Reviews of Polpo Soho. (Pizza) in London (London).

Polpo Soho

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334 Comments

Pizza

Italian restaurant

41 Beak St, Carnaby, London W1F 9SB, United Kingdom

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Information of Polpo Soho, Pizza in London (London)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

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Open hours of Polpo Soho

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Reviews of Polpo Soho

L. M.

We discovered this little restaurant in the city center by chance, and were pleasantly surprised by the exceptional quality of the food. We ate incredibly fresh and wholesome produce at a truly moderate and popular price. We are extremely satisfied and as Italians we recommend trying the sensational cuisine offered by Polpo.

J. Y.

Nice ambience and friendly staff, however we were disappointed with the dishes we ordered. Sea Urchin gnocchi - the sauce didn't taste like anything but lemon, the gnocchi itself was well cooked. Vegan nduja ravioli- tasted only like spices butternut squash. However, all food including other starters we got were very fresh. I think their other dishes could be very nice but the 2 main dishes we ordered were not up to standard.

T. B.

Discreetly located in Soho, very cozy and inviting inside. The food was well prepared and tasty, but not cheap. The drinks weren't cheap either (beer), but our 16-year-old son could order and drink a Pironi without any problems. 😁🥲

C. L.

By far the best Italian food we've had in London! Everything in Polpo is amazing: decor, service, menu, and of course the food! We shared all starters and mains as we wanted to try everything! Small enough portions to be able to do a mix and match, and very affordable prices for the location! Will definitely return and spread the word!❤️

N. M.

Good Italian good - love the beetroot crostina, the linguine cassipopa, the beef shin papparedelle and the arancina. Cute spot for a date or a fun night out as it’s very well located.

M. C.

Had a lovely lunch with some friend here. We had focaccia which was lovely, the pizzette were good and the service was great too. We spent £20 each. There were 4 of us and we shared two started and each had a main with a bottle of red wine.

J. H.

Amazing food, lovely staff and reasonably priced. They were very accommodating! We had no booking on a Saturday night and they were fully booked but kindly took our number and gave us a call when they had a free table. Would highly recommend 👌

S. C.

Had a really lovely early dinner. The food was authentic and delicious as always.

R. G.

Staff were charming and knowledgeable. Food was delicious. Great wine too. Hope to return.

K. K.

The linguine with seafood was fabulous. Gin fizz was chilling, filled my needs of thirst perfectly!!

v. s.

Nice environment, I haven’t tried any of the food so I will definitely will go back to try and amend my review. But for now I will definitely give good rating to the location and ambience. Perfect for the weekly dinner with your best friend of a date after work. Not too fancy not to scrubby. Definitely good lighting and not crazy on the music which helps the conversation. Either at the bar or seated you get served really well, ( Bare in mind only been to have something to drink ), staff very discreet but friendly and polite. Not too much on your back but present when needed, quality that is very hard to find in london these days. The wine menu is not the greatest, the cocktails list is decent for a chilled evening, definitely not a pre-party mood. Which I personally very much prefer. Overall definitely a 4 stars even though I haven’t tried the food. I will go back

A. P. P.

Had planned to come here in a long time but did not have the time. We were in central London for the weekend and walk in, luckily got a table for only 1,5h (which was more than plenty of time in my opinion for two people). Had some lovely food, atmosphere was lovely. Very modern Italian with great taste. Good for couples or groups. Romantic and cozy.

D. G.

Thank you so much for putting the chicken liver crostino back on the menu. So delicious we came back again today. Also ordered the stuffed olives and truffle croquettes again. Always come here when we come to London and look forward to coming back again soon. And many thanks for the good chat at the bar :)) Excellent staff members. Highly recommend this place to anyone considering.

J. L.

Really great food, the restaurant is small though and you're seated quite close to other tables. Despite that, the service was efficient and swift despite how busy the restaurant was.

E. S.

Wonderful place. Great service. Tasty food. Highly recommend.

R. C.

The quality of the food is outstanding and so are the drinks. However I was very disappointed to find out that my favourite waitress is not working there anymore. Unfortunately I never managed to get her name but I know that shes Arabic. Very lively and kind girl!

t. m.

Polpo is great. Always good food and great atmosphere . Staff are wicked .hope it doesn't change

c. g.

Awesome italian restaurant in Soho! Highly recommend the arancini and croquet for starters. Small menu but everything done perfectly with great flavours. Great cocktails as well. Cannot wait to go back.

R. H.

Delicious food, some of it a little odd to share (like a whole bowl of beef pappardelle) and nice, intimate atmosphere. Seemed odd that nobody came to ask us if we wanted more drinks or dessert, so in the end it wasn't too expensive at all!

e. b.

I have always liked Polpo but their prices have been going up steadily for a while. For 5 stuffed olives and a bottle of house wine it's just under £40. Some of their food can be really good so it's a shame.

J. H.

Came in without a booking. Manager on shift still seated us even when busy. The food was absolutely delicious. Just like Sukh said so confidently, simple but perfectly executed. Great atmosphere and vibe, staff really know how to please. Will return to this gem. Thank you polpo soho.

F. W.

Lovely warm food, but portion is on the small side. We basically enjoyed everything we ordered, Frito Misto is a must! Overall a bit overpriced in my opinion, but would visit again when I crave having Venetian food.

R. B.

Cute intimate setting. Lovely staff. Mushroom and tallegio arancino was not good-lacked seasoning I think hence tasted very bland. Potato and truffle croquettes were nice and flavourful. Mushroom and scarmoza pizzette was tooo cheesy for my liking although the pizza base itself was so nice. The pumpkin and vegan nduja tortellini was really nice.

H. p.

Amazing restaurant with a great variety of different food to share. Had a lovely experience would definitely recommend, great for trying new foods and sharing.

D. C.

At first glance looking at the menu I wasnt sure what to make of it, very continental and very different food items than I usually get at my local spoons. Nevertheless I was prepared to give it a go. We had the sausage pizza, octopus and the cabbage thing, and do you know what? We weren't dissapointed. We also ordered a bottle of red which the waiter kindly brought over and attempted to show us the bottle in which my girlfriend not understanding common restaurant etiquette tried to snatch out of his hand. She was embarrassed and we all had a good chuckle. Feeling very full the waiter then asked if we'd like a pudding, he sold us straight into the tiramisu. Yes, you've guessed it we weren't dissapointed. The bill did not come to as much as we though t either. 10/10 will eat here again.

A. S.

The food at Polpo was really tasty. I did find it to be expensive though, which is maybe what you would expect from a restaurant serving Venetian small plates. We had a deal that gave us a starter for £1 when buying a drink, which was good value.

A.

Cosy restaurant located a few minutes walk from Piccadilly Circus. The dishes are perfect for sharing and discuss on the Venetian region. The meatballs are especially good along with the duck, olive and ragu gnocchi. The portions are good for the price and surprisingly filling. The space has a nice laid back Italian chic feel to it and the staff are attentive. Recommended.

N. A. -.

The food was tasty, I got the lamb and garlic meatballs and you could tell they used quality ingredients in the food. I was let down by the service , it was quite slow after 20 mins of waiting , we alerted on of the waiters and they said another 10 mins. Turns out that the chef lost our ticket order and gave us a free starter or dessert because of the wait. But after that the service was still slow , picking our plates and giving us the bill, sad thing is we still had to pay service charge :/. Food was great , service let me down. If they can improve that it would be great l.

W. H. (. P.

We ordered a variety of dishes and each one was absolutely delicious, the zucchini fries as a little hand snack are something I've not had before but would highly recommend, the meatballs, Margherita pizza and beef shin pappadelle gave me some nostalgic memories of visits to Italy, a place I consider to have the best cuisine, get a little sample of it at polpo Soho.

H. S.

Such a great spot. Stopped in randomly while strolling through Soho, sat at the bar, and were treated to marvelous service, great drinks, and amazing food. The bruschette with gorgonzola & cured pork was AMAZING. Plus it was Soho, so fabulous people-watching besides. We'll be back.

W. N.

Good selections of Italian small dishes. The food overall was average but the experience was good, sit at the bar if you can. My personal favourite item was their bread with honey, pinenut and goat cheese.

a. l.

Very friendly staff and nice ambiance, we ordered the zucchini fries and beef papardelle which were delicious, and the foccacia and classic pizzette which were average. Fun for a night out!

L. k.

We went here for a meal. It was recommended in the timeout guide. The venue was casual and the staff were attentive. They offered recommendations. We started with stuffed olives and mixed Crostini, the crab one was delicious. For mains we had zucchini fries which were lovely and fresh, the clams and the prawns. We followed this with chocolate dessert washed down by a bottle of chardonnay wine. The price was good and we were stuffed by the end. Will. Be going back for different food next time

l. e.

Unexpected night with friends at Popolo after meeting in city, we chanced this place and got a primetime table at 7pm. Atmos is fantastic, great tunes, great service and Italian vibes all over... Few cold beers at the bar and then feast on. Its shari g and we all smashed the beef shin pasta, brushetta, meatballs <awsome> aranchini (bang on) and a few cocktails. Hanky panky was a standout for the table. Service was fast and prices reasonable. Tables are tightly packed so be prepared to get kinda friendly with the neighbours. Negroni was tiny but tasty hence the star drop... Check it out..

A. B.

Great quality dishes, a bit more selection and portion size would push this to five stars

L. M.

I ate at Polpo and went back about two hours later to eat again! The best food I have ever had. Order the focaccia bread and the spaghetti plain with a craft of Chianti. The food photo was for the first round - I was too busy shoving food in my face to take a photo or even breathe! I read comments that say you can share but you won’t want to, everything is amazing! I have spent everyday since eating here thinking of the food and would Book a flight just to go eat there and go back home. Even if you have a lay over you need to leave and get yourself here ASAP!

V. B.

It was excellent. We went for pre theatre supper. Delicious range of small dishes. Sort of like Italian tapas. The arancini were outstanding

E. B.

Quite average I would say! The person that greeted us was gentle and professional but we didn’t like the girl that was responsible for our table. Quite cold, not smiling at all, and was obvious that she didn’t like what she was doing. She was coming again and again to take the dishes from our table even though we were eating slow and we haven’t finished. Food was ok, nothing special but as always overpriced compared to the quantity. We liked the dessert more! I am happy that I ate there due to the buzz especially from time out but I don’t think that I will visit again!

D. A.

Wanted to visit this place for a while, the atmosphere is great. The sauce in my meatball pasta was really oversalted, the pasta itself wasn’t al dente, but not over cooked. Didn’t meet expectations, but will return to give it another try with other dishes. The service was rather fast.

J. P.

Very good as usual arancini top crispy and cheesy, fritto misto light battered and a few sneaky cocktails round this off nicely

A. S.

Amazing food for such a good price! Best Italian in London by far

B. J.

Favourite Italian restaurant in London. Small sharing plates so you get to taste a selection of menu items. Most of the servers are Italian and very helpful making food and wine selections. We like to sit at the bar to enjoy the atmosphere - super cosy.

S. L.

A neighborhood gem. Be careful the “tapas” portions might be larger than you assume! Very good food and service, in a chill light-filled space, with a great windowed bar.

P. S.

Great food and very friendly staff. The pea and risotto arancini was delicious!

L. B.

Amazing restaurant warm cozy and intimate. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We ordered several plates to share (tapas style) and the food was amazing. I highly recommend the port cutlet!

V. M.

Perfect little lunchtime nibbles - great for the Eat Out to Help Out deal. We felt guilty only paying £8 per head!

O. C.

Lovely meal made even better by the service of Deborah and Sukh. We’ll be back again

J. Y.

Delicious tapas. Everything fresh, service was fantastic and prices reasonable

N. R.

Great Tapas style Italian food, great atmosphere and friendly staff.

A. B.

Rock average Italian with decent veg options. There are a lot of Italian places around Soho and Covent Garden which are run by Italians (little family places) which are a lot more authentic. The menu here feels a bit like trying to push the boat out but falling in the water a little bit. Ok it's a little different and that's nice, but I'd barely put this in the category of an "Italian" restaurant.

S. D.

We had a fantastic meal at Polpo! I'd noted this was for a birthday on our Resy reservation and our waiter checked this with us after we arrived. The service was excellent throughout and they catered extremely well for my gluten-allergic friend by making many of the dishes gluten free. There was a slight delay with our second round of food - this didn't bother us as we were just enjoying being there, but they automatically brought us an additional plate for the delay. Every dish was delicious. An all round excellent dining experience, can't wait to come back!

A. D.

Lovely intimate Soho restaurant that's great for lunches, cocktails, dinners, pre/post theatre. Seasonal and good quality food with interesting dishes and tastes. Nice dessert menu too and good coffee. A London staple!

M. K.

Went for spontaneous Tapas by myself and loved the whole experience. I recommend sitting at the bar by the window. Friendly, polite staff, lovely selection of wines and very tasty dishes. Great little Restaurant, Highly recommend.

L. T.

Lovely lunch for daughter’s birthday

A. H.

Very lovely place. Lots of great food, but easy to miss as you walk by ... definitely suggest NOT missing chance to eat here. Its fab!

S. A.

It's a nice place but the chichetti and the aperol spritz aren't the best in town. Far from an authentic Venetian bacaro.

O. I.

What a lovely little place, with dim lights and great food choices to share with friends. Customer service was great (I think our host was Ewan and he went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable). Looking forward to coming back.

i. I.

I was here for afternoon and I had I really good experience. The bartender Daniel was really professional and I had an amazing experience. Really recommended if you are around soho!

s. t.

Fairly good food to share. Good to come early to be a bit quiet. Service was good too. Liked the lights.

P. V.

Perfectly excellent! Stunning food and superlative service 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 And that hasn't changed from my first visit in 2013 to my last yesterday 😁

R. H.

Great food and cocktails. The pizzeta and arancini are great, and so are the meat balls.

R. A. A.

The food is really good but the portions are tiny and overpriced

J. P.

Not been in years, but still fantastic.

A. S.

The very best of Italian food. Truffle croquettes are too good - I could eat a whole plate by myself.

m.

Good food served promptly. Buzzy atmosphere.

G. G.

Great tapas style food as reasonable prices. Good selection of drinks (the polpo own brand wines are a real great buy!) Nice interior. Update: improved from 4 stars to 5. Mostly due to the service, great friendly staff who are a real credit to the place.. cov-19 precautions were fine and not shoved in your face.

E. W.

Scrummy food. Like that there's a small menu. Need 2 or 3 plates for 1 person. Very very tasty. Good vibes too

F. W.

Great food, atmosphere and attentive waiting staff in the heart of Soho. Delicious Italian small plates (including not so small pizzette) and delicious cocktails. Strong recommend.

E. E.

Incredible food, great service, wonderful atmosphere. Couldn’t recommend enough!

E. H.

There's few places I'd rather visit in the area when I'm looking for a nice drink and nibble to break up some of the never ending window shopping London has to offer. The intimate hustle and bustle of Polpo makes it intriguing yet relaxed, and lively enough to have a laugh but quiet enough to enjoy a quick tipple with the misses before you carry on. You can enjoy some of the delicious bar snacks for very reasonable prices but you can also sit down to eat from a more extensive menu. The staff are always extremely warm and welcoming, I recommend sitting at the bar if your just popping in where the barmen will always ensure your glass never runs dry!

S. v. D.

Just had a great lunch and a super nice server named Thibo! The food was amazing

M. M.

Good food overall. The spicy stuff is really spicy. Which may be a good or a bad thing depending on your spice tolerance. We ordered wine bottles for the table and the waiter kept refilling my glass when I wasn’t looking... which was quite awkward. Side note: they had The most amazing hand soap in the toilets.

K. D.

This is the first time I've visited this establishment. The ambiance is very appealing with yellow dim mood lighting and rustic interiors. The food was also very tasty and very well presented. However, the service is super slow. They took forever to even serve our wine. We ordered small plates of croquettes, arancini and meatballs. They were seriously yummy, light and not greasy at all. Even the crab pasta I had was absolutely decadent. I was a little disappointed that the crab sauce didn't have any pieces of crab meat. All in all it was an OK experience with great food.

J. P.

My wife and I had a fantastic meal here last night. All of the food was just delicious. We had been here before a couple of years ago, and we noticed how it has changed and evolved since then. To anyone who has been before and not enjoyed the food as much as they had thought they would, I would say that you should go again because the menu and the food has been comprehensively revamped and improved since then. All of the flavours were delicate and finely balanced, and even though we ordered quite a few dishes, they were all superb. We loved the hake with chickpeas, the clams and the lamb. We would also recommend the pumpkin with mustard, the spinach, parmesan and fried egg pizzette, the lamb lettuce salad, the orange and almond cake and the chocolate pudding! Yum! Just thinking about the food makes me want to go there again tonight!

M. S.

Not as flashy as I was expecting - which was a good thing. Food came in the form of lots of small plates delivered when they’re ready as opposed to all at once. Staff were friendly and efficient. Menu had lots of interesting options. Our favourites were the scallops and the meatballs although the salsa verde served with the steak deserves a special mention. Everything tasted very fresh and had lots of flavours. Decent drinks selection - lots of gins. We ordered 6 small plates for 2 people which was about perfect. Loses a star due to bins being brought through the restaurant during service.

D. W.

All round amazing experience. Great service, great food, great ambiance and even more great....they accommodated four of us plus my dog at short notice so close to the festive season. Regularly changing Venetian/north Italian menu with a few regular gems as constant items. Good short wine list and a short list of robust great-tasting cocktails to start, maintain or end your meal. 5 out of 5.

j. m.

My Favourite Polpo, always great service and a really good atmosphere. Try and sit at the bar if you can. The window is the best seat!

R. B.

Had a really nice afternoon here. Chilled attentive staff. The food is great. Everything tasted so good. Quite a few veggie options on the menu. Not many vegan options. Left very happy

G. G.

This establishments food is a kind of modern take on Tapas. The dishes offered are quite varied. The stuffed fried olives were lovely and very different. The meatballs are also to die for. The staff are helpful however we waited ages for one of our plates. As it was steak maybe that is why. However since my potato salad had been served already. I ended up waiting a good while to eat. This is definitely a good dining experience and quite affordable.

A.

I had always been told that Polpo was great but it was very much "just ok". Fritto misto was a good start, however, crab croquette was very finely purified and I am dubious of the amount of crab actually use as the taste was very subtle. Courgette fries were a good side, and octopus and beans had a minty hint, which was nice but the clams were very buttery with an occasional hit of chilli... still lacking something for the best part of it. Mushroom pizzette was mild, which was expected and would have been a welcome side if there were stronger flavours in the other dishes. Overall, some good dishes but not enough variation and nothing which stood out as spectacular.

J. i. L.

Great atmosphere and great food! Been there a couple of times, typical Soho bar-style restaurant but really cozy atmosphere. Staff is super nice and motivated and the menu diverse but still unique - my favourite is Gnocchi with squash, cheese and walnuts. They also have a special dish each month to discover. Walk in it's hard to get a table, so better make a reservation.

F. V.

Really good Italian restaurant!! Food is amazing and at the right price for once, which is not bad. The mixed fried fish was spectacular, as well as the meatball pasta. The waitresses are really nice, always at our table when we needed but out of the way when we didn't. The only downside, which is the reason not to give a full grade, is the music: really terrible commercial disco music, which doesn't belong in this place at all and becomes quite disturbing after a while. Next time I will go to one of the other Polpos, and avoid the terrible music altogether!

A. M.

Great ambiance, mediocre service and food. We walked in Polpo after a long day of walking around the city. The interior and menu looked great so we took a small table inside. Our server recommended getting two plates each to share them all. She also said they would come out whenever they were ready, instead of all at once. We ordered the risotto balls--these were fried and cheesy inside but very small! We then got the beef meatballs in sauce. These were about four meatballs in a red sauce. They were tasty but not outstanding. We then got the broccoli with hazelnuts. The broccoli was a bit under-cooked and didn't have enough flavor. The service at this restaurant was a bit confusing. It seems the servers help all the tables, instead of being assigned specific parties. We asked four servers for our check and kept waiting for it to arrive! It was very odd and we couldn't understand why this took so long after so many people asked us if we wanted anything else. I would say the price and ambiance here doesn't match the quality and service. Very underwhelming.

M. O.

I ate here for a work do. Having said that, the small plates set menu was something like 12 to 14 dishes for £28 not including drinks which I thought for a central London restaurant was good value for money. The main menu is also well priced. I can recommend the meatballs with spaghetti, the sauce is really nice. Water is on the tables and topped up regularly. Only reason I haven't given 5 stars is because we had some dishes on the set menu I wasn't very keen on. That was just me though the restaurant was nice, waiting staff were attentive and very polite. Would recommend and go back again

D. M.

Restaurant with unique atmosphere doing Venetian style food

G. H.

First meal inside post lockdown and what a joy it was. The team are so welcoming, kind and polite at Polpo Soho, this is before we get to the amazing food. Really was lovely, thanks all. Will be back.

D. T.

We are here with a small group on a Thursday evening. When we arrived we didn't have to wait, and most other groups were only being told to expect a few minutes wait. We ordered a few cocktails to start, and enjoyed them all. Particularly enjoyed the elderflower martini. Dinner was a broad array of dishes which we all enjoyed thoroughly. A couple of bottles of wine for the table completed things. The bill was fair for the meal. The only drawback was that we were rather rushed for the table once we'd finished eating, and we're given only a few minutes from finishing dessert to being asked to relinquish the table. A bit disappointing after an otherwise excellent evening.

G.

Great food, staff and setting.

K. K.

This is one of our favorite places to eat when in London. Food is excellent, wait staff efficient and friendly. Will try to eat there again before we leave!

M. T.

Interesting food - only stopped for an antipasto lunch so didn't experience whole menu choices. Nice staff; bit over attentive unless you actually need them. Will go again, would recommend this place.

C. G.

We've been to Polpo several times on our last two trips to London. We visited 3 times on our last trip. Food is amazing. Great atmosphere and great cocktails. I highly recommend the Old Fashioned. Absolutely amazing how they prepare it. It's always very busy so if you're in a hurry you'll need to be patient. Enjoy a few cocktails while you wait because the wait is definitely worth it. Highly recommended.

D. B.

It’s good. Not amazing as I was expecting. The sardines were good but the gnocchi with sea urchin could have less flour and more sea urchin.

R. J.

Have visited their Bristol branch a few times before it closed recently but this was my first time to their restaurant in Soho. We had a wonderful lunch of many dishes and wine and helped along by a lovely bright waitress from the Isle of Man, we stayed for quite a while. I can't speak highly enough of the food, it is all superb. Great concept. Never disappoints.

B. R.

Had a lazy weekend lunch here as a group. Great atmosphere and friendly staff, although service was a bit hit-and-miss. We all thought the food was overrated -- Polpo serves lots of small dishes, with the idea that you order a bunch and share, so we got to taste a fair swathe of the menu. Some were fairly good, like their meatballs, but the majority were average or seemed like you could do a better job throwing together at home, like their cream cheese and anchovy special. If Polpo was elsewhere I'd probably go back, but in London there are lots of places that do both Italian and tapas-style eating far better.

V. G.

I have been to almost all of their branches, and I really love the food. Last Saturday had a nice lunch with an old friend, and a food was again excellent. The only thing that we found a bit funny, that the waitress tried to served me pizzette two times, first when we hadn't even ordered yet, and next time when I was waiting for my chickpea balls to be served (which arrived after the lady at the bar had reminded their colleagues that I was still waiting whilst my friend had already finished her food). There is always room for improvement, isn't there?

S. M.

Everything was perfect from the moment we stepped in. The atmosphere, the staff, the food - it all felt like a little piece of Italy! Can't wait to come back and visit again!

L.

Lovely food, shame about awful service. The wine came out after the food started to arrive, sadly the waitress had no idea how to open prosecco!! The food came out in drive and drabs. One of our party had to wait over half hour before her mains arrived. Most of us had only 1 dish arrive and again had to wait at least half hour for rest and even longer for sides. That say food was delicious but if we waiting for the feast we expected it would all have been cold. I appreciate it is tapas style, but really?????

J. T.

Went here on the back of two separate recommendations. Had dinner Aaron's 6 pm before a theatre performance. Cosy place and nice atmosphere. Italian style small sharing plates. The two of us had four plates between us and that was sufficient. Tasty food. Service could have been a bit faster, especially when it came to paying. Overall a good spot and would go again.

A.

Excellent Venetian food. Tapas sized portions, great for sharing. The menu changes periodically so if you only visit every now and then, there’s always something new to try. I only had to queue on one occasion out of maybe 3 or 4 visits - which for a restaurant like this in central London is great.

T. C.

One of our regular haunts for lunch. We tend to sit at the bar. Simple stripped décor. The food is usually good though occasionally a little uninspiring, but it's always reasonable value. We have our favourites on the menu - fried olives are always great. House red is cheap and a decent glugger to go with the food.

L. H.

Great service but this Polpo is a bar, it is NOT about the food. Very underwhelming. Price understandable for the location and perfectly fine but this isn't representative of what Polpo has to offer.

A. P.

To have lunch at Polpo was a great experience. A cozy place, kindly staff, good service and a really fantastic food. The interior architecture is original, and we felt so welcomed and relaxed. The menu and the receipt book are wonderful. Desserts are delicious! We recommend!

L. M.

Went here for a birthday dinner and the food was nice. The only reasons I did not give a 5 star rating is that their sister branch which closed (the bird) had much nicer food and their Tiramisu was better so I maybe had higher expectations coming here. It is still a lovely atmosphere and great waiting staff. You will enjoy your visit.

L. P.

Pollo is a great, casual dining venue. Offering simple food it is Italian food at its finest. Everything is offered as small portions and diners pick 2-3 dishes each. Portion sizes are fairly decent and so you might want to order just 2 things each and you can order more if required. There is a good selection of food such as mini pizzas, meatballs, meat and fish. I opted for the pork and fennel meatballs which were beautifully cooked and calmed smothered in a delicious spicy tomato sauce. The courgette salad, which was really fresh and complimented the meatballs really well. But the star of the show was the crab linguine. Perfectly cooked linguine served with a delicious, creamy, crab sauce. Complete with really generous chunks of crab. This is a prime example of the decent portion sizes as I would say it was over half a portion of pasta. There is also a fantastic drinks selection.

L. H.

Can't fault the dinner we had here, felt very special and the service was excellent. I was so pleased about the range of vegetarian options, and the house wine was very tasty. Topped off with a Nutella pizza (!!!!) p.s. Definitely share it else you'll regret it! And for the quality of everything, £75 felt very reasonable for two with a bottle of wine

S. D.

Crowded and very popular on a Friday night. I am glad we had a reservation. We ordered several small dishes for £4-5 and then pizza served on a tin dish. The three of us paid £85. Lots of dishes with truffles. Delightful.

G. F.

Had a meal withy wife here before the theatre on a Saturday. We only had am hour, but the waiter told the kitchen and they turned things around very quickly. The food itself was lovely, decent portions for good prices - would recommend the octopus salad and the pork and fennel meatballs. Plus the lovely crispy garlic bread and courgette, rocket and parmesan salad. In fact, everything we ate was great! Will return...

D. D.

A nice intimate restaurant close to Carnaby Street. In the evening, it's lit by candles which is great for atmosphere but difficult when trying to read the menu (thank goodness for the light on my phone). The menu is mainly sharing plates so order a number to keep you going but bear in mind the plates will not all come together. I especially loved the zucchini fries, potato & parmesan crochette and the mozzarella, tomato & oregano pizzette. I'll return for these and the atmosphere.

J. A. E.

Very nice environment for dinner in an informal environment. Dimmed lights and a great bar. You can either eat at the bar by the entrance or wait for a table. (Usually around 20-30 min). Plates are served in small portions so order different things to try. If the table takes a bit to be ready order some snacking food and a bottle of wine or some cocktails, they can be served in the waiting area by the entrance.

R. B.

Great for a casual chatty dinner out with friends! We were loud and sat around for four hours eating and drinking boat loads of coffee and tea. Despite low margin drinks (no alcohol), we didn’t feel pressured to leave. Oh and the pasta and the tiramisu were decadent and scrumptious. Decent pricing for Soho so well done, Polpo!

L. B.

Food is amazing. We didn't immediately understand the concept of the restaurant. Many people order different things which they share. Real Italian food. Lovely!

N. S.

This is my third Polpo branch and unfortunately I wasn't as pleased as I was at the other two. To be honest, it seems a simple management issue; a guiding managing hand was missing and it has reflected in my personal experience...

C. Y.

The food wasn't as good as I thought it would be from other reviews, so it was a bit disappointing particularly as it was for my birthday lunch. The gnocchi was really hard and didn't taste of much with the sauce - I've had a lot better in other places. My friends' commented that their food was ok but nothing to shout about unfortunately.

I. S.

Came here with a group of 7 friends, the staff was very helpful & accommodating, even though the place was quite full & we did not have a reservation, they have managed to squeeze us in. The dishes were quite small... more of sharing Tapas style. Their house wine was very decent & reasonably priced. The service was a bit slow, but overall we had a good time here.

J. S.

Been here a few times , friendly staff , always welcoming even when it's very busy. The food is fresh and well prepared. Very reasonably priced too. The restaurant itself is very cozy , but pleasant none the less.

P. C.

I took 3 friends to Polpo for a birthday meal at the weekend. We all found it charming and really enjoyed our time there. The food range was varied and all delicious. I would certainly recommend it and intend to come back. The only slight criticism was the volume of music, but the choice was great!

K. T.

I had a great time here recently. With no booking we were lucky to nip in and grab the remaining bar seats. Personally my favourite place and highly recommend this. The ambience was lovely and the staff were friendly and attentive. Good wine choice and great for tapas and sharing.

A. X.

Delicious and filling. I loved the fried vegetables and the speck appetizer. Tomato salad was ok.

M. S.

Delicious food, friendly quick service and a good atmosphere

E. P.

Overpriced and overrated. Food expensive and very average. Service ok: definitely not excellent. Two of us visited on a Saturday afternoon for a birthday treat. The restaurant wasn’t busy. We had arancini - small portion but tasty; the chilly prawns were also small: would have expected proper large Italian prawns for that price. Service could have been better. One of the waitresses was aloof and absent-minded and poured wine in my Prosecco. Overall not a totally bad experience but not one I would repeat any time soon.

B. Y.

Great restaurant in the heart of Soho. It can be difficult to get a table though so you're better off going early or late. The last couple of times I've been it's been over an hour wait. There is a small bar downstairs while you wait. I'd describe the food as Italian tapas as you order lots of small dishes. There's lots of choice, with daily specials. The food quality is consistently good, and is a great place for a date or small groups of friends as there's quite a lively atmosphere.

R. D.

This is a great place to go. They have friendly staff and the food is nice. It's small plates served Venetian style. I would recommend around 5 dishes to share and order bread and dessert. You can always order more. Items arrive when they are ready so not at one time. If you like sharing food and picking at stuff then head here.

J. E.

For an Italian take on tapas, this place is really tasty. Lots of great small plate options, the meatballs in particular are very tasty. A couple more venues have popped up recently, has the makings of a really good chain.

A. K.

This restaurant is on Beak Street. It’s a very decent place with good selections and small plate items of interest to try. Not sure if they accept bookings - we were walk-ins and managed to get a table easily. The staff are friendly and easily approachable. Getting to Soho is easy from just about anywhere in London via the trains.

P. M. K.

Casual and cosy atmosphere. Small plates to share. Great food but didn't like the crab linguine. All other plates we had were very tasty. Nice place for couples or small groups.

R. M.

Nice array of little dishes. Plus a main menu. Sit down or bar stools very eclectic Reasonable prices for Soho and quality of food is good. Reminds me of Trattorias back in the villages in Italy

J. N.

Very nice food and very polite and friendly personnel. That said the portion could be quite a bit bigger and the wine is quite expensive for the quality being proposed. The restaurant itself is quite cosy if it wasn't for the very loud music and (because of the too loud music) the patrons shouting to keep a conversation.

A. M.

Nice vibe. Delicious food with menu of sharing plates

T. D.

Very nice Italian restorant. Food was great and staff was very friendly.

A. C.

Came here for a meal with my wife on a Monday evening. Inside is cosy but with a good atmosphere. Table service was attentive and we didn't feel rushed. Similar to tapas, the idea is to order several dishes to share. We had 5 between us and each one was great. Portions looked small but were actually plenty big enough. Total bill including drinks, dessert and coffee was around £65. Would definitely come back here.

V.

Polpo was good but not great. I had a few of their small plates (Frito misto, arancini, spaghetti with lamb meatballs, scallops), some were delicious (arancini, meatballs), while others were just ok (Frito misto). Wines by the glass were interesting and good value for money. Service was a bit slow, but the restaurant was absolutely packed, so it was understandable.

J. C.

Finally, an interesting Italian! Concept is small plates so menu has a wide range of dishes. Service was efficient without being over friendly. The place is small and with no booking policy be prepared to wait around busy times. We waited for about 20 minutes on a Tuesday pm for a table of four. Octopus was really well cooked, steak was a bit over done for my liking. Worth a stop. £30 a head for four including wine and drinks.

R. E.

Loved it. Quirky little restaurant inspired by Venetian tapas style food. you choose 2 or 3 small plates each. Really delicious and good fun. we'll be going again when we are in the area!

Z. H.

Food: Very good tapas good for the price. Not really too much to complain or rave about beyond this. A solid option. Service: Very friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Ambience: A lively, dimly lit establishment with exposed brickwork. Price: Very reasonable. Worth a visit: A solid option if you're in the area and want some good food for a larger group of people.

A. H.

Came here on a Thursday night about 7pm. The place was packed and fairly loud. Took a long time to get a table, then the table was cramped. Call me middle aged (I am) but this place is also unreasonably dark so phones were needed to read the menu. Prices were ok for Soho. Both the food menu and cocktails are eccentric. Pizzas, but no pizza you've ever heard of. Cocktails, but they won't make a margarita. Having said all that, a group of 6 had a good conversation for several hours and a decent meal.

M. F.

A wonderful addition to London's eating scene. Eating here is just the way I like it - small, interesting and reasonably priced dishes of robust Italian flavours. A brilliant recipe for happy customers and restaurant success. The fritto misto is great - lightly fried in quality oil - no nasty oily after-taste. The gnocchi with rabbit was also bouncing with flavour and the gnocchi lovely and light. We went for lunch and ordered far too much food (but managed to eat it all mind!). Only slight niggle was the ricotta crumble, which came as a square 'tray bake' and was dry and unappealing. Well trained staff took it away without any hassle and removed it from the bill. Otherwise the food was fab! Highly recommended.

G. L.

The atmosphere, the staff and the food quality was amazing. The cherry on top was their Tiramisu and the nice company. :)

S. B.

Tasteful restaurant with nice ambiance. Food quality is decent but portion sizes all over the place. Some were huge such as chicken Milanese while the standing had only two small pieces. The downstairs area is all right considering, but lacks wifi and cell phone service - I wanted to share some photos but wasn't able to.

M. J.

Part of the growing Polpo chain, serving Venetian style Italian food in an informal setting. It was busy when we went but the food still came relatively quickly which is a positive but didn't entirely overcome the food which was over-salted and underflavored. Deep fried olives and the meatballs were the stand-out dish but special mention of the house white which went well with the food and was well-priced for a central London restaurant.

D. G.

A cosy place serving really nice tapas-style dishes. Highlight was the cod cheeks and pork belly. Only gripe is the service was not great. Pretty slow and brought the wrong dish out, forgot to put through our dessert order and seemed to be invisible most of the time - however it is very busy in there.

J.

I had a really great meal here after having two recommendations for this place. A very cosy restaurant which serves a really delicious style of Italian Tapas. My wife and I ordered 4 dishes and some bread to go with it. Probably could have squeezed a little bit more in but decided to go for a delicious desert instead! Well recommended!

R. B.

Didn't meet my expectations with plain tasteless food and mediocre service. Uncomfortable seating and noisy atmosphere. A website that doesn't allow you to book despite providing a form so when you call to make a reservation, the staff say that means we are fully booked and then ask can you to book online. ..I am disappointed and embarrassed by a very lack lustre performance my guest and I endured. Not good enough!!

A. G.

Woow! Food's so good here! Productive, advisable friendly and happy staff, gorgeous interior, great drinks. Thank you <3

K. G.

Really amazing food. My only reason for not giving stars is the staff (who were great) were a little pushy at times trying to sell extras and sides. That said, this did not put us off as the food is top notch. We will definitely return!

M. P.

Love the concept. The pizzettes are very nice as well as the zucchini side and tomato salad. A great place to go with 4 people- small space, but a fun and shareable meal. Make sure you check out the speakeasy in the basement.

C. T.

It’s just ok now. Something has changed in the last year or two, the dishes come out quicker, but the quality has dropped. I was looking forward to having the Beef Shin Ragu to find the dish is now served with a different pasta, which didn’t work as well. The dishes don’t feel that special and are at the quality levels that makes you feel like you could make similar at home

M. C.

OK food, at best. Wine is good. Service is good. But for these prices I expect something better in terms of the food quality. The snacks and the meatballs were boring. Especially in this neighbourhood.

J. C.

Fairly ok-ish tapas. We had prawns and beef shin pasta. Some bland pizza came out and finished with 2 lukewarm coffees. Pricey but it is Soho.

W. W.

Had a lovely first time here on a Thursday evening. Really good service and brilliant drinks, Timothy was a brilliant server!

S. B.

Lovely food, great place! The octopus was incredible. Only let down was the staff member looking after our table, understood they were busy but the wait on drinks and getting the member of staffs attention was difficult.

C. C. I.

Polpo never disappoints! I've been to quite a few branches and both the food and the staff have been consistently impressive. I would particularly recommend the arancini, the soft egg pizzette and the crab and chilli linguine, oh and the lamb meatballs. But to be honest, everything is delicious. I had desert here for the first time a few days ago, and it was incredible! Had the hot chocolate pudding with blackberry coulis and ice cream. Wow. Just wow. And I'm generally not a fan of that phrase, but... Wow.

C. P.

Small tapas style restaurant, although it is Venetian inspired it has little or nothing in common with Venice cuisine or feeling, apart from the size of portions, which like the famous Venetian cicheti are minimalist. Have to say the sea trout was very nice. Prices are probably a bit high for what you get

M. S.

Amazing and great value Italian food. Typically there's a wait, you need to put your name down, but there's a campari bar downstairs you can wait and drink in. It's small plates, but well priced, with a few friends you can try a lot. The meatballs and fried fish in particular are great. The staff are friendly, and happy to help you round the italian wine list.

N. N.

Very good food. Small and comfort

Π. Μ.

Nice and special food .. Great atmosphere!

A. C.

Great spot for a lunch break while shopping in the high street as well as for an easy dinner with a friend before heading to one of Soho's bars. Order 2/3 dishes each and share them all. I recommend the meatballs and the spinach with egg pizza. Good value for money too.

G. H.

Whilst small and a bit dark, Polpo is a fantastic restaurant to visit. If you're not at least semi literate in Italian, you may struggle to decipher the menu, but the staff are really helpful with that, and once you're over that barrier the food is great. They squeeze quite a lot of people into the relatively small area, so even with five or six members of staff, it can be quite difficult to catch their eye, but if you're in no hurry they'll get round to you eventually.

O. R.

Absloulty lovely local authentic Italian food

H. S. L.

Portion sizes are small, albeit tasty certain dishes. (Steak and Portobello mushrooms) Bartender went off somewhere so the drinks arrived 10 minutes later than the food!

R. H.

Authentic. Liked the roof light when sitting in the back. Visited for a business meeting but it would be better for friends. Try the colliflower and lentil dish. This weeks Rabbit and flat pasta dish was the best of our selection. Definitely drop by

M. D.

Don't see what all of the fuss is about! Food was mediocre. Will not be rushing back!

C. C.

Great tapas, not too too expensive.. However, I do wish you could book. I really liked the atmosphere, but the problem with the lack of booking is that you can't rely on getting in - which is fine if you're just wanting to eat out, but as a pre-theatre venue, not recommended. As a dining venue - great!

A. F.

We were expecting great things but quite disappointed. Portions were small and quite expensive for what it was (Starter was £4 for literally 2 mouthfuls). Will say food was tasty and creative and the place had a buzz, but we were rushed out. Service was efficient but not friendly. More style than substance.

D. W.

Mine and my wife's favourite. Cheeky negroni, a bottle of wine a loads of delicious little dishes. Perfect evening!

L. W.

Great food although the staff were struggling with the complex tapas style menu; a few tables near us ended up with dishes missing. A cosy meal with great food & atmosphere. Recommended

N. A.

A bit like being in Venice, which is to say nice atmosphere, good service and distinctly average food. If you've ever been to Venice you know this is how things are, even the Michelin Star places are rather average, you accept it because you are in Venice. When you're in Soho the options are a bit more forthcoming.

F. C.

Way too pricey for what you eat. The food is good, you need 3 dishes per person. The place is noisy and overcrowded, table squeezed one next to each other, if you're sitting on the couch you can't walk anywhere.

I.

Limited menu (maybe due to covi) but everything we had was lovely. If you l8ke red wine try the primitivo - super yummy n reasonably priced for the west end

C. S.

The first and still the best in this growing line of restaurants. Was able to get a couple of seats at the bar as a walk in during a weekday lunchtime when the place was very busy. Nice varied menu and an interesting selection of wines.

S. L.

Food came very sporadically.. and when we asked the waiter if our starters were coming, after everyone had finished their mains, we got a very rude response. Food was decent but don't expect good service.

S. C.

i always used to go to polpo when i lived in london but havent been in 3 years since i left. when i visited polpo the other day it was a great disappointment. they are living off their name and food quality has gone way down. just lots of small plates of fried stuff really and quite expensive for what your getting. tourist trap. shame...

S. J.

what a great night! it may of been a saturday night at its busiest but even waiting to be seated was a pleasure the staff were super friendly. the food was fantastic great sharing food ideal for any date. its also a great talking point because it just tastes soooo good! i would recommend this to any one but especially if you are looking for somewhere to have a great date in a great atmosphere.

M. L.

wow the meatballs/polpettes are the best i've ever tasted. The calamari is fantastic. Its a very popular place and so be prepared to wait as its a small venue. Unfortunately as its so cramped its like i am sharing my meal with fellow diners and its awkward to leave your table when finished. If you are looking for good food and dont mind the wait or cramped conditions then this is the place for you, as for me i want to go back and order the polpettes

T. G. B.

Great grazing grub with family and friends. We’ve always had lunch at Spuntino when we’re in London and were devastated to read it had closed. We met Russell Norman there on one of our previous visits and had a great conversation. So where do you go then? Let’s try Polpo. It has a very familiar feeling- like walking into Il Pirata or Coppi in Belfast. We booked Sunday lunchtime with some family and friends for a “boozy grazing lunch” and catch up. We had a great selection of food (no photos taken - we were chatting too much) The favourites were the deep fried olives, zucchini fries and the bruschetta selection Our wonderful waiter Viktor was hilarious, and couldn’t have done enough to make our afternoon an entertaining and enjoyable one.

R. S.

Stopped here on a whim. I had the ariancini and a braised beef pasta. The latter was called perfectly and the beef soft, juicy and tender. The ariancini were delicious because let's face it, it's hard to fault a deep fried ball of rice and cheese.

W. K. L.

Average place. This used to be very good, but the food are now pretty average and not consistent. We had the pasta with meat balls and the pasta was overcooked, their frito misto squid is tough and rubbery. Meat balls and pizzetta were good though.

S. D.

I have been waiting for two years to visit Polpo, the queue is always huge and I dislike waiting patiently in line for several hours. When I had a day off work, I booked a reservation (they only take lunchtime bookings) and headed in for a long lunch. I really enjoy the small plates style of eating, and although each dish was very simple they were all delicious. We shared meatballs, bread, pasta, arancini and a salad, though I still had room to single-handedly polish off a Nutella pizza for dessert. I'll certainly be back.

E. K.

We had a long wait for a table but it was to be expected and enjoyed some drinks at the bar first. The dishes were good but given all the hype about this restaurant I was a little underwhelmed. Food is still really good just doesn't blow your mind.

B. R.

Perfect Italian small plates. The pork and fennel meatballs are divine, but you really can't go wrong whatever you order. Just be aware you'll have to queue. Or book a party in the private room!

C. H.

One of my favourite Italian places in Soho, this delightful little restaurant is cosy with a relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food. It can get busy here as it's pretty popular but it''s worth waiting for. They have a nice bar downstairs that you can wait in while they get your table ready, and offer a nice selection of drinks and cocktails. The menu is good for picking and choosing several things to try (which is great for sharing, or on a date). The meatballs are the main attraction here and they are pretty legendary. They do a special 'allo vedova' meatball meal which is based on an Italian restaurant in Venice! You can have them on their own or with pasta. Other must tries include the foccacia, the arancini and the terrine! For desert, the nutella pizette is a must for chocolate lovers, and if you fancy something smaller and easy going, the classic affogato is another great choice!

J. H.

Fantastic service, great food. All in all, a wonderful evening. We will definitely be back👌

F. D. E.

I have been here for my birthday with my husband. I had a nice time, the atmosphere was informal the tables a bit cramped (but I had a table at the end of room with more space :)) the service was very good and attentive (I am very fussy about food and wine and my husband eats gluten and dairy free, so I had a lot of questions for the staff! :) the experience has been overall good, the comments that follow are made because this restaurant wants to be really high standard and also because they say they serve italian food and I am italian. I was a bit disappointed about the lack of full bodied red wine in the mid price range (£30-£40) .. I guess in London people need to spend £60 or more for a good bottle.. :/ in the end I settled for a Nero D'avola which was good. the Valpolicella was far too young for me.Next time I will pay £12 more and I will try Dolcetto d'Alba (which is an amazing wine). About the food: 1 "Cicheti! as a word doesn't exist... we might want to call them Cicchetti! 2 good selection of gluten free options :)). 3 there was something going on with the The Fried Stuffed Olives (similar to the Olive all'Ascolana). the olives used were a bit too salty and the stuffing was overpowered, they might have used marinated olives instead than plain ones.. (I don't know) 4 I really wanted to have the chopped chicken liver crostini but it was more like a pate', not really what I expected and with a bit too bitter aftertaste 5 very good pancetta with radicchio and hazelnuts 6 good gnocchi with duck and olives 7 good Fritto Misto (it is fish) 7 Treviso with Honey dressing it was good but too sweet for me and the Treviso wasn't as bitter as I expected. 8 good Chocolate and hazelnuts flowerless cake (huge portion) served with Mascapone cheese :) 9 good affogato al caffe 10 big selection of amari! :)

S. D.

Fantastic food! An upgrade from the previous years. Looking forward to coming back again

M. S.

Good service, fresh food and nice cocktails.

Y. Y.

Lovely food and good service

I. A.

Four stars because one or two servers didn't take our order seriously. They ignored when we would order other things, even asked for bill. Food is as nice as other branch.

A. Y.

Authentic Venetian cuisine. Rotating, seasonal menu. Predictably good tapas. Difficult to recommend as their menu changes frequently, but overall anything they put on a bruschetta has so far been amazing.

D. J.

Excellent. £35 per head if you order carefully. I had tasty crab arancini, some shared fritti misti, shared shrimp pizzetta, a little lamb caponata, lamb and green pepper meatballs, some shared fresh prawns in rocket, a glass of prosecco and a glass of wine. Good value!

D. E.

After having great memories from Polpo Notting Hill this place was a bit of a let down. Food a bit mediocre, however the staff lovely - when we left most of the food in one of the dishes, the server asked why. We would have never complained but just said it didn’t have much taste and not what we expected when we ordered it from the menu so they just took it off our bill! Something I would have never expected so it was a nice gesture 👏🏻

D. S.

A big thanks to all the staff at Beak Street for making my daughter's birthday supper on the 25th March 2015 so enjoyable. Wonderful food, excellent service and a great vibe. We shall return!

D. J.

Polpo is a great place for post work drinks. They have a good selection of cocktails which go just perfectly with their cichète. Consistently good.

D. N.

Great little place with good food. However, service at the bar is quite slow and it's quite overpriced. Cocktail quality was also quite bad. They know they get endless array of people so don't really try.

r. g.

What is there to say about Da Polpo that hasn't been said? Fantastic small plate food at really good prices. Eat the meatballs! Not sure why people are moaning about staff - I've honestly had some of the best service of my life here with really friendly unpretentious (but very cool) staff who are happy to make suggestions and don't make you feel under any pressure to order more or leave faster, which lots of restaurants in London do. Love the interior too - very cool, very laidback and really does remind me of some of my favourite cicchetti places in Venice. I've recommended it to lots of friends who have also loved it.

D. L.

Love this place, genuinely feels like a Venetian bacaro but with a hip London vibe. I recommend the prosecco (lovely, dry), spinach pizzette and meatballs. Beautiful ice creams also. Usually a queue for a table at peak times but fun to join the ramble in the basement bar while you wait.

B. B.

Great food, nice waitress, had to wait about 45 mins before getting a table but was ok since there was a bar downstairs.... its one of those hype places that always has a queue but it is worth it if you dont mind hanging around a bit. Quite noisy so not good for a quiet meal. Tasty dishes.

B. P.

Chaotic, deafening, cramped, random, uncompromising... but the food is great. Don't go there for a romantic evening unless you are skilled in sign language. Take a torch to read the menu. SHOUT YOUR ORDER. Then marvel as it all comes together. Frustrating and fascinating in equal measure. Enjoy.

R. B.

We walked in on our last night visiting London and it was just what we were looking for. We shared pizza and salad -- the fried olives are a must try! Good prices and friendly service

P. A.

Loved it. Great food, attentive service. Friendly staff

R. J.

A couple of weeks ago I took my dad to see The Book of Mormon. It was actually my anniversary present to S but we're sadly no longer together so I roped in the other man in my life to join me for some seriously brilliant satire. But, first came food and when Dad suggested Italian for lunch, I knew we had to head to Polpo in Beak Street. Part of Russell Norman's Spuntino, Mishkin's, Ape & Bird family, the Polpo and Polpetto restaurants dotted around town are Italian/Venetian dining at their best and I have been dying to try them since forever. It was a beautiful day and we managed to grab the last two lunch seats on one of the high benches they have by the window with perfect people-watching opportunities and an excellent view of the bar. I started with an Aperol Spritz (channelling last year's holiday and my upcoming trip to Italy in the next couple of weeks) which was deliciously bitter and sweet, with juicy brined olives adding that extra bit of bite. Dad had a carafe (250ml) of house red which at £11 was a little pricy for lunch but pouring it in to small water tumblers made it last longer in the end, so no love lost there. Eating Venetian at lunch is simple with the cicchetti approach - small tapas like plates that arrive whenever they're ready and you can dip into and share. We started with the warm, salty anchovy-stuffed fried olives that I fell in love with in Venice and quickly converted Dad to before the octopus and fennel carpaccio arrived. This completely turned Dad off but I wolfed this down with hunger as the meaty cephalopod was lifted by the sweeter, fresher fennel. A distinctive tasting dish, this was a nice twist on an old favourite of mine but I would have liked a little bit of lemon or seasoning on the top. Next came the coppa, pepperonata and goats cheese bruschetta - lightly toasted but thickly loaded with toppings, this was a simple and effortless dish that instantly transported me to Italy. A classic, the combination of the salty meat, tangy cheese and sweet pepperonata is much-loved for a reason and although basic, definitely effective. We also had the bresaola and rocket pizzette - a thin and crispy bread base that shattered into scoopable pieces when attacked with the knife - and the meatballs 'alla Vedova'. Having visited the Ca D'Oro alla Vedova bacaro in Venice when I went a few years ago, I urged Dad to try the famous polpette that gondoliers and tourists alike come flocking for (and which were originally recommended to me by a former flame of the restaurant owner). Three large pork meatballs, breaded and fried, arrived at the table and were quickly devoured. First bites are deceiving as you almost feel you need a sauce but the seasoned meat itself is enough on second, third and fourth bite, and you can see why these are so popular. (Fun fact: when I first had these, I filled up on two of them and my previous ex had to eat both his dishes and mine of the ensuing three course meal. Well done, Becks.) At this point we declared no more and rolled ourselves out on to the street, having been perfectly accommodated in our short window of an hour, despite a full restaurant. I'm so glad I finally made it to Polpo as it lived up to its huge reputation and I can't wait to go back during the evening for a lazy, lengthy languish. Five out of five.

H. S.

We ate at the bar. Fantastic food. White wine spritzers in tumblers, "laid-back" style. Great for a date. Friendly service and buzzing atmosphere.

A. P.

The food is good and prices are not too bad except for the overpriced Spritz and Tiramisù.

a. v. d. e.

Really inviting Venetian-style spot that serves small plates and lovely wine. The plates aren't all that big so it definitely gets expensive and the service isn't very quick but overall it's worth a visit. I don't think you can book so get there early.

D. A.

I visit London periodically and always gravitate back to this spot. Friendly and welcoming with good food and wine in a perfect London location

P. M.

OK if you earn Soho wages. Wine is expensive (particularly as it's budget versions). They seem to think it's clever to make you drink wine out of water tumblers.

K. B.

Great little hidden gem. Stayed at the bar for the duration. Lovely cocktails. Fairly. Priced. Can get very busy, so get there promptly

J. F.

I came here years ago and remember loving. Either it has deteriorated or the general standard in London has risen. Maybe both but certainly the latter I'd say. Wine and food just seemed a bit of a let down this time.

l. t.

I am still surprised when I come across people that have not eaten here, or at one of the other sites...I am losing count of my visits. Lovely Venetian inspired tapas at a good price. Think flank steak, pizzette, big ole hunks of mozzarella, vongole and most importantly, tiramisu. This is the original Polpo, but I can report back that the Smithfield branch is more spacious and airy for those that don't like to be too cramped, and Covent Garden is my least favourite decor-wise. The cocktails are cracking and I have even bought their lovely cookbook. Expect a pretty long wait if you go at peak time in the evenings, but it is worth it and you can book for lunch.

A. B.

Polpo styles itself as a Venetian bàcaro in Soho; now, I am not entirely sure what one of those is, but it seems to be a good one. Polpo is just the sort of place you would expect there to be in Soho, but which so often isn't: proper food, drinkable wine and change from a fifty at the end of the night. Walking past the unassuming curtained frontage, the bar was littered with trendy-ish twenty-somethings who looked as if they had recently grown out of Shoreditch. Those snatches of conversation I heard were not entirely promising: "Yeah, great buzz," "sort of vibey," "45 minute wait"... but after identifying a member of the waiting staff who had some idea of what was going on, we were told that the hour-long wait was only for a table: we could sit at the bar straight away, which is, in any case, the best way to eat at these small-plates-of-not-quite-fingerfood establishments. The menu is unpretentious almost to the point of pretension. Choices are laid out on a brown paper place mat; the wine list more brown paper on a clip board that once belonged to an old Venetian quantity surveyor; and there is no room at Polpo for orthographic fripperies such as pound signs: dishes are just 3 or 6 or 8 1/2. They are 6 with reassuring frequency. The wine, which is good, comes decanted into substantial carafes, from where it is glugged into little tumblers. Each dish is named simply after one or two principal ingredients, with precious little Italian, except for the odd ragu or arancini. The whole effect is of a Venetian Great Queen Street, which is no bad thing. When the food does arrive, none of this really matters: brown shrimp, fennel & caper pizzete, calamari, parsley & radish and fennel, almonds & curly endive salad were all exactly as they should be. Each plate is small, but not quite tapas small, which means no jealous apportioning of the last croqueta: sharing is a joyous necessity. Except perhaps in the case of the Buffalo plate: you should probably order two of those.

R. M.

Very nice, good food friendly staff. Bought the recipe book.

T. F.

Polpo is only ever ok. It's fine, perfectly average. Nothing is made badly, but the flavours are plain, unoriginal, and honestly pretty inauthentic considering it is meant to be Venetian. With more effort, greater rewards can be found elsewhere.

C. C.

Delicious food and wine. Great service in an informal and lively atmosphere. Great for a date or solo dining. Very reasonably priced.

A. C.

Awesomely approachable authentic Italian small plates to share, great staff, excellent if not limited wine list (but 95% by the glass), and great music in a hip and happening spot. Just lovely.

G. C.

One of our favourite meals we had in London. SO reasonably priced and delicious. Can’t wait to go back.

B. M.

Great polite service and stunning food! Decent priced too! Definitely gonna come again.

P. A.

We had a bottle of the Polpo white wine, and shared a couple of platters fish/ meat and veggie. Lovely place, Affordable and cosy atmosphere.

A. M.

It was a nice little find. Planned to going somewhere else, the queue there was 1.5 hours so we walked around and found this little place. Excellent food. Loved it so much.

E.

Delicious Italian tapas, good service and nice ambiance

R. A.

Food was oké. Service was non coordinated. No structure around it. Like the concept of smaller plates to share. Other little mistakes from service like bringing new food but not bringing new forks and knives.

A. B.

Great place - wide range of food choices (meat and veggie options), fun drinks, good ambiance. Some places at the bar but book ahead if you want a table.

E. D.

If you can get a seat here, take it. No reservations at dinner time. Great food, buzzy atmosphere. Service a bit hit and miss but it's usually cause the place is packed. For a more chilled experience, visit at lunch time where I believe reservations are accepted.

U. A.

Friendly staff and good food. Price fits what they deliver. Their meatballs with spaghetti are really good. Tasteful tomato sauce.

N. T.

Really fresh and delicious food. Great service.

S. W.

Loveeeee the food here. Try to turn up early as you cannot book a table for dinner. Sea food dishes were so tasty!

G. M.

A small, crowded and noisy restaurant in the heart of Soho, Polpo brings to London the atmosphere of the traditional "bàcari" of Venice. If you cannot get a table straight-away (most likely), head downstairs to the Campari Bar and drink the classic Italian aperitivo: Aperol Spritz. You can also order some snacks to go with your drink and eat at the bar. The menu is composed by small plates of "cicchetti", such as Pizzetta Bianca, Fritto Misto and Arancini, Fennel Salami & Pickled Radicchio Grissini; Spinach, Parmesan & Soft Egg Pizzetta; Broad Bean, Ricotta & Mint Bruschetta. It can get expensive if you pile up the small plates, although I always find the portions to be quite filling. Don't forget to order a good Italian wine to pair with your food: this is the true Venetian way!

O. S.

Love it here... Always busy when we have been previously but waiting times not too long... Favourite dish has to be the pork mestballs... Bought the recipe book and have made the at home.

J. H.

I was drawn to this place by the concept - an attempt to recreate the food found in bacaro - Venice's answer to tapas bars. Cichetti, the Venetian tapas style dishes served in bacari, apparently lean somewhat towards the meaty, so as a vegetarian I didn't find the food wildly exciting, but it's still good to see somebody trying something a bit different with Italian food.

C. R.

Good service, very good food, casual, good atmosphere and cozy..

N. C.

Very tasty italian food, prices are normal for London. The dishes are to share like tapas!

Z. L.

Food was yummy and staff were friendly Had to wait for full party to arrive before being seated Portions are small but cheap, meatballs can be eaten either standalone or with another small plate

R. F.

Italian tapas! Think perfectly executed, great little packets of food every time. It is a shame you cannot reserve as otherwise you can get stuck in the queue for quite a while but worth the wait.

S. F.

Such lovely food, featuring Venetian tapas-like specialities. Alas, the no-reservation policy means you'll have to go at tourist hours to beat the crowds or be prepared to wait a bit.

K. L. J.

A little too shappy for me. Wine served in water glasses. But the crab-chili linguine was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had.

S. L. P.

Great food and friendly staff who are very knowledgeable about the wine selection

M. D.

Lovely food, cosy Venetian restaurant. Tiramisu is out of this world!

D. B.

Always love polpo, food and service are fab

S. C.

Tasty food, pizzas with very thin dough, mackerel tartar really good. The service was very nice, not smarmy, just nice. I will come back there!

M. J.

The menu consists of sharing plates of typical Venetian food. It's a lovely way to eat with friends and reminiscent of the real food of Venice.

J. M.

Always good food, lovely wine and nice relaxed and convivial atmosphere. They don't take bookings though so be prepared to wait.

M. M.

Friendly greetings and service, tasty food ,great location, even if they dont have a table, you can eat on the bar . 5*

T. G.

Combining tapas size with italian meals not a bad idea fennel and pork meatballs pasta with crab or beef shin ragu. Ended it with a realy good pannacotta

G. C.

Nice food, interesting to have an Italian take on tapas (according to my sister) and great atmosphere. Good value and service as well!

S. K.

Grest food, they didnt take our booking down correctly though and seemed to have that problem with another party too. We were eentually seated and given a glass of prosecco on the house

S. M.

The food is nice, definitely overpriced for what you get, you need at least 2/3 plates for a proper meal. Service was a touch slow

M. H.

Fantastic lunch. Sat by the bar. Waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes

J. H.

Amazing food and atmosphere Service was slow though and not particularly attentive. Food was fantastic. Cocktails were small.

C. L.

cute and cozy Italian place with great and authentic food.

W. S.

Nice food but a little cramped, for some it’s maybe a nice atmosphere but I felt kind of on top of everyone!

o. r.

Nice food. The portions are a bit small but with carefull ordering you can get food and drink with less than 30 £ per head, witch is nice.

B. B.

A mix of Spanish and Italian style dishes. Very good quality ingredients, and reasonably priced. Slow service at the bar.

N. R.

Italian with a twist, in the heart of Soho. Simple food, well prepared. Small plates allow lots of dishes to be sampled. Italian Tapas!

j. b.

outstanding. small charming family Italian feel with some of the best Italian I've eaten...ever. Nutella pizza desert is to die for.

M. C.

Great cocktail, meatballs were fantastic particularly the chickpea based ones. Great atmosphere. Loud but fun.

D. D.

Best place for great Italian sharing plates!

S. C.

Some of London's best casual dining. The menu is rock solid from top to bottom, from pizzette to frito misto.

P. M.

This place is not cheap, but the dishes are innovative and their ingredients are fresh. Discovered quite a few unusual flavour combinations. Would come again.

A. J.

Great little restaurant. Good food, inexpensive wine list, fast and friendly service. Definitely try the eponymous meatballs!

K. X.

We came here for a drink and went downstairs. The guy preparing the cocktails didn't seem to know what he was doing. It took him ages and the drinks were mediocre...

G. C.

Service and food were great. Waiter was very friendly and helpful with the food menu

M. W.

Great place to hide away with plate of spaghetti meat balls and a glass of red.

J. M.

I did enjoy eating here and it is very good traditional food although was very surprised to find they don't serve any octopus despite being called Polpo!

N. G.

Tasty food, there are no reservations after lunch and it was packed on a monday evening, friendly service and the small plates of food make it easy to order a bit of everything. Would recommend

M. H.

Great staff and cocktails. £5 spritz and snacks from 4-6pm is awesome. Highly recommended.

A. P.

The dishes here are excellent, and the restaurant has a great, bustling vibe. It’s definitely on my repeat visit list.

h. s.

The service was great and we enjoyed the atmosphere, the food was just ok. The apperitivo time offer is good value.

P. R.

Great atmosphere and excellent food. We love the concept of lots of smaller dishes to eat or share.

A. M.

Lovely food and ambience. Perfect Italian sharing dishes for an evening where you aren't sure what you want most.

S. S.

Absolutely love this place. Amazing food! If only they’d bring back their delicious lemon and sage drink :,(

C. R.

Tasty food, but a very busy table and they had run out of a few dishes by 7.30. But very buzzy atmosphere

S. A.

So good.. Great for lunch not a huge menu but that focuses the mind, lush mocktails..

C. P.

Great our favourite Pizza Place team always friendly and most important the pizzas are tip top

S. Y.

The place is nice and simple. The dishes are sized small-medium so it is recommended to order at least 2 for a person.

D. G.

Italian food as a tapas helping is a great idea. The food was super, the ambience was easy going and the house rossa vino was neat...

U. U.

Nice food! Spicy sausage with pasta - brilliant! Octopus - delicious

Q. Y.

Amazing food and great choice of options. All brought out a regular intervals. A perfect evening and right opposite Harry Potter

J. P.

Good food. Nice ambience and friendly staff. The cost is fairly reasonable considering the area the restaurant is in.

L. H.

Great food and atmosphere electric. Don't take advice about ordering 3 pieces each from menu....too much!

T. B.

Fab food when you get it, there are some really lovely staff but wow our waitress was really quite something else, if the staff who clearly don't want to be there go, it's the best place ever

F. L.

The place is small and get quite crowded (and a bit noisy), but the food is really good. Good ingredients and good combinations.

M. L.

Great food and service! If you can get a table! also try the sister venue above the French House in soho for an intimate dinner!

L. B.

Wonderful tapas style small plates. The deep fried olive starter was especially good!

G. J.

The food is excellent regardless, but the experience of an intimate meal at the bar far surpasses the experience as a group at a table.

S.

Not the best food. Certainly nothing memorable. Another average joe London restaurant. Average prices. Average ambience.

T. R.

More of a miss than hit. Service sketchy, food warm not hot.

Y. B.

Food was really good but the service was absolutely awful and it let down the whole experience - its quite clear the young staff are not capable to handle the crowds coming through at the moment

E. L.

Exciting tasty food, small tapas style sizes so good for trying lots of dishes and good for sharing, reasonably priced too.

S. K.

Quirky atmosphere, tasty food cooked exceptionally well. Friendly service.

P. B.

Very good food, friendly staff, reasonably priced. what more could you want.

B. C.

Definitely busy at night, and I can see why! The food was wonderful! I can’t wait to come back.

A. S.

Gorgeous. Great food, kind and lovely staff, good to be back post-lockdown!

D. D.

Lovely food, good atmosphere, just about makes up for the *very* slow service.

R. C.

Great atmosphere, amazing food

M. S.

Good food, great atmosphere but bit pricey for what you're getting

C. M.

Recommend the spinach pizzette and the aranccini.

I. A.

The staff was really nice and efficient. The food was alright, a bit too expensive though.

C. F.

Good food, decent service! Loved the Lamb and Mint Meatballs and Nutella Pizza!

U. P.

Below average service. Good food, nothing amazing. Great cocktails

Z. P.

Wonderful place with tasty food and reasonable pricing

p.

Great service, great negroni and good food!

M. M.

Nice Italian bar in the heart of Soho. Tasty food and great ambiance.

M. C.

Good food, was expecting more from their Octopus dish though. Tiny octopus for their signature dish (Polpo = Octopus)

G. S.

Probably been here 50 times.. good food, right amount, cheap. Perfect.

T. c.

Great service.. quick stop had some octopus/olives and a marinara. would definitely go again for the mains!

S. S. L.

The staff here are great and the food is heavenly.

M. M.

Lovely staff, great food and drinks - will definitely be back

L. F.

Amazing food, very good vegeterian dishes. Very nice and friendly staff!

D. H.

Really good food, but the whole experience felt a bit rushed and squeezed in

C. G.

So many meatballs! The veggie ones don't disappoint. It's always packed though so go early to avoid disappointment

R. C.

Good quiet side road, staff floating around readily available help slightly pretentious menu but I think that's the point nice atmosphere

S. B.

Tasty food but small portion. Nice place to go back again!

S.

Preferred pasta dishes more than the pizzas. Good wine selection

R. S.

I'm a regular here. Always great food and nice ambience. You can also try their sister restaurant POLPETO

c. B.

Popped in for a quick lunch when Christmas shopping, Great service and lovely food. Perfect for a light lunch (and negroni).

P. S.

Good Italian food. Meatballs came out cold. Only negative I have to say about the place.

Y. M.

Lunches here are always a treat. Food is great, staff are friendly and the portions are good size.

B. D.

Good atmosphere and food - this one (the original) is better than the newer ones like Notting Hill. Very cool design!

S. L.

It may have a name for being a bit hipster but it is would highly recommend the innovative cooking and great drinks selection.

G. G.

Great cocktails, ambiance, and food. Try the meatballs they're delicious!

D. N. S.

Really lovely food especially the risotto. Top cocktails also!

J. R.

Great place. Really enjoyed the food, the ambience and the customer service. Will definitely go back.

A. S.

Good food, nice atmosphere. Great for a snack or an evening out.

A. F.

Tapas style Italian food, very good and worth the wait to get in if it is busy.

L. R.

Food was a little bit hit and miss, but the staff were friendly enough to give us a bit of a discount off of our meal

M. A.

Decent food at Ok prices. The drinks menu could be better

J. V.

Cool vibe. Nice staff. Food was pretty mediocre. Luke warm coming out of the kitchen. Boring...

M. M.

This was such a treat before a night at the theatre, there wasn’t anything I ordered that wasn’t delicious!

V. T.

Italian tapas sized

N. S.

Food was great! Service was fast and team was very friendly

K. G.

Great food, really chilled atmosphere,have been twice and can't wait to go back.

z. r.

Prices ok, nice food, lovely staff and good grappa! Greaaat arancinis!!

s. c.

Good portion .. reasonable price.. different atmosphere...over all enjoyed being with friends

S. P.

Average food but great location and good atmosphere!

M. L.

Cool place, nice and comfy food. Wine is too expensive a glass

C. v. d. S.

I love the simple dishes at polpo. Very good price for good casual food.

H. T.

Always good small plates. The spinach meatballs were delicious.

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