Dalla Terra

Fun pit stop on your way through the West End. It is a lively atmosphere full of funky people. The layout is good and the staff friendly.
We only had the wine, which was good but the food that was presented around us looked appetising.

Highlight of my week! Small wine bar /​Italian restaurant found by accident. Very quaint and very good. Highly Reccomend! Great service too

Bring your banker’s bonus and come here to enjoy a great food and wine experience that comes with a hefty price tag.
London is lacking in great wine bars (in this reviewer’s humble opinion) and this place tucked away in St. Martin’s courtyard is a great place for some wine and food.
We enjoyed some great wines although at a very steep price (I think the average was about 10 GBP), a hefty bowl of olives and a charcuterie/​cheese plate. Luckily I was not paying but I think for 4 glasses of wine, olives and nibbles we were probably pushing 75 GBP at least.
What I really want to stress here is the big table and then the cozy seats. It has an intimate atmosphere, good lighting and nice service.
They also sell wines here too.
Come and enjoy, just letting you know you might suffer from sticker shock that can easily be remedied with a full-​bodied red.

I popped in here with my mother as we had an hour to kill before meeting friends for supper and fancied a glass of wine. Walking in, it was so welcoming — lit by candle light, lots of communal tables and an open fire.
We sat up at the bar and asked the very friendly waitress for a wine recommendation. Each glass is at least £10, and some go up to £28 a glass, so I wanted something rather good for that. I described my preferred style — deep, rich, spicy and intense. She recommended a glass and we eagerly tried it. It was disappointing, and at £16 a glass, that’s a problem.
I also ordered the mushroom and truffle bruschetta, which were cold. They would have been so much better warm. As it was, it was just cold, slimy mushrooms on slightly rubbery toast.
Sometime during our visit someone in the back decided to burn some onions. The lovely cosy, welcoming atmosphere was rendered uninhabitable with eyes streaming and then a freezing gale blasting through the place as all the doors and windows were flung open in an attempt to disperse the gas attack.
Finally, when we wanted to settle up, I practically had to strip and do the can can to get any attention. I almost tried walking out without paying just to see if anyone would notice us.
I love red wine, I don’t even mind paying silly prices for it, but I expect it to be bloody excellent for that kind of money, and here, it is not.

My real rating is 3.5 stars.
This place is a testament to the influence service has on how enjoyable an experience can be.
My first encounter at Dalla Terra was to pick up a bottle of wine to enjoy at home. You can but wines at their retail price to take away, or enjoy them at the bar for 20% more. The man who helped me choose a wine was very knowledgable, not pushy, and respectful of the price point I was looking for. We had a great chat about Napa and Paso Robles wine countries in California and I was very pleased with the wine he suggested.
The second time I visited Dalla Terra I came with two friends for some wine. The service experience this time was much different from the first. Our waiter kept trying to sell us bottles that were much more pricey than what we wanted — and our budget was not unreasonably low. When he finally decided to recommend something in our price range, he did so with a condescending air. He was not engaging at all.
Because I liked the intimate atmosphere, interesting food menu and the wide selection of Italian wines, I might return to Dalla Terra. If I try again, I will be sure to ask the first man I meet for assistance.