Alloro

This was my first visit to Alloro and we were hugely impressed. The meet and greet was friendly & efficient. The restaurant is broken up into a number of different areas (rooms) and we had a very nice table in one of the quieter areas. The menu is really interesting, not long but very creative combinations and has some wonderful dishes. For starters I had the Italian omelette with prawns and my wife had the mozzarella and tomato. Both outstanding. We then both had pasta dishes – linguini & lobster and Ravioli & pesto – again out of the top drawer. We finished with some wonderful Brill simply pan fried. Great wine list and overall the restaurant was a very good experience. Would we go back? Definitely. Beware it is not cheap but like anything when it is really good quality you never really think about the price.

I made a reservation with Alloro for last Saturday night (4th December), explained to the chap on the phone that I was going to a show and that I would be with them by 10.20pm — he said no problem and that while the kitchen closes at 10.30, as long as I was seated by then — no problem. Well, we arrived at 10.20pm — and were informed that the kitchen was closed and there was no chance of a table. Neither the receptionist nor the head waiter apologised — and I was left to fend for myself. Luckily the Wolesely is just down the road and were lovely and we had a great meal there. I am fuming with Alloro, and will tell everyone I know never to go there.

The restaurant sits at the top end of the middle tier. It consistently delivers good quality and interesting food. Lacks a little in terms of atmosphere and buzz but where it matters i.e. the food it provised a high standard.

Well-executed high quality Italian food (the gnocchi al pesto are particularly good: fluffy, light, melt-in-the mouth, such as only fresh handmade gnocchi can be), a deep, interesting (if pricey) wine list (including an excellent selection of wines by the glass) and attentive, discreet service make Alloro my one of my favourite Italian restaurants in London. Its popularity (especially with discerning fellow Italian foodies) also causes its only defect: it is quite noisy at lunchtime, which can be offputting when the company is as important as the food.

I was here for my birthday and it has not been what I was expecting it to be.

The waiter did not pay very much attention on our table, I do not know why.
I have ordered an espresso at the end and it came without sugar, I had to wait 5 minutes when the espresso was nearly cold.

I do not like to complaint but I had to, since it was my birthday, so I have called the manager to discuss the issue.
However, young lady on duty I must admit that she was very professional and polite and she managed to calm me down.

When I go to eat to such “GREAT” restaurants I tend to be extremely critical when it comes to service since I have been working in the hospitality industry for over 10 years. I would never comeback again and never recommend it to my guests!!!

Alloro never disappoints – my favourite Italian in town. This is a superb place for a client meeting combining excellent food, a buzzy atmosphere which is not stuffy. The only down side is that the wine list is a bit pricy. My tip is to book a table in the bar area for a cheaper/quicker meeting – I alway have the meat selection (one portion is enough for two) and then the cray fish/tomato pasta, finished with an expresso – a winner every time and good value.