Mona Lisa is a Chelsea institution on King's Road, near World's End. It is an iconic spot serving English breakfasts and Italian favourites for more than 50 years, and both the dine-in and takeaway sides of the business stay busy.
This is not a place of modern frills. The cafe is an old-school Italian spot that trades in comfort food and nostalgia. The family-run café has a simple, stripped-back Italian feel inside, with a handful of seats outside for dining on the street. The crowd is a mixed one, where customers of all types and ages, from lone diners to couples and groups, are looked after by eager Italian staff.
The menu covers a lot of ground. Breakfast is a big draw, with the traditional English fry-up alongside more unusual options such as a liver breakfast. The menu is favoured for its affordability and value for money while the coffee is praised for its quality, alongside the bacon. Later in the day the kitchen turns to Italian classics. Diners can enjoy spaghetti Bolognese, fettuccine carbonara, veal escalopes and calves' liver with roast potatoes, and finished with tiramisu. Reviewers also single out the Roast Belly Pork and the Mussels Provençal, and the menu changes daily.
Value is a recurring theme, particularly given the King's Road address. Portions are generous, service is friendly and quick, and the hearty food arrives on piping hot plates. Long opening hours add to the appeal: the cafe stays open all day, making it easy tof it in for an early breakfast, a mid-morning brunch or a quick lunch. Flexible, welcoming and reasonable, Mona Lisa remains a firm favourite in the area for a reason.
For a cosy, no-nonsense meal at a fair price in one of London's more expensive postcodes, Mona Lisa has kept locals coming back for decades.