14 Best Pasta in London: Fresh, Handmade & Delicious
London has become one of Europe’s most exciting cities for pasta, with everything from affordable pasta bars and neighbourhood trattorias to Michelin-recognised Italian restaurants. Freshly rolled pappardelle, silky cacio e pepe, stuffed ravioli, rich ragù and seafood pasta are all easy to find across the capital.
For this guide to the 14 best pasta in London, the focus is on restaurants where pasta is a genuine highlight rather than simply one item among dozens.
14 Best Pasta Restaurants in London | Quick Check
Current 2026 London food guides continue to single out places such as Trullo, Bancone, Padella, Artusi and Flour & Grape, while newer pasta-focused restaurants are adding even more variety to the city’s dining scene.
| Restaurant | Area | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Trullo | Highbury | Cacio e pepe & ragù |
| Bancone | Covent Garden / Soho | Silk handkerchiefs |
| Padella | Borough / Shoreditch / Soho | Fresh pasta & value |
| Artusi | Peckham | Handmade pasta |
| Café Murano | Covent Garden & more | Refined Italian |
| Lina Stores | Soho | Fresh pasta |
| Popolo | Shoreditch | Creative pasta |
| Manteca | Shoreditch | Modern Italian |
| Flour & Grape | Bermondsey | Gluten-free pasta |
| Notto | Central London | Affordable fresh pasta |
| Via Emilia | Fitzrovia / Shoreditch | Emilia-Romagna |
| Emilia’s Crafted Pasta | Multiple locations | Casual fresh pasta |
| Fadiga | Soho | Bolognese cooking |
| Osteria Romana | Belgravia | Roman pasta |
1. Trullo – Best for Pappardelle and Cacio e Pepe
Trullo in Highbury is one of London’s most established destinations for handmade pasta. The restaurant is particularly famous for its pappardelle with beef-shin ragù and pici cacio e pepe, two dishes that have remained staples since the restaurant opened.
The pasta is substantial without feeling heavy, and the menu goes beyond pasta with seasonal Italian cooking and a well-regarded wine list. Time Out’s current 2026 pasta guide continues to highlight Trullo’s signature dishes.
If you’re looking for a proper neighbourhood trattoria rather than a fashionable pasta bar, Trullo is an excellent place to start.
Best for: Cacio e pepe, ragù and relaxed Italian dining.
2. Bancone – Best for Silk Handkerchief Pasta
Bancone has become one of London’s best-known fresh-pasta restaurants, particularly because of its famous silk handkerchiefs.
These delicate sheets of pasta are served with walnut butter and confit egg yolk, creating one of the capital’s most recognisable pasta dishes. Bancone also offers a range of other handmade pastas, making it worth visiting even if you’ve already tried its signature plate.
The Covent Garden restaurant is especially convenient for a pre-theatre dinner, while its Soho location works well for a central London pasta stop. Time Out currently places Bancone near the top of its 2026 pasta guide.
Best for: Signature pasta, date nights and pre-theatre dining.
3. Padella – Best for Affordable Fresh Pasta
Padella Borough Market helped turn London’s fresh-pasta obsession into a full-blown dining trend.
The Borough Market original remains famous for its freshly rolled pasta, relatively accessible prices and queues. The pappardelle with beef-shin ragù is the classic order, while other dishes change with the season.
Padella now also has locations in Shoreditch and Soho, giving pasta lovers more opportunities to try the restaurant without necessarily heading to Borough. Time Out describes the pasta as consistently popular, while Hot Dinners notes that Padella helped change London’s fresh-pasta scene when it opened.
Best for: Fresh pasta, value and a lively atmosphere.
4. Artusi – Best for Handmade Pasta in Peckham
Artusi is a Peckham favourite for diners who want handmade pasta in a relaxed neighbourhood setting.
The menu changes regularly, but pasta remains central to the experience. Time Out highlights the restaurant’s approach of offering different pasta dishes in smaller and larger portions, allowing diners to order pasta as a starter and main course.
Artusi has also earned a Bib Gourmand from the MICHELIN Guide, which recognises restaurants offering good food at accessible prices.
Best for: Handmade pasta, neighbourhood dining and value.
5. Café Murano – Best for Refined Italian Pasta
Café Murano brings the cooking associated with chef Angela Hartnett into a more relaxed restaurant setting.
The group has restaurants in Covent Garden, Marylebone, St James and Bermondsey, with pasta playing an important role across the menus. One of the dishes highlighted by Time Out is the rigatoni with spicy sausage and fennel ragù.
It’s a particularly good option when you want quality pasta but also want a broader Italian menu, polished service and a comfortable dining room.
Best for: Date nights, business lunches and classic Italian cooking.
6. Lina Stores – Best for Fresh Pasta and Soho Atmosphere
Lina Stores Soho – Italian Restaurant is an extension of the famous Soho Italian deli, bringing its fresh-pasta tradition into a restaurant setting.
The restaurant focuses on handmade pasta alongside antipasti, Italian wines and desserts. It’s a particularly good choice for a casual lunch or a relaxed pasta-and-wine evening in Soho.
The brand’s long history in London and emphasis on fresh pasta make it one of the most recognisable names in the city’s Italian food scene. Current London pasta guides continue to include Lina Stores among the capital’s key pasta destinations.
Best for: Soho dining, fresh pasta and casual dates.
7. Popolo – Best for Creative Handmade Pasta
Popolo in Shoreditch is a great choice if you prefer pasta with a more contemporary edge.
The restaurant makes pasta by hand at the start of service, with dishes such as pork-cheek agnolotti with porcini butter appearing among its signature options. Time Out currently recommends Popolo for its handmade pasta and sharing-friendly approach.
The open, lively atmosphere makes it particularly suited to groups and date nights.
Best for: Creative pasta, sharing and Shoreditch nights out.
8. Manteca – Best for Bold Italian Cooking
Manteca in Shoreditch takes Italian cooking in a more modern direction, with handmade pasta forming an important part of its menu.
The restaurant is particularly known for its nose-to-tail approach to cooking, so expect richer and more intensely flavoured dishes than you might find at a conventional Italian trattoria.
Its pasta has been highlighted by current London food guides, including a recent Foodism guide that features Manteca among its leading pasta restaurants.
Best for: Adventurous diners, bold flavours and modern Italian cooking.
9. Flour & Grape – Best for Gluten-Free Pasta
Flour & Grape in Bermondsey is particularly useful for diners looking for gluten-free pasta without sacrificing the restaurant experience.
The restaurant can make the majority of its pasta dishes with gluten-free penne, while the menu includes everything from beef-shin ragù to richer truffle-based sauces. Time Out specifically highlights Flour & Grape in its current pasta guide for its gluten-free options.
Its location near Bermondsey Street also makes it a good option for a relaxed evening away from the busiest parts of central London.
Best for: Gluten-free diners and pasta lovers.
10. Notto – Best for Casual Pasta
Notto offers a more accessible take on fresh pasta, with locations in central London including Covent Garden and Piccadilly.
The restaurant was created by chef Phil Howard, and the concept focuses on fresh pasta at prices designed to be more approachable than traditional fine dining.
Hot Dinners currently highlights Notto as one of London’s affordable fresh-pasta options, while its seasonal menu regularly includes dishes such as pappardelle with slow-cooked beef and mushrooms.
Best for: Affordable pasta, quick meals and central London.
11. Via Emilia by Food Roots – Best for Regional Italian Pasta
Via Emilia by Food Roots – FITZROVIA focuses specifically on the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, one of Italy’s most important pasta regions.
The restaurant’s handmade egg pasta, regional cheeses and cured meats make it particularly interesting for anyone who wants to explore beyond generic Italian cooking. Traditional dishes such as anolini in brodo showcase the regional focus.
There is also a Shoreditch location, giving pasta lovers in east London another opportunity to explore the restaurant’s Emilia-Romagna-inspired menu.
Best for: Regional Italian cooking and handmade egg pasta.
12. Emilia’s Crafted Pasta – Best for Casual Fresh Pasta
Emilia’s Crafted Pasta (Baker Street) is built around a simple idea: fresh pasta, straightforward sauces and an informal dining experience.
The group has several London locations, including Baker Street, Canary Wharf, Aldgate and St Katharine Docks. The Baker Street restaurant is particularly convenient for visitors exploring Marylebone and Regent’s Park.
The Canary Wharf branch also offers homemade non-gluten pasta prepared in a separate area, although the restaurant notes that it is not a certified gluten-free environment.
Best for: Casual pasta, families and weekday meals.
13. Fadiga Ristorante Bolognese – Best for Bolognese Pasta
Fadiga Ristorante Bolognese brings the flavours of Bologna and Emilia-Romagna to Berwick Street in Soho.
The restaurant is family-run and operates as a pastificio as well as a restaurant, producing fresh pasta on site. That regional focus makes it particularly appealing if you’re interested in the pasta traditions of northern Italy.
You can also buy pasta to take home, making it an interesting stop for serious pasta enthusiasts.
Best for: Bolognese cooking, fresh pasta and regional Italian food.
14. Osteria Romana – Best for Roman Pasta
Osteria romana focuses on the food of Rome, making it a natural choice for classic Roman pasta.
Expect dishes inspired by the city’s most famous pasta traditions, including cacio e pepe and amatriciana, alongside handmade pasta and other Roman specialities.
It’s a good option if you’re specifically chasing Roman flavours rather than a broad Italian menu.
Best for: Cacio e pepe, amatriciana and Roman cooking.
Best Pasta in London for Different Occasions:
For a date night: Bancone, Lina Stores, Popolo and Osteria Romana all offer a good combination of pasta and atmosphere.
For a casual lunch: Padella, Notto and Emilia’s Crafted Pasta are particularly suited to an informal pasta meal.
For a special occasion: Café Murano and Manteca offer a more polished dining experience.
For traditional Italian cooking: Trullo, Via Emilia, Fadiga and Osteria Romana are particularly interesting because they focus on specific regional traditions.
For gluten-free pasta: Flour & Grape is one of the most useful choices in the city, with many dishes available using gluten-free penne.
For value: Padella and Notto are good places to look for fresh pasta without moving into London’s higher-end Italian price bracket. Current London food guides continue to highlight both for relatively accessible pasta dining.
Best Pasta Dishes to Try in London
If you’re visiting these restaurants specifically for pasta, a few styles are particularly worth looking out for.
Pappardelle with beef ragù: Trullo and Padella are both associated with rich ragù-based pasta, making this a classic London order.
Cacio e pepe: This simple Roman combination of pasta, pecorino and black pepper is one of the best ways to judge pasta technique. Trullo and Osteria Romana are good places to explore the style.
Silk handkerchiefs: Bancone’s signature dish is one of London’s most recognisable fresh-pasta creations.
Agnolotti and stuffed pasta: Popolo is worth considering if you want more elaborate filled pasta and contemporary combinations.
Gluten-free pasta: Flour & Grape is a useful choice when you want a broader range of sauces with a gluten-free pasta option.
Where to Find the Best Pasta in London?
Soho
Soho is one of the easiest areas for a pasta crawl, with Lina Stores, Fadiga and Padella Soho all within the wider central London area.
Borough
Borough Market is home to the original Padella, making the area an obvious destination for fresh pasta lovers.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch has become another major pasta destination, with Popolo, Manteca, Padella and Via Emilia all nearby.
North London
Head to Highbury for Trullo, one of London’s long-established destinations for handmade pasta and Italian cooking.
Bermondsey
Bermondsey is home to Flour & Grape, particularly useful for diners looking for gluten-free pasta.
Tips for Eating Pasta in London
Book ahead for popular restaurants. Some of London’s best-known pasta restaurants become busy around dinner and weekends.
Expect queues at some pasta bars. Padella is famous for its queues, although timing your visit outside peak periods can make the experience easier.
Look at the daily menu. Restaurants such as Café Murano change some pasta dishes regularly, so today’s menu may differ from what you’ve seen online.
Don’t overlook lunch. Some of London’s higher-end restaurants offer set lunch menus that can provide better value than dinner. Recent reporting notes that lunch is often a way to experience high-quality London restaurants for considerably less.
Check dietary requirements before booking. Gluten-free options vary considerably between restaurants, and kitchens that offer gluten-free pasta may still have cross-contact considerations.
FAQs About the Best Pasta in London
Where can I find the best pasta in London?
London has excellent pasta across several neighbourhoods. Trullo, Bancone, Padella, Artusi and Lina Stores are among the restaurants currently highlighted by major London food guides.
What is the most famous pasta restaurant in London?
Padella is arguably one of London’s most recognisable fresh-pasta restaurants. Its original Borough Market restaurant became particularly famous for its handmade pasta and queues, and the group has since expanded to other London locations.
Where can I get cheap pasta in London?
Notto and Padella are worth considering if you’re looking for fresh pasta at a relatively accessible price. Central London also has smaller pasta specialists such as AL DENTE and PaStation.
Which London restaurant is best for cacio e pepe?
Cacio e pepe is particularly associated with Roman cooking. Trullo is well known for its pici cacio e pepe, while Osteria Romana focuses on Roman classics including cacio e pepe.
Where can I get gluten-free pasta in London?
Flour & Grape in Bermondsey is a notable choice because many of its pasta dishes can be made with gluten-free penne. Emilia’s Crafted Pasta also offers homemade non-gluten pasta at its Canary Wharf location, although the restaurant notes that it is not a certified gluten-free environment.
Final Thoughts: Where to Find the Best Pasta in London
The 14 best pasta in London showcase just how broad the city’s Italian food scene has become. From Padella’s fresh pasta and Trullo’s famous ragù to Bancone’s silk handkerchiefs, Artusi’s handmade dishes and Flour & Grape’s gluten-free options, there is a pasta restaurant for almost every kind of diner.
The best part is that you don’t need to travel far across London to experience different regional traditions. Roman pasta, Emilia-Romagna specialities, Bolognese cooking and contemporary Italian dishes are all represented, while newer pasta bars continue to make fresh pasta more accessible.
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