Maggiulli

Fat Tonys Pop up
Fat Tonys – Antipasti

Emilia Crafted Pasta

Set in the heart of St Katherines Dock, you will find Emilia Crafted, a restaurant offering the best in freshly made pasta. Their open kitchen allows you to see the guys hard are work creating all the different shapes, which they ensure compliment their freshly made sauces, giving you an excellent pasta experience. Their pasta menu highlights recipes from different Italian regions giving you more flavour diversity. Favourite dishes include the Caserecce with walnut sauce and mushrooms; and Rigatoni with tuna in a spicy tomato sauce.

Unit C3 Ivory House, St Katharine Docks, London, E1W 1AT

Nearest tube: Tower Hill

Monday to Thursday 12:00 – 21:30

Friday and Saturday 12:00 – 22:00

Sunday 12:00 – 21:30

Tel: +44 (0) 207 4812004

hello@emiliaspasta.com

Emilia Crafted Pasta
Emilia Crafted Pasta Menu
Casarecce with creamy walnut sauce and mushrooms
Casarecce with creamy walnut sauce and mushrooms
Rigatoni with tuna in a spicy tomato sauce and parsley
Rigatoni with tuna in a spicy tomato sauce and parsley

Emilia Crafted Pasta
Emilia Crafted Pasta

Padella

The first ever restaurant to pride themselves soley on a pasta menu in London. At the time, some would say that could have been risky and could have gone either way. But of course, the boys behind Trullo are laughing now. Who would have thought they would have hour long queues of people waiting to get their hands on a plate of pasta when they first opened. Even with so many other pasta restaurants now in London, I still think of Padella as one of the best and deserves its crown. One of my favourite dishes is their popular dish Pici Cacio e Pepe and their Pappardelle in 8 hour beef shin ragu. However everything off their menu is pretty amazing and nothing ever disappoints. Just be prepared to queue is all I would say but it will bebe worth the wait.

6 Southwark St, London SE1 1TQ

Nearest Tube: London Bridge

Monday to Saturday 12-3.45pm & 5-10pm
Sunday 12-3.45pm & 5-9pm
info@padella.co
Padella - Cacio e Pepe
Padella - Fettuccine with chicken livers and Marsala
Padella – Fettuccine with chicken livers and Marsala
Padella - Burrata & Salami
Padella – Burrata & Salami

Padella – Cacio e Pepe

Even while I finish typing this up, I’ve heard of a couple new pasta places that have opened. I will do some ‘research’ and update you guys soon. In the meantime, go and enjoy a good Pasta Party. It’s the only way to live!

 

Paola x

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The Tiny Italian

Ciao, I’m Paola, I'm a self care cookery teacher and Italian food expert cook and teacher. I'm the founder of The Tiny Italian and the best online self care cookery school on the planet. I help busy people inject balance into their hectic lifestyle by transforming their cooking mindset. I open their eyes that cooking is a fun delicious form of self care rather than a dreaded chore.

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  • Blog of the Month… The Tiny Italian - Foodies 100
    11th December 2018

    […] have started to write top 5 lists, such as best Italian delis, pasta restaurants and even tips on how to cook pasta. I have also spent a lot of time travelling around Italy so I […]

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Ciao, I’m Paola
Ciao, I’m Paola

Ciao, I’m Paola

Ciao, I’m Paola, I'm a self care cookery teacher and Italian food expert cook and teacher. I'm the founder of The Tiny Italian and the best online self care cookery school on the planet. I help busy people inject balance into their hectic lifestyle by transforming their cooking mindset. I open their eyes that cooking is a fun delicious form of self care rather than a dreaded chore.

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I haven’t cooked myself pasta in ages… and this 15-minute salmon, courgette & tomato pasta is what finally broke the dry spell 😂🍝  A super easy pasta recipe with a handful of ingredients, very little effort and one little ingredient that makes ALL the difference; lemon zest 🍋  Sometimes you forget that cooking yourself something bloody delicious doesn’t need loads of time or ingredients. A little love goes a long way.  Salmon, courgette & tomato pasta  Fry garlic in olive oil, then add thinly sliced courgette and cook until softened.  Add a tin of tomatoes — @muttipomodorouk polpa is my favourite; season and leave the sauce to cook down while you boil your pasta water.  Cook your pasta (I love linguine or spaghetti for this because the tomato sauce clings to it beautifully).  For the last 4 minutes, add your chopped salmon and lemon zest to the sauce. That little bit of zest completely lifts the whole dish.  Drain the pasta and toss it straight into the sauce with a splash of pasta water until everything becomes lovely, creamy and glossy.  Finish with plenty of black pepper and fresh basil if you have some.  15 minutes. A handful of ingredients. A proper bowl of pasta.  Sometimes that’s all you need ❤️  #SalmonPasta #EasyPastaRecipe #ItalianRecipes
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When did food shopping become so antisocial? 😅 More and more in the UK, I walk into a supermarket and there are barely any tills with an actual person behind them. Scan your own shopping. Pay. Leave. Efficient? Absolutely. But after spending so much time in Italy, I’ve realised how much I value those tiny everyday interactions; saying buongiorno, having a little chat, recognising the person behind the counter. Nothing profound. Just… human connection. And I do wonder if, in our obsession with making everything quicker and more convenient, we’re slowly removing those little moments from everyday life. Technology can make our lives easier, help us work smarter and give us more time. But surely the point should be to give us more time to be human, not replace the human bit altogether. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t want a completely frictionless life if it means never having to speak to another person. Am I alone on this one? 👀
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