They wait in gleeful expectation for inevitable clumsiness which will lead to lunch. The resignation as a party goer sees their tilted plate resulting in their food being pulled down inexorably by gravity is greeted with joy by the dog. . I felt like a human at Bancone. Perched at the rather uncomfortable counter, I explained to the waitress that it was cramping my style. When I tried to suggest that there were tables free that I would be happy to occupy, I was told in no uncertain terms that I could not have a table even though I had booked 2 weeks earlier. I did wonder if this was to be a repeat of my experience at Kiln where my dining companion and I were subject to much discrimination. To avoid this situation, I had brought along my native (Caucasian British) friend. Unfortunately in this case, he wasn’t a comely woman. Yet such discomfort aside, we tried to enjoy the food.
Two good friends, who know I love Italian food, alerted me to Grace Dent’s orgasmic (her word!) review of Bancone in the Guardian last week. I immediately searched online for the review, of course, and was instantly determined to go – soon! And fortuitously, it happened that I would be very close in just a couple of days’ time. For I had a ticket for the highly acclaimed production of King Lear, starring the great Sir Ian McKellen, at the Duke of York’s Theatre in St Martin’s Lane … just round the corner from Bancone which is in William IV Street – barely 2 minutes’ walk away.
We walked in and snagged a table for two on a bustling Monday evening … the food was so delicious, fragrant, and fresh, that I forgot to take any photos until we finished almost licking the plates clean! Ordered and shared the burrata, shared 3 different pasta dishes, as well as the chocolate dessert option ~ everything was incredible. Chef’s kiss 🤌🏽✨👌🏽
Fortunately I could get a table right away when we arrived at the restaurant even though I hadn’t reserved.
We ordered popular food of this restaurant and overall all was great. Especially ricotta ravioli was unexpectedly tasty.
Also, staffs were lovely and helpful 🫰
Ordered 3 mains and 2 cocktails. The service was fine but a bit pushy for ordering more and more all the time. The food came quickly. left after an hour. Most of the seats (for 2) are on the bar so you can see cocktail or food making. Very interesting. Downside is the high bar sitting, my legs got nam. Good food and drinks, recommended. small amounts though
Great place. My food was delicious and the cocktails we had were lovely. The only reason why I’m subtracting one star is because my friends portion was very small (pea& ricotta ravioli ) and we are not big eaters! My portion was perfect the roasted tomato tagliatelle (pictured below). Very tasty food. I recommend!
Wow. This was blood good pasta! Good pasta and amazing flavours. It's busy here so there is a long wait for the food but the it was worth it. The artichoke starter was delicious! One draw back, our server kept interrupting us mid conversation repeatedly! I will still likely come back through as the food was so good !
Really great space and we had a lovely waitress looking after us. Excellent quality gluten-free pasta and nearly all the dishes could be adapted to use GF pasta. Fab negronis (only £7), difficult to choose which to have. Well priced menu too. Drinks were a bit slow, but it was very busy. Nice layout where you can watch the chefs preparing everything.
The space is so cute. The staff was super accommodating even tho we didn’t have a reservation and the place was PACKED. We ordered the cod roe, prosciutto, artichokes, lamb ragu, scampi, cacio e pepe, egg yolk, and one other dish. Everything was excellent. I probably wouldn’t order their prosciutto again, it was thick dry and boring. But everything else was really really good. The cocktails were also underwhelming. I would 100% return here again.
Fabulous evening at Bancone on the bar seats, the pasta (duck Ragu) was one of the best I've ever eaten and the focaccia was delicious. I had creme caramel for dessert and whilst the texture was fantastic, I found it slightly lacking in flavour. The wine list was extensive and the one we selected was delicious, but this was not kept topped up despite being seated in front of the bar staff. All in all though, a totally amazing meal in the heart of London, highly recommended!
A very lovely Italian restaurant with decent food and good price. I like the interior design where there are a lot of space at the bar seats. The deep of the bar table kept us from the bar but could still enjoy the vibe. Staff are very friendly and helpful.
The carbonara pasta makes the fresh flavor of flour distinctive, mozzarella is a must.
I personally love the duck pasta. I thought it would be duck slices on top of the pasta; however, surprisingly the meat was sort of lumped as meat sauce, and topped with crispy fried pork skin and green onion (?). The mixture of different ingredients make the texture more complex and balanced.
Despite the relatively salty sauce, the classic olive oil and garlic one was also a wonderful choice.
The ox cheek one was also good. I found myself a bit hard to fully enjoy the strong cowy flavor. But my friend chose this one as her favorite!
Recommend to order some starters to share aside from the main dishes.
Having had recommendations from quite a few people we finally made it to Bancone. We had high expectations and the meal did not disappoint. The restaurant was already full when we went around 4:30, only a handful of people were able to get a table as a walk-in, so book in advance. The kitchen is in plain view of the seating area and it's nice to watch the chefs get to work. The starters were packed with flavour, if a restaurant can make a salad wedge tasty they deserve praise and Bancone managed it! The pasta serving sizes were just right. Top choice would be the silk handkerchief pasta but the roasted tomato sauce came in close behind. The price was reasonable for a central London restaurant and the service was quick and attentive. Give it a go if you are in the area and looking for a mid-range price point.
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