San Carlo Cicchetti

Wonderful dining experience. The service and food were fantastic. Came with 2 coworkers and shared several small plates. The tables are crowded together (thus only 4 stars) so we ordered our food in waves so as not to overwhelm the space. The Queen Anne scallops and tuna tartare were the table favorites. We ordered a mixture of pizza, pasta, meat, fish and desserts. The one positive about the tables being so close, we were able to chat with the local couple sitting next to us. The risotto was amazing, and although I didn’t try the grappa, my colleagues said it was some of the best. I’ll be back

I was meeting up with a friend in Piccadilly Circus and we were going to go out for dinner, he was not a London local and expected me to choose an amazing restaurant. So I went on Unilocal and found this little place. I came here with high expectations after reading the reviews and am so glad I was not disappointed. It is Italian small plates but that was the best thing as we could order a few plates and share it amongst us. The food and service was absolutely spot on. I would come back here as I truly had an enjoyable evening with good food and great service and the company was excellent.

We have been in London for 5 days, following our 5 days in Bath. Our favorite restaurant in England is this Italian gem. Many other restaurants have good food and efficient service, but none of them have FANTASTIC food AND service! We first went for breakfast. Then we went for lunch. When we returned, the staff remembered us and treated us like VIP’s. The menu has so many wonderful dishes to choose from. Everything is rich, fresh, homemade and delicious. Food is served Tapas style. You’re encouraged to order a few plates and share. For lunch we had fresh pasta with Bolognese sauce, veal and morel mushrooms, gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce served in a parmigiana cheese bowl. Plus, beans in olive oil and lemon, and zucchini sticks. Every dish was elegant and wonderful! We both wanted to try more dishes, but we were full. Of course we had to have dessert. As recommended, I had the pastiche tart. I would not have ordered this, but I was talked into it. It was out of this world!
The coffees are great. The wine list is extensive. The mixed drink offerings look inventive and thoughtful. We are hoping to return tomorrow if time allows!
The restaurant has a clean, elegant style.
It’s easy to get to, as the underground has the Piccadilly stop right on the corner.
We enjoy good service, and the staff at San Carlo Cicchetti is second to none!
We went again today for a late lunch. I just have to update yesterday’s review.
The place was hopping at 2:40pm. We were recognized and given a table at our favorite servers station. Fabrizio is a world class professional! He welcomed us warmly and helped us plan our meal. Everything he recommended was spot-​on.
We indulged in 5 courses, drinks, and dessert. I had 2 versions of champagne cocktails. fabulous! My husband had chianti. As we enjoyed each bite, we watched the workings of this busy fast-​paced restaurant. There are many servers and supervisors. Nobody here has a moments down time. Constantly scanning the tables for empty glasses, plates that need replacing, and anything else diners might need. I’m telling you, it’s like a highly orchestrated dance.fascinating.
We just enjoyed every minute and every bite. We will miss Fabrizio and the flawless, warm, and much appreciated service he provided.

Great place for small plates. Veal was perfectly prepared and seafood dishes were fresh and light. A bit noisy during the post-​theater dinner hours but a good experience overall. Service was just okay.

Great ambience, all Italian staff, and unique tapas approach to Italian food. I haven’t had anything I didn’t love. It is crowded so book well ahead. Bar is often open and has fast service from the happy bar staff.

The best tiramisu ever. The atmosphere was fun and vibrant. We had mostly seafood for lunch, well prepared and wonderful presentation. I would come back for the tiramisu.

Very good Italian small plates in a fancy marble dining room in the midst of a bunch of tourist traps.
I had never come to this place before it was recommended by a coworker because I always expected it to be just another tourist joint with mediocre food for too much money. I was fortunately very mistaken.
First off, the menu on the web site is not at all reflective of what they actually have in the restaurant. There are 2x-​3x more small plates available than what appears on the site, including a bunch of interesting specials. The space is fancy bordering on gaudy, but it’s all very clean and organized, so it works.
We ordered about 10 items for 3 of us for a business lunch, and while the waiter was difficult to understand, the service was good and the food came out rapidly. The highlights for me were an octopus special, the sea bream with artichoke, and the antipasti, all of which were delicious. No complaints about any of the others, either — their kitchen cranks out a lot of high quality plates very quickly.
My only problem was with the affogato that I got for dessert. Good affogato should be served with the gelato and the espresso separate, so that the espresso can be poured over it a little at a time and you can get the wonderful combination of hot and cold, sweet and bitter, before the whole thing rapidly turns into soup. Ours was served all together, and it was already mostly in the latter state.
Overall, I’m settling on 4 stars, choosing to round down because despite the very good small plates, it’s not really my kind of atmosphere, and I’d probably only go there with people from work.

First time to London and our first meal we chose this restaurant that was across the street from our hotel Le Meridien. We arrived starving being up all night on the red eye from Toronto, The restaurant was nearly empty at 10:30am. The service was excellent with Italian servers busy getting ready for lunch. We chose the classic English breakfast and the eggs and smoked salmon dish. The food was very good but the real draw was the beautiful décor. Later we found out that this was a chain of restaurants and quite popular since every time we walked by they were always busy in the afternoon. They have fresh seafood on ice displayed at the front window of the restaurant. We wanted to come back for lunch or dinner but we felt that we had to try other restaurants. When in London San Carlo Cicchetti is an excellent choice.

The place is fantastic and the food really amazing. portions are medium (larger than a tapas) smaller than a typical size. The quality is amazing. There is really no better quality for Italian food in london. The staff is great and service is fast. You would need ²⁄₃ Cicchetti for a normal dinner with an average of 8£
Well done

Food and service great, all I can say is go there in you are in London. Have the Burrata with prosciutto, chicken spadini and for dessert the pannaCotta is amazing

Best authentic Italian food. Small plates but delicious. The carbonara is my favorite. The spaghetti marinara is also satisfying for being a simple dish. If your really hungry you should order 2 – 3 meats and 4 dishes of pasta.

Excellent tapas-​style Italian. We had the mussels, calamari, chicken pizza and a marinara spaghetti with prawns. One of the best Italian meals in memory. Highly recommended.

Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! World class Italian served on small plates, You and your date can share 5 or 6 incredible dishes. Awesome!!!

When we asked the hostess how much time for 2 people to be seated at a table, she insisted that we could sit at the bar. Despite multiple other attempts we gave up and sat at the bar. The food is tapas only and were very small portions of mediocre food. A disappointing stop indeed in Piccadilly.

On our last leg of our European trip we stumbled almond this Italian Tapas like restaurant. The staff was so inviting and spot on with the table service. Even our younger nephew was having a great time. The food comes out plate by plate in the order that it is prepared. Table of six and we all loved our meals.
Definitely a revisit to this restaurant. I’m Piaci.

Très tres bon super choix de bon produits frais excellent très correct au niveau prix et service impeccable très gentil

Wow… just wow wow wow!!! This goes down as one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Genuinely, the whole experience was a pleasure. San Carlo Cicchetti is located literally a stones throw from Piccadilly Circus. When my friend Zoe suggested having dinner there I looked up the location and wondered what I was in store for.
As soon as you step through the door way you immediately feel as if you have been transported to another place, a side street perhaps off Via Condotti in Roma. With seats at the bar we relaxed and took in the atmosphere. The staff are all Italian from what i could tell and speak to each other in Italian, when at the bar it just sets the tone wonderfully. We agreed that the overall atmosphere of the place is perfect, the background music is just below the level of the chatter and if there is a lull in conversation it fills the space. Small touch but shows an attention to detail.
The restaurant concept is in a sense similar to tapas, a full Italian menu but the plate sizes are small and designed so that you can try 5 or 6 different things between two. From memory we had the calamari fritti, the truffle croquettes, spaghetti bolagnese (made to Mums recipe), gnocchi with fresh crab. For the wine we shared a love red from Puglia, its drank very smoothly and was very quaff-​able .
To finish I had the tiramisu which was served with a glass of marsala and Zoe the pistachio sponge cake. Both were to die for for, Zoe’s description of the tiramisu said everything, «Its so light its as if it were made by angels»! what else can you say to that other than this is a incredible place with great staff and its the first of many visits I will be making.
San Carlo Cicchetti comes Highly JD Recommened.
N.B. Side note Bill Nighy was there on the same night, we were slightly star struck: o)

After a full «last day in London tourist travel» we literally stumbled on this. Place on the way to another. Badly in need of some refreshment we sat at the long beautiful bar. Generous drinks. Home made crunchy breads sticks & a small olive plate to start. We weren’t here for dinner, just to recover from the heat & crowds @ fortnum & mason. We ordered one of the flatbreads and it was just enough to take the edge off. Sadly this is our last day in London & we wished we had discovered this sooner. A nice oasis near the heart of the Circus in Picadilly.

Beautiful atmosphere with great style. Had one of the most balanced, beautifully designed cocktails in a while; basil, pineapple, soda and rum, sooo good! Food is great too with speedy service and Italian pizzazz. Particularly enjoyed the seafood fritti, fresh calamari and garlic aioli. Also enjoyed the rib eye with garlic and chilli, not so much the veal, too thin and the coating wasn’t right. Loved my panna cotta dessert, best I’ve tried in London! Double espresso came with flaky pastry-​I wasn’t hungry anymore but ate them all anyway!?! Lovely touch. Finally, lots of the staff said thank you and goodbye, a thoroughly enjoyable evening. NB. Reserve a table and try to sit at the back to see into the kitchen!

Was very excited by the sexy-​food-​glamour of this place based on menu and food in front window presentation. Unfortunately, everything about this place outglams the good, but somewhat ordinary small-​dish Italian fare. Green beans were the best dish, carpaccio fine, ravioli forgettable. Waiters, though, were adorably flirtatious, if you’re willing to pay for that sort of thing.

While wandering the area with empty stomachs, my husband and I found this place and went in, hoping not to need a reservation for lunch (it looked a little like a place that might require such a thing). We didn’t, and were quickly seated at a side/​bench table. The waiter explained the shareable small plate menu, and we ordered a bunch of recommended items. There was a fish and citrus plate, a veal and pasta plate, a cheese ravioli plate and another… and they were all very, VERY good.
The wine was good, the service was amazing, the food was just so ridiculously perfect and we left feeling very satisfied. Unfortunately, I don’t live in London anymore, but if I did… I would be back here on the reg!