Kitchen Italia (Covent Garden)

Truly awful, such a shame as it looks gorgeous inside. I went with a friend for a pre-cinema plate of pasta and glass of wine and as we walked in down the stairs from the rain it looked cosy and welcoming. There are three long lines of bench tables down the middle and booths along the walls either side. There's a help-yourself gutter down the middle of each table, with fresh basil plants, flavoured oils and fresh parmesan for you to help yourself to. All good so far.

We ordered garlic bread, macaroni cheese and carbonara. The bread came quickly but it shouldn't have bothered as I couldn't taste any garlic, it just tasted like frozen bread that had been reheated just short of being ready. It got worse. The macaroni cheese came in a lovely copper pot but was basically pasta curls in a thin white sauce that had dripped to the bottom of the bowl. The carbonara had more to it: much more oil and more boiled bacon. Honestly, it was horrible and tasteless. Thank goodness for the basil and parmesan. I piled it on and managed to eat most of what was in my pretty Sophie Conran bowl.

The money spent on the decor was well spent but it is at the cost of the food. Really, the food tastes of nothing.
Comment on this reader review

- View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Made a last minute decision to eat here last Friday and really enjoyed it. The foodepedia review describes it as 'Waga-mama mia' and that's about right. Lovely looking space with booths around the sides and communal tables in the middle, open kitchen at one end, bar at the other.

We didn't expect much from the menu, but it was actually very good. Freshly cooked to order and much tastier than other Italian chain offerings (Carluccio's, we're looking at you). Spaghetti & meatballs was a generous portion, but not quite as good as the malfatti with sausage and fennel ragu. Garlic bread needed seasoning but the hot and crispy bread sticks, fresh from the oven, were great dipped in the spicy tomato sauce.

2 starters, 2 mains, 1 beer and 3 cocktails came to less than £50 which is about the best value you'll get for fast, fresh food in Covent Garden at the moment. Well worth a visit.
Comment on this reader review

-K- - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, January 25, 2010

I went here for lunch with my sister. A very pleasant, modern setting the restaurant has large shared benches, with some smaller side tables. I had a little trouble finding out what I could and couldn't eat with my food intolerance - some training for the waiting staff on this wouldn't go amiss- but we got there in the end. I had the chestnut and squash risotto, which was good but just too rich and I couldn't finish it. My sister had a stuffed pasta dish which she enjoyed. It is good value for money so with that and its great location just up from Diesel in Covent Garden I think I might well be going back at some point!
Comment on this reader review

Joanna James
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, December 15, 2009