Cafe Murano St James in City of London, Westminster

Incredible meal and hospitality

Thank you for the amazing service, food and atmosphere during our visit yesterday, whilst celebrating my wife’s Birthday.

Absolutely brilliant. The staff were amazing, the food was terrific, the place was relaxed. Quite possibly the best dinner I've had in London. Highly recommended.

A great place for lunch and dinner. Nice stylish atmosphere, excellent food, and the drinks are top notch!!!! Polite, friendly staff, they work professionally without attracting attention. In my opinion, one of the best places that is worthy of a visit for a family dinner, a romantic date, or a business meeting. I recommend everyone to visit!!!!

Excellent all round, it's a 'rustic' version of Italian food and totally delicious. The staff were incredible, very helpful and their recommendations were spot on.

Great place Amazing food and the service was impeccable The manager Giuseppe is a credit to the establishment We had: Tiramisu - pistachio iced cream - truffle arancini - and pasta - all very delicious

Lovely impromptu meal last night at Cafe Murano. We had pre theatre at the bar, all courses lovely and the male bartender, I'm sorry I didn't get his name, was delightful and helpful.

We loved the food! Especially the arancioni, the food tasted of quality and I would definitely return. To add the waitress from Bulgaria was very nice!!

Perfect for a lazy lunch. Wonderful food, relaxed service, fine wine list.

A family gathering of 7 with ages ranging from 16 to 66. Excellent service from the staff - friendly and engaging, with good knowledge of the dishes and wines. The food was lovely, some of the best Italian food I’ve had outside Italy. Fresh pasta made on the premises was a particular highlight. I’d say the value for money was good given the quality of the food. Will definitely return.

In St-James...Great venue, good service but food could be more original. Fairly priced for the type of place and locatio though.

The food and wine were fabulous of course. Why five stars? The people, the manager and deputy manager were so welcoming, as were the whole team, but they led from the front. It felt like we were being welcomed into a typical family owned Italian restaurant; rare to find that atmosphere in the U.K. We will return for sure.

Bit void of atmosphere, staff were nice, food fairly average.

This was a very poor dining experience. It was representative of the increasingly dire culinary landscape of the West End in terms of dining. The room is cold and has no atmosphere. Service was functional and impersonal. We chose the set lunch menu as the safe option on a first visit. Food was fridge cold and under-seasoned. The pork belly was appalling (ironic after years of Chef Harnett berating others for pork skin not being crispy ...). Even an expresso was cold and bitter: much like our ruined birthday lunch. For £75 we might have well thrown our money down St James Street ...

Cafe Murano St James, great relaxed atmosphere , super food & Service.

W3 chose the set menu beginning with foccacia and olive oil, then the cauliflower followed by cod and borlotti beans for me Husband chose mozzarella and pork belly. The restaurant was cold and gloomy and felt bleak. Our food was sparse, not well cooked (the pork belly comprised a rasher grilled not braised therefore tough) and disappointing on every level. My espresso was cold, and the insult was a bill totalling £78. This ruined our birthday frankly and we would never return

Whilst the food was very tasty, the ambiance was fine, the service was functional if not sullen. The maitre’d or manager was pleasant, efficient and fine, the other staff member attending us was sullen if not ungracious. Clumsy service was the hallmark of the evening.

Went here after watching and listening to the dish podcast. Service was so below average, food was so average and the dining setting was outdated. For £80 for dinner genuinely expected more. Would not go back or strongly recommend

Nice and reasonably priced for the area italian cafe.

Top class food, top class service, truly fantastic all round. The set menu was perfect for all of us with dishes we wanted so we had that, could not fault anything and to finish a Tiramisu to die for, bravo.

Excellent people watching with the outdoor seating. Every meal here has been fantastic. Their children's pasta is always a hit with our 2yr old. Good wine list with unusual regional items to continually entertain and keep the drinks from feeling stale.

Another lovely meal at Cafe Murano, this time St James whilst Covent Garden is undergoing a refurbishment. This time celebrating our parents wedding anniversary. Food and service was excellent as usual. Highly recommended when in town.

We (party of two) visited this restaurant on a Saturday evening ahead of seeing a West End show. Therefore, we went for the theatre menu. The food came out quickly (but not suspiciously quickly) and was well presented, hot and tasty. Our waiter, Massimo, was attentive and friendly without being overbearing. Highly recommend if you’re in the area.

I have been to Cafe Murano several times with my baby and the staff are always so accommodating and friendly, particularly with her (and other children). I would really recommend it if you are looking for somewhere in central London to eat with kids. The food is great too and the place has a really nice atmosphere.

Excellent service and excellent food. Highly recommend.

The Manager on duty was so friendly, helpful and attentive, made for a special evening for my wife and I

What a lovely experience we had. The food was amazing, tasty and authentic, the venue is beautiful, Guiseppe recommended a wine that paired perfectly with our bistecca (and is up there with the best wine we’ve ever had), and his team looked after us with immaculate service.

I adopted this restaurant for my client lunches, it is faultless, the food is sublime, the service seamless, nothing is ever too much trouble. Thank you to the staff here to always make sure us (the customer) are always well looked after and happy...

Cafe M is one of our favourite restaurants, and this was the first time it’s been other than excellent. The arancini and the starters were great but the pappardelle was very overcooked and I couldn’t eat more than half of it. I would have ignored the matter, everyone is entitled to mess up, but when I informed the Maitre d’ about it, he made it much worse by apologising and then saying “I’ve taken your coffee off the bill”. In other words he was acknowledging that there was a problem, but it wasn’t really worth anything. I would have been a lot happier if he had said something on the lines of “I’m sorry and I will have an immediate word with the chef to see how this happened”. Giving me a free coffee on a £200 lunch bill was a derisory gesture and one which felt that he considered my complaint to be insignificant. Just to give you a little context, last Tuesday, my wife and I returned to London after 6 weeks at our house outside Siena. One of my favourite dishes whilst there is Pappardelle alla Lepra, so I don’t consider myself a pasta novice. Sorry for the lengthy post, as a journalist, am used to being paid by the word.

This “cafe” is in a lovely area and exudes class. However, after eating here on many many occasions my visit yesterday and a few months ago were disappointing. As a vegetarian the choice of food seems to never change and isn’t of the standard you’d expect from a Michelin star owner. My pesto linguine was soggy saturated, bland and something I could easily replicate and improve on at home. The focaccia lacked a proper crust. My local Italian pasta cafe / restaurant in Kentish Town, Anima e Cuore, offers much better fresh pasta dishes - especially their ravioli. I hope Murano ups its game on the food front as the restaurant and staff make this a lovely place to visit. The unexciting food lets it down.

I’m rarely lost for words, I’ve wanted to visit murano for a long time, long time Angela fan (& long time dish listener). I took my mum tonight for the pre theatre menu as a birthday treat. Massimo was our waiter and I honestly can’t praise him enough; he took time to talk to us, to get to know us, as a waitress myself; I know this isn’t always possible during busy times, but he was invested in us, and that in itself deserves the 5 stars. We were treated to the lightest foccacia with oil pre dinner, whilst we talked about travelling, Italy, and London life with him. I was tempted to ask him to be my friend there and then. He is a beautiful man and a beautiful soul. And great at his job. 11/10 to massimo. On to food - We both had the sardines to start, delicious, perfectly cooked in butter with a fennel and orange salad that complimented it wonderfully. My mum ordered the pork tenderloin as a main and I had the sea bream. I rarely eat meat but of course, had to taste hers. It was the best pork I’ve ever eaten. The sea bream was stunning, crunchy skin; soft centre and a wonderful caponata underneath. I’m salivating writing this. The wine is another story, we asked massimo for a recommendation of a bottle of red wine. I explained we’re not rich, this was a treat. £35 was our maximum and he didn’t let us down, I explained we wanted fish and he chose the refosco - we didn’t feel cheated, it was the perfect wine for our meal. I didn’t want to leave - if we hadn’t had tickets for the theatre I’d have stayed all night. I cannot wait to go back; for the food, but also to see my new friend massimo. Thank you for a wonderful evening ❤️

One of nicest north Italian food in London.. is worth to go .. so delicious food and nice ambiance and atmosphere.. food is the best quality and so fresh … varieties of food even vegetarian too. Service is excellent …

Another welcoming, delicious and enjoyable moment at your lovely restaurant. Grazie mille Team Cafe Murano St James's ... Giuseppe, Olivia, the chefs and everyone else.

I was craving Italian and so popped into CM in St James’s. I paid £12 for one narrow slice of bread with 3 pieces of tomato. Still feeling guilty at wasting that amount of money on very average bruschetta. Gnocchi was too soft from being over-boiled. A poor meal for the price.

I generally enjoyed the experience. Service was good, staff pleasant, and my cocktail was perfect. My food choices were delicious tasting, however the pasta was much too al dente, such that I had indigestion for the rest of the evening, and that was just with the smaller portion. Such a shame, as otherwise I'd have given 5 stars. Perhaps a little costly.

Great lunch and staff. All smiles

Lovely place with a great set menu. They are very dog friendly which was amazing.

I eat at this place every year when I come to London. The food is excellent and well-priced, and the service is great. What's not to love

Elegant restaurant, excellent and high quality food. Courteous, polite and friendly staff. I never eat Italian cuisine abroad and I found myself in this place by chance and was pleasantly surprised. I highly recommend

Service and staff outstanding. We ate from the menu of the day outstanding. It is never going to be cheap but I will return again and again.

The manager and the all team were very nice with us. We have spend a great evening at Café Murano. I can't recommend this place highly enough

Had a wonderful dinner here tonight. Tasty food and very thoughtful service. One of our party needed gluten-free options, and a large proportion of the menu could have adjustments made to accommodate this. Thanks so much to the Cafe Murano team - you made sure we had a hugely enjoyable and memorable evening.

Way below expectations. We’ve dined at Murano and Cafe Murano in Covent Garden. We’re huge fans of Angela Hartnett, and had previously dined at her restaurant @ The Connaught. All these restaurants are excellent - great food and amazing service. The service at St James was surprisingly under well under par. The staff seemed to be mostly preoccupied with ‘training’ matters. The waitress was super slow and not attentive. Plates were left at the table for a very long time. I then had to ask the Maitre d’ to help, which she did so but very reluctantly leaving the feeling that this was well beneath her (we were then hurried up at the end to finish as the table ‘was needed’, which felt pretty ironic). When asked if I could taste the vin santo which I was not familiar with (I tend to go with the recioto), I was poured such a small amount that it was impossible to taste the wine. It all felt a little amateurish, and I was left wondering if this was her first day. Such a shame. If you are planning on going to a Murano, avoid the St James branch and go to one of the other ones!

Congratulations to the team who made our experience second to none.

Brilliant service amazing staff, great food also I enjoyed everything we had from the Arancini balls to the rabbit pasta, the service to start off was a little slow because the venue was busy but that’s understandable. Our server Massimo and the Manager were great hosts. I would highly recommend this Murano site

I visited Cafe Murano on St James Street, a lovely location. The service was mixed; the women working there were nice, but the man was a bit condescending. The place itself looks nice, but the food wasn't to my liking. We tried the two-course pre-theatre menu: the buffalo mozzarella with melon was unremarkable, and the fried friggitelli were just okay. The lamb with potatoes was disappointing—the potatoes weren't good, and the meat wasn't to my taste. Additionally, the value for money was bad. I won't be going back and was surprised by the high Google reviews—quite disappointed.

Always great service and outstanding food.

Everything is very good. The quality is great as is the staff

Excellent food and service! The staff was very professional and upbeat which made our night even more memorable.

We had a delicious lunch catching up with a friend. The service was excellent, could not fault it. The food was excellent. The broccoli with toasted hazlenuts and capers was inspired! Lovely relaxed ambiance, we didn't feel hurried or rushed through lunch. We would definitely recommend and re-visit!

Our waiter was amazing and the food was so good. We were really craving Italian today The burrata was incredible, as were the olives…. And it just got better from there!

It's a lovely but small setting. Great service. The pasta starters are quite large and would do as a main. The fish would be a better choice. The set menu is good value

Super from start to finish. Staff were very good and hreat choices on the menu. The food we chose was top class. Highly recommended, and we will be back.

Fab food, attentive service and everyone says goodbye to like you matter. Haven't experienced that in a long time, and the food was amazing, really looking forward to making this place a regular for the rest of our lives, can't wait to tell the family the great news. I'd heard good reviews and was so pleased it excelled them. thanks Cafe Murano

If I would write an honest review of how I felt with the service, I’d be probably banned from google. This is because, the attitude of the floor manager has got me feeling bitter for hours after. I could not believe his response to our pleasant request to have coffee inside, instead we have been told to go to Pret instead. Describing it as more appropriate place for us.

Was a perfect pre theatre supper. Staff were fantastic, just the right amount of service. Food was expertly cooked and seasoned. First time dining here, would definitely return.

We stopped in for a simple and quick dinner before a show. We were delighted to find choices which appealed to us. We live in Switzerland, but travel to London once or twice a year—excepting pandemics—and look forward to our next visit. We would like to come to Murano on an "off-theatre night" so that we could linger and enjoy our meal.

If any restaurant deserves a 5 star it’s this one. What a fabulous eatery in the heart of St James’s. Incredible food served in a cafe style setting - not fussy and not pretentious - with fabulous service to embellish the experience. Well-priced Italian fayre with an extensive wine list. We had a selection of starters - arancini, bureaus and a primavera salad. I then the orecchiette with courgettes which is perhaps the best I’ve ever had. The tiramisu was tempting had I not gorged on the previous courses Well done Angela Hartnett and the team. If I could I’d give you 6 stars.

Delicious food Excellent, friendly service. 😃

Went to Cafe Murano with two friends for an early dinner. There are two blonde women on reception who seem to find it impossible to smile or greet guests warmly, there is certainly no warm Italian welcome when you arrive. After giving our name we were immediatly told we had the table until 8.15. And that was our first impression. The food was good, we had two courses each, a starter and main. We ordered our 2nd bottle of Gavi (at £47 a bottle), and within ten minutes were told we would have to leave as our time was up, we still had over half a bottle left. I understand the time limit on the table, but often you aren't asked to leave if there isn't a booking to follow. We presumed there wasn't - so why let us buy the 2nd bottle? We were told there were people waiting to be seated, and had to ask for a cork so we could take the bottle with us - how demeaning for a customer? As we left we mentioned to one of the receptionists that there was nobody standing waiting, and she pointed to people sitting at the bar. She said we could have moved there to finish our wine if we'd asked. If we'd asked... Really? And there we were thinking they were the ones in the hospitality industry. It is not a hard decision to choose never to go back.

Cafe Murano St James is an absolute gem in the heart of London! From the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. The ambiance is charming and sophisticated, perfect for a casual lunch or an intimate dinner. The menu is a culinary delight, offering a tantalizing array of Italian dishes prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Each dish is a masterpiece, bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The service is impeccable, with attentive staff who go above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. Whether you're a local or just visiting, Cafe Murano St James is a must-visit destination for food lovers. I can't wait to return and indulge in more of their exquisite offerings!

My second visit to this lovely restaurant. The orrechiette courgette was heavenly, though my friends crab risotto wasn't quite as good as when I had it last time. But overall a great experience. All of the staff were absolutely lovely, in particular Massimo. Excellent service. Thank you so much.

As always the food was brilliant. Wonderfully friendly staff managed expertly by Michelle - can't be beaten.

Had a great meal at Cafe Murano. The Burrata with walnut pesto was beyond exceptional as was the beef shin Ragu with Tagliatelle. Sadly the carbonara rigatoni was over salted; however, the team at Cafe Murano responded quickly and rectified the issue. This is a sign of good service and we would happily eat here again. Definitely recommend.

Absolutely delicious; I love it here!

Ordinary food, terrible service. When I asked about the “discretionary” service charge which had been applied to my bill, I was yelled at loudly and openly by the server. Incredibly hostile, unprofessional, and disrespectful. Never returning.

Great Italian food and they are very kind... Highly recommend

The whole team were great and really looked after us, especially Grace who was excellent!!Food as expected was fantastic, the Pumpkin Tortellini was outstanding. Thank You so much and I look forward to returning soon. Kind regards Peter

Great atmospheric place to have lunch. Not hurried, carafe's of wine at affordable prices. So many places just do not have the class this place eludes. Matthew

Great return visit! The tiramisu is heavenly.

Amazing food, excellent service, thoroughly recommend.

Love this place - great good and service

Fantastic food. Great service. All first class

4.5 stars! Throwback to a lovely impromptu dinner at Cafe Murano. More bistro-esque than a cafe, this place oozes quaint coziness and I loved the vibe. Dinner was carbs-overload but totally worth it - I still can’t decide which was my fave dish.

The ambience, authentic dishes with high end presentation and quality. Staff can't be more polite. Daniel was brilliant.

great Italian food. professional service. great pre-theater value.

Everything about this restaurant was excellent other than the outdated online wine list. The Pieropan Soave 2018 was in reality a 2022 in restaurant. The in restaurant wine list is also sadly out of date too

Delicious food. Swift and good service. Lovely atmosphere. Recommend!

The restaurant was buzzing but excellent service and divine food.

Another lovely meal, great choices available and impeccable service

The resturant was unbearably cold it felt like we were sat outside! They should not sit paying customers by the windows and entrance during winter months. The food was decent but was cold within seconds of being placed in front of us. Very dissapointing experience all round

A mixed bag - some dishes are both sizeable and delicious, notably the crispy, chewy salt cod fritters, which could serve as a main for one person. But the monkfish (one of the most expensive dishes on the menu) was underwhelming, lacking in flavour with a surfeit of beans, a lack of sauce and monkfish that was borderline overcooked. The specials looked appealing, and the lamb gnocchi we ordered was rich and tasty but had one ingredient too many, and would have been more enjoyable without the addition of mint to the dish. Most disappointing was the dessert - the tiramisu was fine, but the chocolate cake was a bitter disappointment - dry and tasteless, to the extent that I did not finish it which I've only done once before. The drinks menu is curious, with unusual combinations that are pleasant enough, but seem to focus more on throwing unexpected flavours together than on creating an inviting drink. Our waiter was lovely, but that wasn't enough to make up for a disappointing meal that was much more expensive than better meals I've had in the same area. Overall, when there are so many convivial Italian restaurants that offer handmade pasta and other dishes with a warm, cosy atmosphere, places like Murano that don't offer exceptional anything (value, flavours, ambience) start to seem slightly redundant.

An absolutely wonderful experience. Great atmosphere, first rate service, fabulous food and wine. Guiseppe and the team were great - thank you so much, can't wait to go back.

Cafe Murano is one of our favourite places to eat. The service is impeccable and the food is always great - the menu changes regularly enough, there are dishes to suit every appetite & it always tastes fresh. The cocktails are a treat & it’s just a lovely place to relax and enjoy great food. I regularly recommend it to friends and colleagues. We will definitely be back.

Great atmosphere and excellent service, but mixed reviews on our food. My wife enjoyed her gnocchi with lamb ragu, but the the bruschetta was average (Tomatoes were substituted with peppers), and the tagliatelle with beef shin was disappointing. Quite bland and overly creamy imo.

Had diner at Cafe Murano St James last week - family of 4 - food /service and ambience were 5 Star - our waitress that night was exceptional - she was attentive / welcoming / knowledgeable and made our night -!!

Always a great meal and excellent staff.

Excellent service, food was under seasoned and uninspired. Had the squash ravioli & it was undercooked. Not worth the price !

Have dined here many times. Always superb.

Fabulous service. Great food with perfect sized portions so that you can eat all the courses. The birthday girl with us had a great time and you helped make it special... thank you!

Food cooked to perfection, wonderful ambience, a marvellous evening chez Angela

Very good food and service. Quite a lot of reflected noise at the back of the restaurant. Worth knowing if you struggle in noisy backgrounds or have a business meeting for instance.

Decent food but not spectacular for the price, service didn't ask about drinks and didn't give us enough menu's, was very loud and cramped. Decent restaurant but not 5 stars.

Lovely restaurant, kind and friendly service, great menu options, fab wine list. I had the beef crudo and the agnolotti, both were super yum.

We return here every time while visiting London. Predictably wonderful food and the nicest service. Highly recommend

All round a wonderful meal with lovely location, very relaxed and comfortable restaurant, all complimented with fabulous food and wine with relaxed and friendly staff whose knowledge of the wine and obviously the food was very impressive. Thank you for such a lovely lunch.

Clean, good service and on the whole very good. The main of slow cooked venison was a disappointment as it was so dry and as served on a bed of dry celeriac mash very uneatable. I'm not a professional chef but this seemed over cooked.

Amazing place, food and brilliant service!!!!

Nice all around, made a last minute weekday night reservation for a quick meal. Had a very nice plate of pasta- the rigatoni sausags ragu. Friendly front of house staff. No extra frivolities involved, but I think that's part of the style of the place. Thought the interiors could do with a bit of updating and a bit more light, did feel slightly dated/well worn. Could you get as nice a, or a better Italian meal cheaper elsewhere in London?- probably, yes, but it's in a prime and convenient location so you have to expect a premium in price for the location.

Haven't been here for many years and returned recently with children. Service was professional, attentive and friendly. They are very child friendly and have a good kids menu. Dishes were all well presented and tasty.