"Nowhere else in London can knock up tasty pasta as quickly as they do here..."

Added Fri 08 Aug 2008 by KimT

There are two branches in Covent Garden – one in Bow Street and the other in Bedford Street. Whilst I have gone there towards the end of an evening out drinking in Covent Garden with my girlfriends when we were desperate for carbs without being tempted by chips, it is also somewhere I take the kids when we need a fast bite on the way to the theatre.

And fast is the operative word. I don’t think anywhere else in London could serve up such tasty pasta as quickly as they manage here. I am sure that some people come here for the evening, but the turnaround is so quick that the tables are constantly being set and re-set as new people arrive. It’s bustle rather than relaxed. But the staff are friendly and efficient and take their jobs rather seriously – so the service is great – even if they do shout at each other a lot! Just like being at home really.

The food doesn’t knock you out, but it is good quality although at the expensive end of fast pasta. Starters include: bruschetta (£5.45 and £5.95), large garlic mushrooms (£5.95) and mussels (£6.75). For mains there is a large selection of pasta (spaghetti vongole and spaghetti polpette – meatballs – are my favourites both at £9.95 and my daughter loves their lasagne at £9.85, many comment on the linguine langoustine too at £9.75), and pizza (classics and less common options all between £8 and £10) as well as main courses which come with sides (burger £10.45, rib eye steak £13.95, sword fish £12.45 and the all important Escalope Milanese Spaghetti £12.95 – meat with spaghetti and tomato sauce for those who want their meat and their pasta too.