Cicoria by Angela Hartnett

“What a find, l entered by the Royal Opera House entrance and having climbed the stairs and then joined a long escalator which provided a nervous opportunity to view the building. The restaurant covers a large area but doesn’t but managed to feel personable For lunch we start with a cocktail ail and then ordered our meal from the set menu, l ordered the bruschetta, braised broccoli and anchovies garlic, main was roasted hale and vegetables, deserts blood orange and dark chocolate tart served with citrus mascarpone - all totally delicious. All accompanied by a good red wine. The service was very good, friendly and helpful without being intrusive. Overall a very relaxed enjoyable lunch.”

“What a wonderful find at the top of The Royal Opera House! Absolutely amazing views of Covent Garden on one of the hottest May days ever. Fabulous atmosphere with friendly and knowledgeable staff, nothing was too much trouble. We started with a gorgeous sparkling English wine and a Negroni that was spot on. The £65 sharing menu on a Sunday was not only reasonbly priced but full of the real flavours of Italy. Ingredients were top quality and cooked simply just as you would expect from the kitchen of Italian expert Angela Hartnett. The fried courgettes with mint were simply delicious and the tiramisu as light as a feather. An extensive and again reasonably priced wine list completed our taste of la dolce vita. Do not miss this hidden gem 💎”

“We went to Cicoria before the ballet and booked about two hours before the performance, which was plenty of time and worked perfectly. The service was lovely throughout, kind, attentive and very welcoming. The food was delicious, exactly as expected. We had the fried gnocchi, pork tonnato, asparagus salad with pickled lemon which was a standout, crab linguini and a side of polenta. Everything was rich and full of flavour but still nicely balanced with freshness. We also had Aperol spritz. I’m not usually a fan, but my husband insisted I try it and he was right, it was really well done. It is a bit on the pricey side for the portion sizes, but given the chef and the Covent Garden location, it is not surprising. We sat outside with beautiful views and it was very comfortable, not fully outdoors so you do not feel the cold. A really enjoyable pre theatre dinner and I would happily return.”

“This has to be my favourite restaurant in London. Visited Cicoria for the second time for dinner with friends and it didn’t disappoint. We started with the focaccia and olive oil — so good. For mains, we tried the rigatoni with braised beef shin ragù, braised cuttlefish with soft polenta and tomato, and the slow-cooked rabbit leg with soft polenta. If you’re looking for a perfect date night spot or a place to spend quality time with friends and family, this is it.”

“Went for the lunch set menu,had extremely high expectations. Lovely welcome,however one of hosts was a little over the top,almost theatrical and felt a little forced. Bread was ok,nothing special, served with a just a tiny pot of olive oil,needed some balsamic or at least salt,which wasn't on the table. Being half Italian I was excited to order the mozzarella in carozza,what arrived wasn't that at all,it was mozzarella sticks. Tasted ok. Buffalo mozzarella and figs was pleasant enough, again under seasoned. Husband had salami and giardiniera which was very nice. Oxtail ragu with gnocchi was good,very meaty, cod with minestrone was ok. Cheddar with biscuits was ok but the biscuits were very hard,as was the pastry on the chocolate tart,nearly sent it flying trying to cut it with a spoon. Nice touch for my husbands birthday when ice cream and a birthday message arrived.Our waitress was really lovely,very attentive. Service overall seemed a little amateur with a few mistakes here and there. Price was reasonable,no complaints there. Stunning venue although if you're in a wheelchair or have mobility issues good luck getting the lift as it's a heck of a long walk. Growing up in the restaurant business I have high standards and believe in total honesty. Would like to return to try the a la carter menu at some point.”