Cafe Murano - Covent Garden in City of London, Westminster

Nice restaurant in West end close to theatre, with very friendly staff. Food was great but expected it to be.

I went for dinner with a friend We received a warm welcome at the entrance and the host showed us out table The restaurant was almost full and was full by the time we left for the theater The service was great and the waitress was really kind and helpful The food was great one of the best meals I have ever had in London Everything cooked to perfection We really enjoyed our dinner and the service and everything was quick and on point I highly recommend it when you are around Covent Garden

Beautiful place to dine. We met up with some friends and stumbled across this restaurant, and we are so glad we did. The food is delicious, we can't fault it at all. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the atmosphere here was great.

Great food, just lacking a bit in atmosphere, service acceptable but not acceptable.

Great italian food and perfect for pre theatre too.

in London to celebrate u our 4oth wedding anniversary we chose Cafe Murano as the venue for a special occasion. Having been here previously we knew the service would be good and it was excellent, warm, friendly but not overly intrusive. The food was excellent we shred Mozzarella & pecorino arancini and focaccio bread for starters and both were very good with the arancini being superb. For our main courses we opted for pasta and had the Lake district beef crudo, horseradish and crispy shallots which was equally good. Accompanied by Prosecco and house red the meal was excellent and fitting fr a special occasion.

We have eaten at both Murano and Limewood multiple times and have always have faultless food so were excited to try Cafe Murano. On the positive side, it’s in a great location with a lovely ambience and the service was great. Unfortunately, the food was quite poor and hugely overpriced. We had the gnocchi (which is exceptional at Limewood) and it was just overcooked blobs on a side plate. Very underwhelming for £17 for a starter portion, which I barely ate because it really was unappetising. We then had the sausage pasta ragu, which was nice, and the seafood risotto which again was very average. Again it was sort of slopped on a plate and the seafood had been taken out of the shells and was just some little overcooked muscles and clams that looked like they’d been torn out of the shell with no attention. I would expect more for £28. We did however have a lovely tiramisu and the waiter brought out a meringue for my husbands birthday. Unfortunately, we will not be back - I hope the other Hartnett restaurants have not gone the same way!

Brilliant hidden gem in Covent Garden. Had the plaice which was absolutely delicious, and arrived really hot - something I often find doesn't happen with fish. Staff were very attentive and everything arrived quickly. Will be returning!

All aspects of our dining experience were genuinely excellent. In particular, the food was delicious and the service was flawless. I cannot remember the last time I could honestly give such feedback about a London restaurant. By coincidence, my wife and I met your Events Manager just prior to our visit - she did not know we were visiting the restaurant and she was not at work - but was happy to give us tips on places to visit in Covenant Garden. We would love to visit your restaurant again. P.S. Even as a fairly regular recipient of homemade olive oil from the Mediterranean, I can confirm that yours was better (please don’t tell my grandmother).

I had a girl’s lunch at Cafe Murano with my friend in from NYC. The space was cozy and welcoming, perfect for a catch up. She is vegetarian and decided upon the set menu starter and main. Her fig and goat curds salad was excellent, which we shared alongside the burrata and hazelnut starter with a side of focaccia, also another winner. Didn’t get a photo of the starters because we wolfed them down. My seafood risotto main was tasty but not mindblowing. The Tiramisu was rich, thick and creamy, I would say a close second to the best I’ve ever had in Rome. I’ve marked down on atmosphere because despite booking a table in advance we were seated side by side at the bar when there were plenty of tables for two available. We asked to move and they seated us at a high table, which was a small improvement but not ideal.

Great food , inviting dishes , hurried visit that was a last minute walk in. Will certainly be back to experience more of what Murano has to offer

An interesting menu. Not the usual Italian stuff. Very accessible from Covent Garden

My wife and I ate at cafe murano Saturday just gone. We had a wonderful time in what was a busy restaurant. I really enjoyed the gnocchi, best I’ve had if I’m honest. The wine was great as well. Hope to return soon

Such a great restaurant, lovely meal and fantastic service, we’ll be back again.

I took my daughter to this lively place for her birthday. The food was amazing and really welcoming atmosphere. Will definitely go again

This was a very quaint Italian restaurant that was recommended by our concierge. It was amazing. The herb green salad was yummy the gnocchi were delicious the fish amazing the martinis were amazing. The service and staff were attentive

What a disappointment Recommended we dine here to old friends visiting London and wished had not after a truly disappointing visit. We have dined both here and St.James several times and felt confident coming once again. The staff couldn't be bothered chatting to one another instead of waiting tables.No atmosphere whatsoever. Drinks not up to their usual high standard. Food was bland with little or no flavour. To say that their was an air of complacency would be an understatement. Having previously left good reviews I felt it necessary to make all aware of the drop in standards. Angela liven this establishment up or it will become a casualty of neglect. Certainly will not be rushing back.

Awesome little restaurant in Covent Garden area. We found by chance and were so happy we did! The fried calamari was excellent, lamb superb - and cooked appropriately to requested temperature. The Chicken Milanese was light, tender and flavorful. We are so happy we found this gem!!

Best serves ever, let us stay in the restaurants while we were waiting for an uber <3 SUCH SEXY TATTOOS

Cosy place, friendly staff, great italian food

The bartenders are so knowledgeable making great recommendations for wine pairings

Early supper post exhibition so we arrived during the height of pre-theatre service. Very busy but we were given the option of upstairs or downstairs table which we liked. Carafe of their own Toscana white was delicious, followed by a lovely bottle of Barbera. We both went for the set menu - £30 for three courses (£25 for two courses). Amazing value. For starters - fried squid with aioli and goats cheese/beetroot salad both delicious. For main - lamb cooked perfectly and gluten free pasta with a lovely sweet tomato/veg sauce. So simple but delicious. Poached pear/flaked almonds with salted caramel ice cream (divine) and cheeses (which were packed with flavour). The perfect dinner for us! Set menu only available if ordered pre 7pm. The a la carte choices looked very good and prices reasonable for London. Would definitely return.

Super experience from start to finish

"Exceptional warm welcome on arrival, incredibly attentive service throughout the meal. The food was delicious, as ever. We love it here. Third visit and it just gets better and better. Thank you for another fantastic meal"

Fabulous place, delicious food, lovely staff. A glass of their Toscana Bianca 2023 is a must-try.

Delicious food, chose the pre Theatre menu which was great value! Drinks are unique to the restaurant so this could be hit and miss. Service was very good. There is a 13.5% service charge added to your bill which I think is a little high.

Such lovely food and staff and customer service was superb! Would go back :)

Such a great place to drop into the staff are always friendly and attentive, the food is delicious, great flavours and fresh with a menu that’s all too easy to work through! Probably why I keep going back!

Lovely meal, drinks and wine.. Staff were attentive and engaging which amplified the experience… You can’t go wrong with food under the guidance of Angela Hartnett 👏🏻😋

Took the ferals for lunch prior to the theatre to see Matilda. Wow what an amazing experience for them! They really appreciated the delicious food and the helpful, attentive service. They were really impressed with the toilets! Such amazing value for money. I had the burrata which was delicious. The chocolate brownie was a resounding success. My youngest grand daughter gave you the big thumbs up and said you deserve 2*! Why would you do any fast food restaurant when you can experience such delicious dishes and such great value. Thankyou

Great Italian restaurant with unique dishes and good service, the staff are attentive and they have pretty decent prices which is good, I would recommend if you are in the area

Taking bookings and closed. Fantastically bad.

A perfect spot for a Pistachio Ice Cream latte!

When I lived in London this was the restaurant of choice before any Royal Opera house performance and so I chose it to catch up with friends when I went back on a recent visit. Ambience was great, the staff were very attentive and knowledgeable and the food was as always excellent. So glad a favourite is still going strong in good ol London.

We were both impressed with the 3 course £30 per head set menu. Costs as much up here in the midlands and not as good. Expected the dishes to be relatively small portions but not so. I had tuna carpaccio followed by lamb on harissa aubergine, my husband had buffalo mozzarella followed by grilled mackerel and we both had the plum and almond tart with ice cream. Everything was delicious. Staff were friendly, knowledgable and efficient allowing us plenty of time between courses to enjoy the meal. Will return.

Delightful dinner, tasty pre theatre menu. Great choice of dishes,the lamb leg was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. Marie looked after us,she was attentive and gave great food recommendations. Overall exceptional food and service.

A great pre theatre meal (we atw off both the a la carte and pre-theatre menus) with family. Friendly knowledgeable service. Incredible pasta and the Blackcurrant sorbet was delicious. Thoroughly recommend. I will have this place noted for return visits. Thank you!

The food is always fantastic and the service rates this a 5 star

We had the absolute best time! Faultless infact! Our beautiful waitress Louisa (forgive me if I got it wrong, we did have a fair few limoncello's) was nothing short of incredible! Nothing was too much, we coud not have asked for more! What an asset to your team! The food was..... well, nothing short of incredible. The bread, the arrancini, the coppa, the whole plaice ... and of course the tirramisu.... were my standouts! We will be back for a game of 21's / bkackjack soon! Thank you so much!

Excellent value set menu, good portion size, friendly staff, place was busy for a Tuesday lunchtime so good atmosphere but a little noisy, you could probably sit in a quieter area if you needed?

Hosted my wife’s birthday in the private dining room. Service and food were great, and the room was perfect for an intimate dinner with friends.

Amazing food, excellent service. A pure joy of a dining experience.

intimate, great service, very attentive and really friendly, knowledgeable. Food was excellent, wines very carefully chosen and good! will be back!

Been wanting to try here for a long time but maybe the fact we got a booking within a week for a Friday night is part of the clue that it is not as good as it used to be. The pastas were all great (rabbit, pesto and tortellini) but the price of £24 for a large was steep. The focacia was so crunchy we couldn't finish it so would skip this. Service was slow and quite unattentive when the restaurant didn't seem overly busy. Overall, probably won't go back as there are places that do equally good pasta at lower prices in London

We went for a pre theatre dinner and we’re delighted by the offer of a set menu of 3 courses for £30! Downside folks is that this finished at 7pm otherwise I’d be awarding 5 stars. The little green peppers on a red pepper pesto was perfect. My guests had generous starter portions of pasta (the ricotta stuffed tortellini was voted top marks) followed by wonderfully presented whole plaice although these dishes were a la carte. My grilled chicken thigh on new potatoes and broad beans was surprisingly good considering the bargain set menu price. The Gavi di Gavi was also deliciously chilled and correctly priced. Overall - a great dinner without busting the credit card in central London. Go early before they revise the prices!

Linked to Angela Harnett's restaurant in Mayfair, which has 1 Michelin star. We found in the past that such an "arrangement" doesn't work and the "lower priced" restaurant is nothing like the same quality as the "parent" Michelin establishment. We were very happy to discover this is 100% NOT the case with Cafe Murano. Excellent food, great service and sensible prices. We will be back !!

An amazing hidden gem! Incredible food and all delicious, the place is small but has a great atmosphere, the staff all very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately we ate on a night where the upstairs was closed due to a leak which made the wait a bit longer but the speed of service once we ordered was great as it speedily made its way out of the kitchen. I'd love to come back another night when it's a bit quieter to try some more of the menu

Great food. Good set menu -hard to find on website

Our first time at Cafe Murano and most definitely won’t be our last. A really cosy, intimate interior with warm, welcoming staff and a menu of brilliantly executed Italian fare. Not at all pretentious. Would happily recommend and hope to return soon.

Cozy Italian eatery with excellent desserts. Tiramisu is a must order.

Four friends had a lovely lunch but for two things. We were seated at the back of the restaurant and it was so noisy we could hardly hear ourselves speak. My friends had some lovely foccacia and I was given a cheap bit of white, supermarket gluten free bread burnt in places and not toasted in others. Surely it is not beyond a chef's abilities to make some nice g/f bread or rolls and keep in the freezer. Aside from that my courgette salad and tuna salad was delicious.

We are at Covent Garden branch after a West end show. We were seated upstairs and all the food arrived cold. It is carried up the steep staircase and then left to go cold until the wait staff collect it to bring to your table. The waitress kindly comped our main courses however doubt we will return

A wonderful lunch with old friend's, everything was lovely particularly the service which was spot on. Thank you

We had a terrible experience dining here. London is full of great Italian restaurants, but this is not one of them. My food was so bad (bland, tasteless but also salty?) that I did not eat it at all, and my friend had his dish and then was sick (throwing up) the night after our visit. Never again! The staff was welcoming and nice, can not complain on that part.

Absolutely superb. We were a little nervous about timings as we were visiting between Harry Potter showings but everything was really efficient without feeling rushed. The food was outstanding, service great and we really appreciated the Birthday Cake that was brought out unexpectedly! The theatre menu was great value and the wine was really good as well. We will definitely return!

Amazing we had such a nice lunch and the staff could not do enough

Our first time to this dining outlet, though we'd been to Murano in Mayfair twice before. I took the waitress's food suggestions - she was spot on, and everything was delicious! The drinks menu is vast, and we ended the night chatting with the bartender and very friendly restaurant manager. We'll definitely be back! Viv & Alex (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Went to the private dining room of this restaurant for a retirement event. Really special evening. The setting is like great and food and wine superb. The staff were truly excellent.

Absolutely must have an espresso martini, best I’ve had. Busy and bustling but very tasty.

Never expected to be leaving a negative review for a restaurant that was so looking forward to trying beforehand, but genuinely disappointed with the experience and the quality of the food we tried. The Foccacia was good to begin with and the Beef Crudo was ok to follow, although a little salty was otherwise quite bland, then followed the main of Risotto which was very sludgy in texture, completely overpowered with cheese and the arborio rice was slightly hard and undercooked. The waiting service, although friendly, took the order wrong and bought out only one Primi dish instead of the two we ordered, and took one back to be left on plate warmer while the second dish was cooked which ruined the tempo of the meal before being presented with the extremely poor main dish. The desert of Tiramisu however was absolutely fantastic which was by far the highlight of the culinary offering. We was then overcharged by £18 for the wrong bottle of wine on the final bill, which however was quickly picked up on and spotted by the server. Overall, very disappointed with the experience but would not recommend or return.

There was a funny waitress who gave us her attitude. Pretty sad actually.

Why has my review been taken off this website

The service was great but unfortunately there’s no atmosphere here and the food was less than mid. I wouldn’t go back.

I booked Cafe Murano for a pre theatre dinner for some friends and I. We ended up leaving very disappointed and it somewhat dampened our evening! We all wanted the pre theatre set menu (2 courses @ £25), and all ordered a main and a dessert (at the same time). The mains came and were fine, no complaints, though admittedly nothing special. Nothing that I can be bothered to write about in this review that was especially stand out. We had all ordered the hazelnut meringue for dessert but as our mains were cleared our waiter came back to tell us that it had run out. Fine, that happens. The other options were a cheeseboard and a sorbet served with grappa. The waiter said we could choose to order a dessert from the main menu (at extra cost). When we then wanted to know how much we’d be charged for only having a 1 course set menu it then proved to be really hard to get an answer! Eventually we were told it would be £20. We asked if we could sub the meringue from the main menu instead but that was apparently not possible. After some very long and circuitous conversations (and when clear we were frustrated) the waiter eventually said they could recreate a version of the hazelnut meringue dessert. Which they did and it was very delicious. I had the sorbet which was ok (the grappa was very strong and not really to my taste). Service was very polite but frustrating that there was little flexibility with substituting something/offering another option when what we’d ordered had run out. I was expecting better customer service for this standard / price of restaurant. Our waiter was trying his best but we suspect had inflexible management. Wouldn’t go again I’m afraid! (A shame because I do like Angela Hartnett!)

Very warm welcome, however the penne carbonara was unfortunately too salty, bordering on edible. The explanation given indicating that this is due to the recipe and that in Italy it would have been the same or worse is fallacious because we were able to eat this same dish several times in Italy, which was much less salty and delicious. The quality of the dishes is generally not at the price level, with the exception of desserts. The atmosphere remains very pleasant in the restaurant but we hope that our comment will be taken into account in the interest of the restaurant and its customers.

The food was alright but the sauces were very salty for my taste, particularly the carbonara. Kind and polite staff. You could smell the toilet detergent in the restaurant. Tired ambience.

Had dinner there this time. Food service and atmosphere were immaculate again. It is such an easy place to dine in as there is always something new you want to eat. Well done to all the team!

Food is swimming in olive oil, even a simple salad tastes like pure oil, making the whole dining experience unpleasant. Focaccia was stale, steak undercooked and dessert was so dry that even tiny amount of custard that I was given didn’t help. All in all, would not recommend and will not be coming back any time soon.

Bread was disappointing, did not tasted fresh at all. Was very confused because different staff members kept coming to my table and asking if everything was ok. I can understand that they are trying to be hospitable, but would prefer to have only one server which takes care of us, less confusion. In the beginning service was fine, but after main meals everything just stopped. Had to wait for a dessert half an hour and it was not worth it. Dry, definitely not freshly made and overpriced food.

We wanted to visit for so long and finally made it. Totally worth the wait. Food was superb but the staff just made the evening absolutely memorable. #MrPalermo made us laugh and advices us wisely… We should’ve taken his advice on the dessert order, that rhubarb-creamy thing was not well balanced (to our taste anyway!) and the fact that the wine was sold by carafes but not bottles made the price of drinks a bit high. The lovely lady supervisor with the incredible colourful jacket was also great. Thanks everyone. You didn’t disappoint and we’ll be back soon!

Excellent, excellent, excellent! The food was, of course, wonderful; however, the service was sublime! My guests and I were made to feel at home, given every consideration and treated to every hospitality. The whole team was terrific and Georgio was exemplary. What a thoroughly wonderful place for lunch, dinner and fun!

These people are magicians. They ply you with a prime location, a big name attached to it, and a beautiful space. In return they take gobs of money for mediocre food and service. The fennel rigatoni was something I could have made at home for under £3 instead of paying £18. Just a tomato sauce with crushed fennel seeds mixed in. Nothing special. Chicken Milanese was cooked evenly throughout but had very little in the way of actual flavor. I had Diet Coke to drink. For £5 I was given a small warm bottle by a server who wasn’t sure whether he should pour it for me and had to ask someone else. I was told my coat would be taken as I walked in the door but it sat next to me for my entire meal. Also the place is LOUD. Like pub on a Friday night loud. Really not impressed.

Wonderful food and charming service. The set lunch is amazing value. Couldn’t fault it!

Fantastic evening! We went for a pre-theatre dinner at Cafe Murano. I hadn't been in a while and it was a special occasion so I was nervous and hoping it was as amazing as I remember. It did not disappoint! Better than ever in fact. The staff were excellent and very informative about the menu. They offered great recommendations and every single dish we ordered was superb. Our family likes to taste each others dishes to see who made the best choice. We couldn't decide which dish was the winner as they were all delicious!

We had a lovely pre-theatre meal here. The service was spectacular, such friendly people with thoughtful suggestions and knowledgeable about the food and wine choices. The lunch/pre-theatre menu appears to change regularly. On this occasion we both had the beetroot and lentil salad to start, for our mains my partner had crab risotto, and I had lemon chicken and fennel. Both were excellent dishes, but the star attraction was the beetroot starter. It was absolutely beautiful and quite a remarkable dish for such simple ingredients. We had a carafe of sav blanc rose which was good. Sadly we didn't have time to try any desserts so we have a good reason to return to sample some 😊

Very very disappointing. We went late so the restaurant was empty, but the pasta with beef shin was dry and my wife's chicken milanese gave her a stomach ache when we returned and she had only eaten half as it wasn't appetising. The waitress had no idea about the wines when i asked for advice. A very expensive meal, a bad experience and one to forget

Great Italian food and super friendly service. The only negative was how loud the restaurant was when it was busy for lunch. You had trouble hearing folks.

Thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Cafe Murano - I was greedy (no regrets) and got the conchiglioni as a small size to start and then the rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage Ragu for a main. Absolutely stuffed but I really enjoyed both and thought the chestnuts were a thoughtful and seasonal addition to the conchiglioni with pesto. I didn't get much spice from the Italian sausage, but the fennel fragrance was very well balanced with the sweetness of the sauce, and the texture of the pasta itself in both dishes was exactly to my preference with a slight bite. The portion sizes for the pasta were incredibly generous and very well priced. I didn't give 5 starts as I thought the carafes were not as well priced. I will come back to enjoy more from the menu and the cocktails. The space is relaxing thanks to dark wood panels but kept bright enough by mirrored walls. Felt well-attended to by staff who were also flexible enough to send out a birthday gesture to my friend on short notice. Thank you for a great evening!

The two of us dined here on a cold January evening, as a late Christmas treat from my absent daughter who'd requested her gift of £100 be taken from our bill without fuss or debate at the table. The manager had agreed to this by email but had not alerted staff so we were initially billed for the full amount. Food was edible, apart from my half-unfrozen sorbet desert which I returned.

Thank you to Yarka and Caitlyn. They were incredible. The food was superb and the private dining was amazing. Thank you

Wonderfull food and excellent service.

You know, I'm a great fan of this place and have been many times, but the food, while perfectly cooked, lacked the wow factor it used to have. Just a bit more unexpected flavour touches would make all the difference. But the staff are wonderful and the upstairs area one of the nicest unpretentious dining rooms in London.

Excellent food, very good wine, great atmosphere and exceptional hospitality. I left feeling so happy. Definitely returning on my next trip to London

We came to Cafe Murano for a private event this week and I was incredibly impressed! The food was absolutely delicious, and the dishes were unique. The staff really blew us away - they were attentive, knowledgeable and so helpful. I can’t wait to come back for date night! Thanks so much

We booked with friends and had a splendid lunch for four on a busy Saturday. Very happy to recommend.

I work for these guys. They did not pay me when I left.

Great service, staff were lovely. The food and drink were excellent.

Went here for my Birthday loved it. Food was amazing attentive and polite staff. Lovely Atmosphere

Lovely warm welcoming when arriving at the venue, we were taken to our table right away, and were offered cloakroom for our large coats. The service was very lovely throughout and the staff were extremely personable and chatty. They were very quick with recommendations from the menu, as well as letting us know what items were unavailable, and what the replacements were. We ordered 3 courses, wine and some cocktails. I have to say the portions are very generous, and beyond delicious. Full of flavour and extremely moreish. Each time I saw other customers food coming out I got extremely jealous and my mouth watered. I would definitely recommend one of Angela’s wines, as they are sophisticated and delicious with the courses. There was also a wonderful range of cocktails. The wrong pasta dish was brought out to me, and it seems this was just an error on the till, the staff were extremely apologetic and got my original order to me very promptly. They did let me keep the other dish and it was very flavoursome. The only downside was some of the tables were quite close together, there was a little talking over one another as you could not hear yourself over one another. The space between some of the tables was quite tight, so the servers kept brushing passed me, which was a little annoying, but the rest of the experience certainly makes up for this. An excellent restaurant that I will certainly be visiting again, and again and again.

What a fantastic team of staff. They were professional, knowledgeable and personable, so refreshing to find people of this high calibre. Their attitude enhanced the whole experience. And the food was utterly delicious, could’ve chosen anything off the menu!

You know those restaurants where you feel a little thought and love has gone in to everything? Well, this is that restaurant. And honestly I have eaten in much more expensive restaurants and not had food this good. A great menu expertly cooked :)

Great restaurant. Food was beautiful, service was great & it was actually reasonably priced considering the quality. Highly recommend

First time here for pre theatre dinner. Lovely food, very attentive staff. Set menu is great value.

Lovely food, lovely waiting staff who kindly checked our timings (we were due at the Royal Opera House) The set menu was very good.

Exquisite, the sauce in the pasta Heavenly

Superb food, attentive service, worth every penny.

Excellent Italian restaurant, good prices for London! very kind staff 😘

Excellent experience, the whole evening was amazing. The food, the service and the atmosphere was fantastic, will be visiting again soon !

Really tasty pre- theatre menu, and very well priced. As a consequence portions were smaller. A nice wine list and great service.

Appallingly bland food, I am amazed Angela still puts her name to this place, staff lovely but I've had better food in cafe rouge