Manicomio Chelsea

Interesting food, friendly service, indoor or outdoor seating with great ambience.

Very friendly; pleasant design with indoor and outdoor dining; strong menus.

Unusual cooking with very good service in a fine location.

Manicomio means lunatic asylum in Italian. I asked the hostess why such an interesting name had been chosen and she replied that it was on the site of a previous lunatic asylum. If so, the dubious atmosphere has not carried through to the present day. This is a highly competent restaurant and we had an excellent lunch. Food was beautifully presented and it was perfectly cooked and outstandingly delicious. The restaurant was full, as befits Duke of York Square on a Saturday, but service remained competent although one did have a sense that staffing was short and the stalwarts on duty were rushed. The only quibble is the value for money. The total bill for lunch for four without wine or dessert came to a hundred and seventy four pounds including service. Not terrible but certainly not impressive value either. We recommend Manicomio but do come with a full wallet and with the full realisation that you are in that pricey frontier between Chelsea and Belgravia. Approached with that attitude, Manicomio is a welcome bit of madness.

I have been here many times and am not dissappointed, nor am I blown away, though the prices do seem to have increased since the last time. We shared a cicchetti platter which offered a good selection and was excellent, though hardly difficult (dried meats, mozarella, salmon tartare, roasted vegetables, tartines of pate and cheese). I followed with light gnocchi with spicy sausage (of which there was very little) and a heritage tomato salad, perfect combination. My colleagues both ate excellent beef ribs & potato cake, though my American colleague was somewhat dissppointed by the portion size... not suprising! 2 deserts - tiramisu and chocolate both rich and superb. Good atmosphere and service (apart from asking 4 times for some water!), I will still return until i discover a better Italian in the area. It is cold and wet now, but heartily recommend going when warmer as there is great outside space, especially for people watchinig in the summer!

Manicomio is the perfect choice post an evening performance at the Royal Court theatre in Sloane Square. No need to wade through the entire menu, simply choose a simple pasta to make for a relaxing end to the day. But what is really special here is the Gavi – simply the best example I have drunk. Service was excellent and allowed for my guests to enjoy their supper at a relaxed pace. I will return for another bottle of the house Gavi.

Greeted by extremely polite and helpful maitre d who facilited our table for three outside with ease. The waitress was equally charming and took our order (3 courses each) without any need for notes. Water and vino brought promptly. The food was, as usual, good without being exceptional. (apart from the cheese which was exceptional!) The rain was coming down hard but as we dined beneath one of the huge umbrellas with a strategically placed gas heater nearby nobody really noticed.

Good location and very good food let down by average and at times sloppy service, with an expensive finish. Regardless, Manicomio is always reliable and has good alfresco on a warm evening. Pick your waiter carefully!

I have been going to Manicomio for many years and in all that time, the quality of the food has remained high and the service always charming and attentive. The outside dining area is very attractive and a great spot for alfresco dining. I have entertained a wide variety of clients there, it appealing to all ages both men and women. The produce used is of the highest quality and their pasta is made on the premises. There are also lots of meat and fish dishes available always of the highest quality served with vegetables which are far from everyday. Simply delicious. The interior is equally attractive with a great bar to sit at. It is a little bit noisy, but that is a byproduct of popularity. A special mention must go to the restaurant manager who is always smiling, greeting and solving with alacrity any queries raised by a diner. Long may this excellent local restaurant remain, allowing me to sit and people watch whilst enjoying a glass of prosecco with friends, followed by delicious pasta and the yummiest deserts to be found anywhere. PS try the rosemary bread. I am hooked on it.

The best antipasti platter I have ever eaten! Fantastic selection including parma ham and melon, bresaola, salami, buffalo mozzarella, foie gras, bruschetta, olives, peppers, aubergine; all looked amazing and tasted great, much enjoyed. Lovely glass of Gavi di Gavi. Excellent, would recommed.