La Lanterna

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful meal at La Lanterna recently. Soon after we sat down at the table we were brought some delicious warm pizza bread with cured ham on it. It was delicious. Soon afterwards the waitress brought us some delicious, warm doughy bread. My boyfriend devoured every last morsel of his Americano pizza and I managed to finish an enormous and very tasty bowl of spaghetti bolognese.

We were very impressed indeed and are going back there this evening.

The atmosphere wasn't great because it was so quiet, but we arrived very early.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 31, 2007

We live around the corner and it used to be a nice local restaurant but it's hopeless now unfortunately.

Overpriced generally and pizza topping such as mushrooms are tinned! Yep! Thats right! TINNED!!!

My steak was the size of a mattress but not as tasty.

It appears to be an outlet for the cast-offs from it's larger parent company.

It would take a change of ownership to lure me back.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Saturday, July 21, 2007

I was hoping this would be a family-run, no-frills little trattoria. In fact it is part of a small chain so the staff wear uninspiring waistcoats with 'Biagio' on them and the laminated menu feels very unItalian!

When we went the place was almost empty - on a Saturday night! - which didn't help the atmosphere. Neither did the chianti bottles hanging in pairs like bats from the ceiling...

We were served limp and chewy pizza bread to start which was a shame; they brought much fresher and crunchier later on thank goodness. Our calamari starter was not too impressive. Then my pasta sauce was good and convincingly spicy but the pasta itself felt like it had been reheated, which is not good!! My partner's dish was fine, I think, and the creme caramel was home-made and tasty (if overly expensive - but all desserts seem to be these days!)

The staff were nice if a bit hopeless.
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Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 7
Monday, June 04, 2007

The food here is OK but pretty average to be honest, the pasta dishes being better than the seafood, and the prices being rather high for what it is. But.... its got a nice ambience about it and I always kept going time after time when I lived across the road. It's got something, for sure. Maybe its that it had a neighbourhood feel in an area thats pretty impersonal and City. I'd happily go there again but do not expect high falutin' cuisine - its standard trattoria fare.
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Declan James
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Monday, September 18, 2006

It's a great little place, but don't order too ambitiously. My pizza was huge and tasty, but partner's seabass was undercooked. Nice friendly atmosphere.
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, September 07, 2006

A truly wonderful find. It is cosy and the staff are so friendly. The food was amazing and when the bill came we were both surprised by how cheap it was. It is very close to Brockley train station. Also good wine and beer available.
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Charlotte
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Monday, March 06, 2006