Italian Graffiti

All things considered this is a truly brilliant restaurant. walking up Wardour street you see all kinds of pretty good looking establishments and start to question your choice... This however, changes the moment you walk through the door.

If you refuse to eat anywhere that isn't £60 pp or with tables laid out with white Egyptian cotton table cloths, then this probably is not the place for you. However if your looking for a relaxed and intimate atmosphere with great food at extremely affordable prices then i advise you strongly to at least try Italian Graffiti, if not reserve the window seat permanently. If your planning on taking your partner out for a romantic meal then this is definitely a good choice.

I started off with the calamari with a tartar sauce, and a glass of wine on recommendation to complement each course. It came quickly and exactly how it should be expected, with a bottle of pinot grigio rosetta. However this was only a simple dish so could not really exceed expectations. So far service was efficient, friendly and helpful. Striking the perfect balance of conversation without intrusion. The atmosphere is truly Italian, in the sense that it is laid back friendly and cheerful. In the background you can see your food being prepared and pretty suitable music playing in the background. Such combinations bring on a great level of flexibility with couples on dates business dinners and general social occasions all around.

After i had finished my appetizer i went with the Milano pizza which i can only describe yet again as truly Italian. With all of the qualities you might expect from a £50pp restaurant or in Italy itself. With a well prepared pizza base with a flavorsome dough and with a somewhat light feel and no grease to be seen. A generous helping of meat, olives and mushrooms on top garnished with fresh basil. Only top quality produce makes top quality pizzas and both can be found in Italian Graffiti.

To finish we shared a tiramisu which yet again was of a high quality but the only course i could find any real fault in all night, and even then it was just a case of a bit of a heavy powder on the top. Sipping on my Lemoncello i was pleasantly surprised when the bill arrived with a truly reasonable price undeserving of the height of quality experienced.

Italian graffiti is a fresh and relaxed environment for all ages and all backgrounds. All things considered i would recommend anyone and everyone to at least experience Italian graffiti once. You wont regret it.

The entire meal for both me and my partner came to a total of £38 and i like everyone else seated and leaving, walked out on to the street with a smile on my face.
Comment on this reader review

josh stiles - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, July 09, 2008

there was a lot lacking from graffiti - well a bit of italy but really not much at all...coming back from italy its not the same here...cheap but not the same really...depending on expectation and your reality.... sweet people....good intentions.... you are in london...not perugia....face the fact.
Comment on this reader review

chris
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 6
Sunday, June 15, 2008

I live in Western Australia, and when I visit London each year I make sure that I dine at IG. The staff are very friendly and efficient. The food is really good authentic Italian, and the pizzas are to die for, just like in Italy.

Overall the atmosphere is very cosy and typical Italian. The prices are very reasonable for the service and food that you get. I would recommend this restaurant if you like Italian food. By the way the tiramisu is fantastic.
Comment on this reader review

Jackie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, April 03, 2008

i thought the place was nice, but sadly the pasta was dreadful - if you served this in italy, there'd be a riot. The waiters would not leave us alone either, we must have been asked five times in 15 mins for our order...
Comment on this reader review

jeremy johnson
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Friday, December 14, 2007

Visited this restaurant on a Friday night and didn't have to wait for a table. The service was efficient, if a little too quick and the atmosphere was quite cosy. I had a Capriccioa pizza, which was very big. The base was just crispy enough without being hard and the topping was tasty, but a bit sparse. My friend ordered pasta with salmon, which looked quite simple and there wasn't that much of it. Not a bad restaurant, but I was a bit disappointed after reading so many good reviews.
Comment on this reader review

Fab
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Monday, August 13, 2007

I visited this restaurant on a work colleagues recommendation when having a weekend in London with my girlfriends for her birthday. Not being in London that much, I was looking for somewhere to go that would be really nice. We arrived at 10.30pm on a saturday night after being in a taxi stuck in horrendous traffic. The staff were extremely courteous and friendly and the food was excellent. There was a good atmosphere and I considered the food to be realistically priced and even good value with a selection of nice dishes. I had a seafood dish for starters and penne pasta with a lovely sauce for mains, and both were excellent. My girlfriend enjoyed hers very much too.

If travelling there on a saturday night by taxi and you don't know London that well, leave plenty of time to get there.

Recommended for a nice meal but if you are looking for something for a really special occasion, this isn't the one (in my opinion) !
Comment on this reader review

Peter Lomax
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, May 28, 2007

I visited Italian Graffiti last week with my friend and ordered exquisite pizza, which a chef recommanded, and pasta with seafood. However, the mussels had gone off and its taste was awful. Therefore, I don't recommand their pasta with seafood. After the main courses, I ate divine home-made Tiramisu. I really enjoyed fantastic desert. The decor of Italian Graffiti is simple with red bricks, Italian photos and many candles on the table. The atmosphere is quiet and romantic with Italian songs. If you go to this restrant with your boy/girlfriend for dinner, you will have a great time ,but don't have pasta with seafood. The Italian waiters were really friendly and efficient as you expect of Italian people. The people who are concerned about price can go there anytime, which means the price is reasonable. For example, most of the food is from £7 to £15. If you don't choose pasta with seafood, Italian Graffiti is enjoyable.
Comment on this reader review

Tiger
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, May 24, 2007

Went on the recommendation of another review site as it was a 'critics choice', and was not disappointed. The service is quick, which is good, but perhaps would be better if it was slightly slower but more attentive. It may just have been because we were sat by the door, but whenever new customers arrived they were greeted in the same breath as our order was taken.

Not a huge complaint, but something that prevented the experience from being closer to perfect. It just made things feel a little rushed.

The place itself is relatively basic, but that as well as the layout of the place I think works quite well. As with 99% of restaurants in London the majority of tables ar too close together. Not as bad as some, but easily enough so you get a good shot of crotch or rear anytime someone on the next table needs to get up. If I find a decently priced place with good table spacing I think I will be patronising it on every possible occassion.

To the food - what can I say apart from fantastic? It really was top drawer. We had starters of asparagus soup and king prawns (separate dishes of course) and main of 4 cheese pizza and chicken with ricotta and spinach.

Both were absolutely amazing, perfect flavours and great preperation. A real case of substance over style (not to say the presentation wasn't really good, but it was much more about the food itself. As it should be)

£38 all told, which includes a glass of wine and a beer.

Would definately recommend, as the food is exquisite, but a few small things could be improved.
Comment on this reader review

Stuart
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, May 17, 2007

Reading the Review from Alexander ,what can i say....he doesn't understand anything...Italian Graffiti it's a bomb with Pizzas to die for-makes a change to be served a pizza just like we eat in Italy !!!!!! I will certainly be reccomending this restaurant to my friend when they visit London and the atmosphere oh gosh....i will be eating there again before i return to Milan ciaoooooo
Comment on this reader review

alessio ,Milano
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, May 14, 2007

This restaurant is just not that good. The menu is not large, and the quality is below average. My pasta, for instance, was overcooked, as was the meat. The flavour was not good. It's also not astoundingly cheap, at roughly £8 per pizza or pasta dish. I don't recommend this place. The only reason to go there is because the service is quick, and you don't care about food quality. I've had much better meals in pubs.
Comment on this reader review

Marcin
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Friday, April 27, 2007