Spaghetti House

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When you learn that a restaurant has been in business for a while, it's usually a reassuring sign that they've been consistent in serving up decent nosh.


seems to be such a place, having been serving up the long stringy stuff to regulars and tourists since before a good many of us were even born - 1955.

The operators of pride themselves on being a family business, which means it must be a pretty big family as today it has 10 branches across the capital.

Friends Simone Lavarini and Lorenzo Fraquelli were ahead of their time when they opened their first in the mid-1950s. The people of Britain were still obsessed with their meat and two veg, although these two Italian buddies soon saw to that.

I recently visited the very first , situated on two floors, just around the corner from Goodge Street tube station.


When you step inside and survey the scene, you can't help feeling you've jumped back in time. The old-fashioned decor certainly fits the place; it feels cosy and authentic.


The dining space on the ground floor isn't particularly large, with much of it taken up by the L-shaped bar. Grab a table on one of the soft red seats that line the window and you're all set. Upstairs is bigger and more open, so if you enjoy a bit more noise with your pasta, head there instead.


The menu is so extensive you could be sitting at your table half the evening wading through it - but that's valuable eating time you'll be wasting! You can always check it out online before you arrive - that way there'll definitely be time for dessert.

Choose from pizzas, salads, dishes "from the grill, the oven and the pan", and plenty more besides.


The food is tasty, and the portions big - I was struggling with my bowl of pasta by the end, but then I'd started with a shared bread dish (always guaranteed to fill your tummy). Note to self: do not start with a bread dish.

Prices are reasonable for a London restaurant, with starters costing an average of £5, mains £13, and desserts £5.

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