Demartino

Good food, big portions and all for a reasonable price. For some reason Unilocal has this as a much more expensive place than it is. For the pasta you only pay around £10 and get a meal that you will struggle to finish. For other dishes especially the meat you will pay more, but they are worth it. They never skimp on portion size.
The waitresses are very friendly and attentive, and very flirty. I have happily eaten here alone and with friends. There is a downstairs room for small private functions. If you sit upstairs you will be very close to your neighbouring tables but it adds to a friendly family atmosphere.
It can get loud especially when full but when it is quiet and you are alone you can sit back and enjoy Italian TV at its finest.

4 of us had lamb shank. It came with only mash potatoes. Never had it without any vegetables. I asked them if the presentation is like that. The waitress brought us some vegetables later. The service was poor. The server just brought a bottle of water. And just left on the table. When the bill came out, they added 12.50% service charge. I wasn’t happy with the service charge at all. What is the service charge for? Do provide the service properly, I’m happy to pay the extra service charge. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant at all.

Good food with big portions. So if you’re really hungry and craving Italian with a reasonable price, this is the right place for you.
They have excellent service and the staff are really nice and always smiling a day you’re service.
Love this place!

Not sure why it’s a £££ spot; for the portion sizes, this is definitely one of the more affordable dinner places around. The pasta is amazing — favorites are the gnocchi and spinach ravioli (spaghetti Bolognese isn’t great, though) risotto is fabulous, and even the brunch is pretty tasty. Pro tip: come here for lunch, when the prices are cheaper but the portion sizes are the same!
Bonus: super fast takeaway, usually around 10 mins wait time

A local gem and as Italian as it gets. There is always a steady stream of regulars and Italians here.
Menu highlights include their pastas, as well as the veal/​chicken milanese and their special fish of the day. The contorni here is very well portioned and priced. The only downside is the Italian service and be sure to check the bill, as they will often overcharge you for items you didn’t have.

Great little Italian place hidden in London. You know when the phone is answered and the accent is so strong that you have to concentrate that it must be authentic. Very nice food. We started with the king shrimp appetizer with chili. It was excellent. One to the best appetizers I have ever had. Went on to the seafood pasta which did not disappoint. The place is crowded, tables are close together, the waitstaff are incredibly attentive. Makes you feel like you are in Italy not London. Worth checking out.

Sat in the downstairs part, which was quite quaint (say that seventy times fast…). Boar ragu linguini was grand. My friends also liked their food. A+ for effort.

This Italian restaurant is conveniently located close to Marylebone road and is an excellent choice if you happen to stay at the Melia White House on Albany Terrace. The genuine Italian staff is nice and will help you navigate through the menu. I choose the healthy option: swordfish perfectly grilled with a fresh mixed salad on the side. Very fresh. Excellent presentation. A bit pricey but not overpriced. Demartino is a top option on Great Portland Street.

I have been to this place with friends easily over 50 times, just because it is so convenient and pleasant. It’s the ideal place to get your quick fix of pretty authentic italian cuisine, as well as being in very comfortable and reasonably classy surroundings.
The restaurant definitely has a good atmosphere, efficient staff, and reasonable prices, particularly considering the massive food portions. However, prices do get a little overboard with larger parties mostly because of the pricey service charge. The food is decent but not great, and some plates are definitely overpriced for what they are, even if they are generously sized (the £13.50 wild mushroom risotto being the main culprit).
Demartiono is always packed, but if you do manage to get a table, it’s a pleasant evening more often than not.

We were staying at the Melia White House and this restaurant was a great find. Good portions, great tastes and lots of good cheer. Reminds me a lot of one of the nicer restaurants on Arthur Avenue or Little Italy in NYC. If its a cold, rainy night and you need to warm yourself up with some good food — this is the place!

Hands down the best Italien in London. Fresh seafood in all their seafood dishes. Crazy people who work there but they give it a lot of character. Great place! Highly recommend it!

Consistently excellent. We were so impressed during a London trip in 2008 that we returned in 2012. It’s like going to Italy for a few hours: great staff, superb food, wonderful ambiance. Finish it off with a limoncello straight from the freezer. Perfect.

When does a trip to Demartino become more than just that?
It sat across the street from my residence, beckoning to be entered by my dancing taste buds. The wind often carried a certain scent of tomato and mozzarella that wafted through my lonely window. My consortium of amigos were just as eager as I was as our feet propelled us towards Demartino.
When we entered, a blast of authenticity surged through the very hearts that were keeping us alive. When we were immediately seated, we gazed at the menu as a child does when he enters a wholesome toy shop. Our glazed eyes reflected back options of Italian splendor; rigatoni, ravioli, lasagna, spaghetti, and so much more. The words leaped off the pages and frolicked through our imaginations.
A family photograph on the bottom of a page in the menu let us know we were home. The Demartino family stared back at us as if to say, «welcome to mi casa, enjoy the dinner I’ve cooked for you.» A grin came over my youthful face. As someone who came from a loving Italian side of my family, it almost felt like I was in Aunt Kibi’s house as the ziti baked in the oven.
When we looked down at our silverware, a deathly scare overcame us. My forks didn’t match. Neither did my friend’s across from me. My mates at both sides didn’t have spoons. The friend to my left only had one fork. What did it mean? We may never know.
The waitress dropped off a pitcher of water. I tasted every bit of hydrogen and oxygen that combined to form such a glorious liquid and I thanked the heavens for it.
Suddenly a foreign voice entered the fray. A woman sitting near us inorganically struck up a conversation with members of our table. She rattled off coherent recommendations for what we should order. It all seemed relevant and in good fun, but when she started to ask personal questions, a terror shook my core. Eventually she faded away like the fog on a warm window and was never heard from again (except when she left).
Our gracious waitress took our orders: rigatoni for a few, spaghetti as well, even ravioli for a couple. It was all par for the course in Italy. Yet… we were in London. You’d hardly know by looking at the Italian impressionistic art from the bustling creative industry of the wonderful home country.
Our orders arrived in a jiff. No sooner did the plates hit the table did our forks spear the noodles below. We gobbled the meat and pasta as if today was our last of life. When the forks were banging empty dishes, we had hardly remembered what it was like to not be eating at Demartino. We had become one with the restaurant.
It was time to pay. A dish plopped onto the table that contained at least 10 small chocolates that snapped in our mouths like the neck of a chicken. We loved the addition to the meal and felt the Italian delights were a true treat indeed.
The waitress capably divided the bill into both credit cards and cash, no small feat mind you. It all went smoothly as a spring’s rain.
It was time to leave, but we hadn’t even realized it. We sat there amazed that it all had ended just as it began. But together we made a promise: to return to Demartino again just as hungry, excited, and ready to come home.

We went to Demartino last night as a little treat after work. It is difficult to describe how disappointed I was. I can forgive the lack of finesse in the service, but the food just wasn’t very good. Perhaps the chef is a pasta and pizza person, but the Osso Buko was not well enough stewed, the rice was over done and the veal escalope was swamped in a heavy packet gravy.
The manager discounted our meal in compensation but I would recommend avoiding if you want a carne dish. I didn’t see the pasta/​pizza dishes so I can’t comment.

This restaurant deserves 4 stars for it’s decent food and prices (great seafood and pastas), large portions, wonderful service and exceptionally friendly staff, and great atmosphere. You’ll find many locals here and the place packed on most nights.

I think Demartino is better than the current reviews. 5 star, no, but very good food, attentive staff and cloth napkins. They clearly have a regular crowd and they are also great for take away. Worth a try!

My brosephs and dad stopped into this restaurant on a whim the last time we were in London and I was very glad we did. Cheerio!
They serve a pretty wide variety of Italian dishes and I would consider it very authentic. As in, I’m Michael Corleone and I’m trying to find a good place for a meeting with McClusky and Sollozzo. May I go to the bathroom? The owner and servers were kinda hasty but it was late and, after all, they’re Italian. They’re supposed to be quick tempered, right? The food seems more northern Italian but I’m no expert. I had some kind of veal dish and the others had pasta. Wines were great and everything was moderately priced. I’d definitely go back and suggest you do too. And now, some Family Guy:
«Hey Copernicus, why don’t you navigate yourself to the back of the line!»