Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano

I want to love this place, as I really enjoy the food, and I really enjoy the wine, but they have so little respect for customers/​honouring advance bookings that it completely sours my whole view of this place!
The aubergine pasta is delightful, the medium sweet white wine is fruity and refreshing, and the quaint underground surrounds are wonderfully cute. What is not cute is that two out of the three times I’ve visited they haven’t bothered to write down my booking (which is made well in advance) and have not had a table for me, or have tried to palm me off with a table the size of a desk, by the entrance stairs, for two people. Awful.
Giuseppe’s has such potential, and the food really is lovely. However, they really need to get their act together when it comes to taking down bookings and actually honour the reservations of those who take the time to call ahead and request a table. I’m reluctant to ever return here, which is a shame, as everything else about this restaurant is genuinely high quality. Oh well.

We stumbled across this place when wandering down Borough high street — had it not been for the amazing smell of Italian food in the street we would have never explored the alleyway and found it.
Though it was a bit crowded, it had a lively atmosphere and the staff were helpful and friendly. I ordered a lasagne which was one of the best I have ever had. Would definitely come again!

We went here last night and the food was just OK, the service was fine but a little rushed and some of the tables are pretty tightly packed in. I probably wouldn’t visit again. There are fair better places around for these prices.

Went to Guiseppe’s for a team dinner while our team was in London. I was sort of surprised that this location was selected, as there were 17 of us and the restaurant is not that large. We had a reservation and even though there was space to put us all at one long table, they opted to split the group into two tables, which was not ideal.
Because we were a large group, they did not let us order our own starters, they gave us «a selection of antipasti». We only received calamari, bruschetta and tomato with mozzarella. The calamari was okay but the bruschetta and tomato/​mozzarella were gross. The bread for the bruschetta was too thick, and had been toasted, but was soggy with the tomatoes on top. There were too many tomatoes, which were not ripe, and lacked seasoning. Similarly, the tomato and mozzarella salad lacked seasoning and the non-​ripe tomatoes were unappetizing. It is traditional for this type of dish to be served with a balsamic reduction or at the very least, balsamic vinegar, but that was not offered.
We did not get the house salads or baskets of bread that I saw on other tables, which was a shame, as those looked better than what we were served. We got our dinner and again, not impressed. I ordered the sea bass special which is described as «sea bass off the bone» on the menu, but yet was full of bones. The skin was left on and was not crispy, but mushy and disgusting. The spinach was not seasoned and was very liquidy as though it had not been properly drained. This affected my potatoes, as half were already soggy from sitting in the liquid. The potatoes that were crispy were quite good, I found myself wishing that I just had a plate of potatoes.
None of my colleagues at my table were impressed either. One had lasagna and the sauce was orange rather than red. I tasted it and it tasted just like the sauce in American spaghetti-o’s, which is not good.
Desserts appeared to be pre-​made and prepackaged, which is another negative. I did not order anything but the items ordered at our table did not look great.
Overall, I was not pleased. The ambiance was cozy and was better suited for a smaller party, and the food was inadequate. My manager was raving how cheap it was, only £800 for 17 people (including starters, dinner, dessert and many bottles of wine), and my only response was that you get what you pay for!

A lovely and kind place to eat. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. We all had the fillet and were really pleased and enjoyed our experience tremendous.

Visited ⁶⁄₂₀₁₃
Yes, this review is over a year old. But, I’m attempting to catch up with all of my reviews, so bear with me.
I have been to Giuseppe’s numerous times, and each visit has been awesome. It’s crowded, and there’s a hustle and bustle, but the staff is great and the food is fantastic.
Random treats:
— if Giuseppe happens to be there, he will be wandering from table to table, offering Limoncello shots to all of his guests. Take one, it’s a fun time.
— Every 15 – 20 minutes, on weekend nights, there is an in-​house Frank Sinatra impersonator who performs to the best of his ability. He’ll even single out those women on the attractive side and attempt to serenade them.
— One of the hosts, the gentleman who has longer hair and could pass for Tony Soprano’s #2, was in The DaVinci Code as an extra. Ask him about it, as it’ll make his evening.
— The house red is phenomenal and on par with anything else on the menu.
— As the weekend night drags on, Giuseppe’s turns into a disco tech. Stick around for drinks, singing, and lots of memories.
The food is great; from the salads, to the apps, to the entrees. The veal scaloppini is easily my favorite item on the menu.
Although a bit off the beaten path, this restaurant offers a nice meal with a friendly atmosphere at good value.

If you’re looking for simple, no-​fuss Italian then you’re in the right place. Make sure you make a reso if you don’t want to wait — this place is cozy and tends to get busy.
Not the best Italian I’ve had, but not the worst. It’s a cute restaurant and the staff are great (on the weekends they have a guy serenading the guests… it’s entertaining — in a cringing sort of way, but after a bottle or two of vino you’ll be singing along).

I went to this restaurant with two of my friends. Services was so bad and rude. A cup of hot water with a little slice of lemon’s skin (not even a slice of lemon) was charged £2.50. We asked why are they charged and the respond was very rude. Food was big portion but taste was horrible.
Not recommended and will not go again.

Strangest experience –
The food was very basic Italian.
The uninspired house salad had mixed greens with tomatoes and cheese. The dressing was poured on at the table from the waitress — olive oil.
The house wine was lifeless.
The house bread was tasteless served with mediocre olive oil and balsamic.
I had the house spaghetti. The spaghetti was a tasteless box variety tossed in a good tomato ragu with mixed seafood. It had a strong seafood smell that makes me worried and the shrimp were overdone. Otherwise it tasted — well, boring.
The partner had chicken in tomato sauce and potatoes that was good. The side of spinach was, going along with the tasteless theme of the restaurant, just steamed spinach.
We received a strong lemoncello at the end that was painfully sweet and left mostly untouched.
The meal was completely forgettable. But the atmosphere was insane. For our entire meal a Frank Sinatra impersonator in a dark pinstripe suite and fedora sang standards at an earsplitting level. I want to be as nice as possible to the brave entertainer, but the pitchy off-​note renditions of Frank Sinatra with only five or ten words recognizable was really rough. I wish that was the only issue, however, the windowless basement restaurant is maybe 1200 sq/​ft and ‘Frank’ was walking around with a microphone blasting song after song. Conversation was impossible over the stadium-​rock-​concert ear-​ringing crooning. The table next to us held their ears and loudly begged him to stop. The owner was oblivious as he was the only one clapping at the end of each horror.
The Zagat rating is a mistake; ²⁷⁄₃₀ lacks credibility.

Fantastic little Italian restaurant located in a basement on Borough High St.
Dark and warming, candlelit with cool pictures on the walls.
This old family run restaurant seems to have a fair bit of history about it and has been established for a long time. The atmosphere is very cosy and welcoming — without being stereotypical it kind of reminds me of a restaurant the Italian Mafia or Gangsters would have a meeting and meal in. There is live Jazz music. I have been told there is Elvis and Sinatra themed music most days of the week. The menu is awesome as is the wine selection. We had Garlic bread for starter and i had the Ravioli Lobster and Crab in a creamy tomato sauce with prawns — simply delicious. We shared a bottle of Shiraz Sicilia, which was a very fruity wine.
Their slogan is ‘Eat well, Drink well and feel well’ — and i certainly achieved all three!
There is a blackboard with a selection of specials. The Restaurant is populated by couples having an intimate meal and groups of friends/​family.
The prices are fairly reasonable — this place is one to try!

Should be called ‘Awful Place’. Dull and grubby, over expensive, staff who can’t be bothered, especially when it comes to remembering your order. Not welcoming at all. Food just basic, couldnt taste any garlic just salt. Mirror on the wall with ‘Our Cellar’ logo on it we sure felt like we were in one! Thank goodness it wasn’t for a special occasion!

Great food, very fresh and authentic. I visited once and will definitely go again. It was very busy and the atmosphere was lively but nevertheless, the service was brilliant and the price was good too. I definitely want to go again.

No Shard watcher am I. Resolutely unimpressed by the see through penis substitute despite the raving of friends. I am also unhappy watching the area change beyond recognition as the monied classes roll in. Don’t get me wrong, the sympathetic gentrification of Bermondsey Street, led by local businesses such as Wolff & Tay, Pizarro and the Garrison is a ‘good thing’, but the tourist focussed homogenisation of places like Borough Market drives me mad.
Guiseppes, hidden away in a basement and accessed through a doorway in an alley under the shadow of the monolith (though that covers a pretty broad area to be fair), is resolutely old school. Guttering candles, faded Italian travel prints, roses on dark wobbling wood tables and an Italian troubadour most nights. This is the local Italian your parents remember.
Other than a glass of Montepulciano you could strip limescale with and some thankfully unproffered neon limoncello, it seems unadventurous but pretty decent. At less than a tenner for most mains it’s reasonably priced too.
We scarfed bruschetta with zingy flavoursome tomatoes and a bundle of supermarket bagged salad followed swiftly by two big plates of passable pasta and sauce. There’s nothing exceptional on the menu and barring a few specials on a chalkboard, no seasonal changes to a parade of old favourites. You won’t find any of the art and guile of Zucca, Tinello, L’Anima or any of the modern Italians but given the £20 a head (inc drinks and service) price tag, we weren’t too bothered. It’s not that kind of place.
So Guiseppes. It’s where you’d eat if your quick pint at the George spans into 2 or 3, you can’t get a table at Brindisa but don’t fancy wandering to Bermondsey Street.
And it’s in a basement. Gentrify that. I dare you…

Went here on a Friday night after a local recommended it. Was confused at first, had to stand on the stairs to wait for a table, the guy seating people was clearly more interested in the group of chicks behind me and sat them first. No worries though as we were seated pretty quickly. Drink service was fast, but took forever to get the food order in. Didn’t really matter since the mafioso singer guy was belting out some Sinatra. This place has a totally unique vibe.
Onto the food. Got the Antipasto Italiano which was awesome (can’t really go wrong with salted meats and Parmesan cheese). The house red was relatively cheap and pretty decent. For dinner, had the Veal Milanese served with spaghetti bolognese which was great. All around an excellent meal with a great ambiance. Not for the faint of heart.

A definition of a hole in a wall. It is off an alley near London Bridge station. I have always wondered what was in there.
You walk thru the doors and down the stairs you are transported to another place. There is a guy singing tunes like Frank Sintra songs and the service is pretty decent. The food is good. The portion size for the price is excellent.
If you want decent Italian food with a fun vibe, you must check this place out

A charming little underground Italian bistro close to London Bridge. They have live music most nights, Monday night being Elvis night and the food is fine and reasonably priced. Somehow it all feels a little kitsch and stuck in the 1970s but it’s a lot of fun, the service is good and it won’t make your wallet weep.

It’s not every day you stumble across an Italian resto with an Elvis impersonator.
Really.
I have NO IDEA if this is a good thing. I was in a foul mood the day I wound up here, and I left feeling happy and giggly (that might have also been helped by the wine), but there’s a vibe in here, and it’s fun. A little confused — I don’t think we were the only first timers in here and someone belting out hits while you nibble on olives is strange if you’re not expecting it. But it was a Monday, and it turns out Mondays are vastly improved by Elvis’ giving you flowers. From the table next to you. Who knew?
That’s my lasting impression of the evening. I had to rack my brains to remember my meal, but it was a chicken and asparagus thing (too much cheese for my liking, but pretty tasty). The food was average but the meal with wine and starters came to about £15. I don’t care — I was serenaded by an Elvis impersonator.

This is the kind of place you’d only know about if you get taken there by someone who’s already been — it’s a hidden gem literally 30 seconds walk from London Bridge station, and tucked away just off the main road. You have to really look for it, take a few steps down a slightly dodgy looking alley way, and then down a staircase, but once you’re in, you won’t be sorry. The food is gorgeous — I can’t seem to stray away from carbonara but I haven’t regretted it yet, and there’s a starter involving mushrooms & cheese that is divine!
The service is fab — they’re never too far away or too busy to see to your every need, and then there’s the jazz/​swing singer (Harry Connick Jr wannabe) who serenades the lucky diners on Friday & Saturday evenings. He’s loads of fun :)
Definitely go there if you want a nice romantic meal in a slightly gangster-​movie setting. Thoroughly recommended.