Il Blandford`s in City of London, Westminster

Best lasagna we have ever tried, its a must whenever we come to London, today, we came straight from the airport

I have nothing but compliments for this place. Il Blandford’s is a quaint Italian cafe in Marylebone with excellent offerings. The owner is kind and attentive, and does MAGIC in the kitchen. I’m excited to come back, and I hope more people discover this gem of a restaurant.

Love this local place - amazing food and lovely service. The owner is wonderful !

We waited more than 30 minutes not even one meal came and when we asked them where is the food they said “this is not fastfood !!

Had a decent pizza and reasonable time here, but I realised once already on the train home that they had overcharged me by £30 on an £51 bill, bringing the total to £81.

Ordered two pizzas and one coke and water bottle that came up to £51 however we got charged £81. Fraudulent behaviour do not trust this place.

Very rude waiter. Not worth the wait or money.

Il Blandfords is more than a café but not quite a restaurant; a posh cafe if you like. It is quite cramped with small bench seats and chairs closely spaced, so not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs in my opinion. The table tops are unusual in being metal clad, which has the effect of not gripping your plate of food, so you chase it around the table; they really should use suitable table mats (update at Dec 2019 - metal tops have gone, so they may have taken heed). However, it oozes character with interesting artwork on the walls. The food is really nice and well presented, but a tad pricy. Please LIKE with a 👍 if you found this review helpful, thank-you.

There was no problem with the food, except the proseco that should be cooler than as served. The problem was with the service. This was my fourth time there, each time they behave as if no one exist outside/inside the restaurant door and let you in whenever they wish (the restaurant was empty). Then you have to wait their will for any order! I tried again and again thinking that there might be a temporary problem, but no, this is the way they serve. The reason why i tried again and again has been la cotaletta which is delicious.

Limited choices and rather overpriced for the quality you get. Would expect better from a home cooking style restaurant.

About as bad as it gets. God forbid you complain about the half frozen lasagne and face the unpleasant and confrontational reaction from the staff. I would avoid if I was you. I think the response sums this place up - not the food that was bad but my attitude for daring to complain - priceless!

Ordered a bottle of white wine but was told it was sold out but presented with another bottle as an alternative. I assumed the price would be similar, but when the bill came the price was the double. Food was nothing special. Stay away.

Very tasty pizza. Viktor was really nice with us, such a nice vibe! We will be visiting again soon!

The food here was so authentic that it felt it came from Italy. The taste of the food itself was excellent. Their service is decent, but there was a problem with the order, however the staff acknowledged it and soon gave us a complimentary appetizer. The atmosphere was homely and quaint. I would DEFINITELY recommend this place!

I love Il Blandford’s. Jessica, the owner, always makes you feel like home. The food and vibe is amazing! You can come with family, friends, colleagues and everyone will love it. The Milanese is the best in London!

Amazing atmosphere, chilled and cozy. The food is amazing and Jessica is a fantastic host! Highly recommended

I love itttt ♥️Came here with my Italian boyfriend and we both loved the place, the ambiance and the food. Also, Jessica the owner, is always around and making sure that everything is perfect. The Milanese here is the absolute star but you also have to try the gnocchi fritti and the pizza with parmesan, prosciutto, and rocket!

Best italian experience in London

Family run restaurant in marylebone offering a great experience ! A huge thank you to the team and Jessica for the awesome time we had yesterday ! On the menu : warm welcome, great cocktails, and friendly service made our night! Pizza and pasta were delicious ! And you should not miss out their tiramisu and tarta de La Nona !!!!! Seriously, the team know how to make you feel special. Can't wait to swing by again soon !

Went for lunch earlier today, the food and service were fantastic! Will be returning for sure. *****

Il Blandfords is an amazing restaurant! What a place to be with the ambience and quality of food, to be frank, exceptional. Would highly recommend to any Italian lover, this is the place you want to be.

One of the best Italian restaurants in London. Outstanding, fresh and flavourful food at reasonable prices. You won’t regret an evening at Il Blandford’s!

Amazing place! Highly recommended! Homemade pasta, good wine and a very friendly hostess.

A real gem in Marylebone. Our favorite italian restaurant in London. Everything is home made, very fresh and delicious. Thank you Jessica for your warm welcome each time we come for lunch or dinner. We will definitively come back during the holidays !

I absolutely love this place. It punches well above it’s weight. I have eaten in Locanda Locatelli, Franco’s in JermynStreet, 2 Venetti and Cecconis in Mayfair and Blandford beats them all hands down on all counts, Food, atmosphere, value and welcome. Please try it. John

Excellent little family Italian restaurant with a cosy friendly atmosphere. Traditional Italian food cooked to a high standard.

A small and genuine Italian restaurant with good pizza and pasta dishes. Ask about the special and leave room fo a desert. When we visited the service was a little slow but very friendly and that's so much nicer than being rushed.

My favourite Italian in London by miles.

Loved this place before, visiting regularly from office with colleagues before Covid. Decided to go again for a re-union but process of trying to get a booking is bizarre. If you send an email you don’t get a reply. If you call, you get diverted to a mobile that never answers and you can’t leave a message. Why not have on-line booking?! When someone did answer at 9.20pm I was abruptly told now is not the time to make a booking and to send an email. I explained I’d sent an email 4 days ago to which I was told “we don’t reply to emails until 24 hours before the request and only if there is an issue with space otherwise assume we have space”. So if there is a problem why should I scramble to find a booking elsewhere at the last minute We are in the 21st century. Sorry I’ll take my business elsewhere. Thank you

The food was delicious!!! Must go for the food. Alex did a fabulous job on his first night on the restaurant floor.

I came here for a meal midweek after work with a friend. The menu is fairly small, which is usually a good sign as it means what they do is high quality. However, we ordered (after having to flag down the staff twice as we were waiting a while and it was empty?) and were informed that what we ordered was not available. We said ok no worries and ordered something else - this was also not available. They basically hadn’t had a delivery and had no cheese so over half the menu wasn’t available. I feel like this isn’t their fault but it is something that needs to be mentioned when you sit down? Because I didn’t fancy something without cheese we said we would go elsewhere and politely asked for the bill to cover our drinks to which the chef came over and started challenging us asking what we wanted on the menu as she had everything else (which was not true…). Overall the situation was badly managed, the service staff were poor and I probably wouldn’t go back again even if they had a cheese delivery.

Owner is crazy and rude. She doesn’t know how to talk to the customers in a polite way. I hope she learns how to speak to the customers in a nice and professional way.

Very bad experience do not recommend.

The service is appalling. The owner is VERY VERY rude and disrespectful. Her behavior is completely erratic. Screams at customers and staff. Terrible.

TERRIBLE SERVICE! Forgot to bring drinks, forgot my main, waited 2 hours. Owner is extremely rude and disrespectful. Screamed at my husband and refused to take accountability for terrible service, said it “ wasn’t her fault “. Ruined the vibe for everyone. Mind you, the food was late for all tables. Never again.

This is the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever tried. The food was delicious, and the staff was very friendly. I would come back, and recommend this place to my friends.

One of the best Italian meals I’ve had! All the food was fantastic and made with love. Highly recommend the artichoke appetizer, lasagna, chicken, and the bolognese. Really adorable and quaint atmosphere - felt very homey and cozy with fun people watching. Will definitely be back!

Posto davvero carino e bella atmosfera, personale molto gentile, specialmente Naomi, super disponibile e molto cortese. Esperienza ottima

Lovely staff, hands down the best Milanese I’ve had in london! Food took a little time, but it’s evident it’s because everything is freshly made. A very sweet independent restaurant, I highly recommend, and great price for our diner; cocktails, starters, mains and dessert and desert! New favourite Italian 💖

Great little hidden little Italy. Food is simply amazing and always a fun vibe.

Exceptional food with exceptionally slow service

If in London try this place. It only has a handful of seats so I recommend booking but we booked on the day and got in and we saw a couple of walk ins on the night. The menu is a perfect size with a good range of options and specials and the wine list has everything you could need. You can dine here for a special occasion 3 course feast or simply a pizza and glass of wine. Pasta Della norma, chefs kiss. Your perfect authentic Italian experience and easy to get to from baker Street tube, Oxford Street area etc...

Excellent pizza, authentic Italian food, service, cocktails and salads.

I strongly recommend this resturant, who welcomed me like an old friend (I had eaten there 5 years previously!), and making me feel like part of their family.....though still allowing me my space. I had the lasagne, and it was delicious.

My favourite Italian place in London. Authentic Italian cuisine and I love the cosy atmosphere.

Extremely disappointing experience. Came here with a few friends for dinner and the restaurant was empty but it took absolutely forever to get our food. When the food came out, it was cold and some of the pasta was uncooked. To top it all of, the manager was extremely rude and unprofessional and tried to tell us we were wrong when we aired our concerns. Absolutely no regard for customer service or care - we will not be going back as there is no shortage of Italian restaurants to choose from in London. Would highly recommend the manager understand how to take care of customers - this is not how you look after people in what is supposed to be a quaint family restaurant!

A great, friendly resturant, with excellent food. I had the lasagne....perfect

I can't even rate this experience as there wasn't one! 8th March 1st contacted the owner to book a large table for 15 Clinical Directors, GPs and staff after a training session we were attending. Said she could accommodate us. Then no further replies to my emails or phone calls. Red flag there already. When I eventually got through I was met with an aggressive, argumentative lady telling me 'she is too busy to reply to my emails, and that I shouldn't be bothering her with my requests as she is not good with computers or phones'. Shocked that she was so unaccommodating about a large corporate team coming to spend money in her restaurant that I said not to worry I will go to another restaurant and was met with the reply 'good' and the phone was put down on me. 5 minutes after I had the phone put down on me, she called me back to apologise and understanding the error of her ways 'really wanted us all to come to her restaurant and experience her passion and how good the food was'. I accepted her apology and the offer of her fixed price menu and agreed that we would go and I would arrange for the team to choose their meals before hand to 'help the chef'. It was also agreed that because it was a large table and would take up the majority of the restaurant that we would get there for 5pm and be given an aperitif, and then leave by 8pm so that other diners had the chance to eat there. I accumulated everyone's choices and sent them to her with the addition of 2 further guests. Nothing.. i resent it, and got 'fine'. I had further queries and tried to contact by phone and email, nothing. Not even in peak times did anyone answer the restaurant phone. The phone automatically diverts to her mobile, nothing. I left it a while and 2 days before hand still had had no luck getting through. Now its seems like I'm a lunatic by calling but when arranging these corporate dinners everything has to be just so, and changes can occur. I had some changes that I needed to update her with and I needed to make sure that we were on track and she had everything from me and if a deposit should be required. Nothing. The day of my booking (I should have just booked somewhere else beforehand, I know) I called the restaurant, nothing, mobile, nothing. I then receive and automated text 'Can't talk now' to which my reply was, I need to talk to you about my booking' I had to leave the office for our training when I looked at my emails and saw an email from her ' Dear Emmie , the chef had a stroke and I’m alone so I can only do a reduce menu d for you. It’s happen just today and it’s a disaster Can I call you in one hour' She didn't call me at all. I then rushed to book another restaurant for 17 people. No phone call to date. This is obviously a sad situation and I wish the chef well. However, the weeks leading up to the dinner to have no correspondence at all, leads me to believe that she can't cope with large bookings or run her business to a standard she professes on her website. Sad, as a company we often support our local businesses with our team dinners and drinks but this is a place I would hugely avoid. Poor customer services and we didn't even get to eat there!

We are visiting London and made the mistake of ordering through this restaurant. Spoke over the phone and asked if they delivered, she (assuming it was the owner) said yes they delivered if I ordered using Deliveroo. OK no worries, I setup an account and placed and order right away. WELL within the ordering window and a good 40 minutes before they were about to close down. Deliveroo is a piece of garbage service and I don't know where the breakdown happened. I asked for cutlery too since we are at a hotel and the cutlery didn't come either. The order kept showing that it was prepared and it was a good ONE hour late. ONE HOUR...so I paid for a "premium" pizza that was ice cold and without cutlery and the owner stopped answering her phone while my kids were hungry asking me where their food was. Yeah, I'm never ordering from this place again. I give it two stars though because the pizza itself tasted very good.

normal restaurant, no surprise....but over price

Real taste of the Italian kitchen and friendly atmosphere & simplicity.

Fantastic place to have lunch. Very cosy and the service is amazing as well. The portions of the desserts are not as big as I'd thought but they tasted great

Really nice plate of pasta and the portion size was just right. Just go knowing that The owner is loud! And kinda shouts between the kitchen and front of house. Sk maybe not always ideal for an intimate meal. I didn’t see any rude behaviours though. I’d go back. Pizzas also looked good.

Nice cosy restaurant with delicious food, and quiet relaxed atmosphere. We're both vegetarian and there was plenty of choice and you could tell they used quality ingredients and the dishes were cooked perfectly. The service was quite... relaxed? 15-20 minutes to take the order, which was frustrating. Some like to linger, but if you're in a hurry it can be tough getting attention. But the food and ambience make up for that annoyance. Regarding the prices, I didn't think they were unreasonable for a restaurant in this part of town. Not cheap, but certainly not expensive either! I'd definitely visit again.

Great food and drinks and looks great.

the bread with olives is SO good. Such a cozy homemade family owned restaurant. Would totally come back

The owner/staff are crazy. Extremely disappointed by the service and the treatment. We were kicked out of the place and humiliated for no reason. There was a misunderstanding in regards to our table and instead of handling it peacefully we were humiliated and kicked out. The owner is too crazy on the replies to the bad reviews as well!! Just horrible!

Nous y sommes allés par hasard et ce fut une bonne surprise !! Le personnel était au top, les plats étaient maisons et fait à l’instant. Nous nous sommes régalés. On nous a même offert des snacks Je recommande fortement

Best local Italian in Marylebone

Excellent family-run Italian restaurant in Marylebone.

Perfect tiny neighborhood Italian. Family-run. Great food, super cute, very nice owner that may chat with you towards the end of the day.

Great neighbourhood Italian. We’ve been 4 or 5 times now and it’s always tasty food and wonderful service. A family run restaurant and the warmth shines through

Cenamos anoche allí, probamos una pizza impresionante, la mejor que probamos en la vida. La lasaña increíble y mucha cantidad. Todo a iu precio razonable. Muy bueno y muy recomendable

Flat champagne cocktail, expensive food and wine and got kicked out as we had been too long at the table supposedly. We went for dessert elsewhere. Pizza was good but overpriced. Restaurant wants to appear exclusive and shabby chic. It is simple, overpriced and full of itself. Very unpleasant conversation about diner expectations with neurotic owner. One charming waiter caught in the line of fire. Not where to go if you want a relaxing meal unfortunately.

Very nice ambiance, good food, and friendly and flexible service.. a family affair which makes it cosy .. would go again

Been coming here for 8 years, as it used to be a great Italian local, but after the last 2 times won’t be coming back. Terrible service, very inattentive staff, over 1 hour wait for food both times, and incredibly average and overcooked pasta on both occasions. Honestly, don’t bother, Anacapri just around the corner is significantly better, at the same price point, and actually know the meaning of ‘Al Dente’, or slightly pricier but again much better - Il Baretto, literally just at the end of the street.

My colleague booked a table of 11 for a leaving meal. The first red flag should have been that they threatened a £25/head charge for any member of our party that couldn’t make it, but we missed that one. We arrived to find there isn’t really room for a table of 11 in the restaurant. The table set up for us ran back wall to front window, with barely any space to manoeuvre around it. The host (who I believe is also the owner, Jessica) made a nuisance of herself by getting in the way as we tried to figure out how we’d get people into the back of the table. We eventually managed once she left us alone. Those of us seated on that (back) side noted that the bench seat was very shallow and the pictures behind (at head height and lower) were at risk of being knocked off the wall if we made sudden movements. Not the comfiest. The table was set with £28/head fixed priced menus (see picture). When a member of the group questioned this and asked for the standard menu, we were told we should order from it as it’s too much hassle for the chef to prepare lots of different meals for different people. I must be mistaken in thinking that was the business of a restaurant. I feel it’s important to add that there were empty tables inside and out, so the place wasn’t exactly at capacity. The host insisted that they had informed my colleague when booking that we’d be eating from the set menu. This turned out to be untrue. Once this was cleared up, we were brought a new menu. The prices on this were different to the ones advertised on the website (higher, of course). Despite the menu having pizzas (just three, compared to the many on the online menu), we were told we could not order them. I personally felt like the host found it a hassle to serve us. Everything we asked seemed to trouble her. We weren’t offered an apology for any aspect of our experience, just excuses and a bit of an attitude. Once we’d ordered from the limited options made available to us, the experience did improve slightly. The lasagne was nice but overpriced at £18 a serving. Colleagues commented that they enjoyed their meals, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. The décor is nice. The young male waiter who served us was perfectly polite and helpful. The location is great. In summary, the problems seemed to centre around the host with poor customer liaison skills and a kitchen that is ill-equipped to serve multiple dishes at once. The restaurant’s claim that they are the ‘best Italian restaurant in London’ seems laughable to me. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, but I won’t be returning to find out, and wouldn’t recommend to anyone else.

Great little local Italian. Not too pretensions and delicious food.

good food tasted like in Thailand

Good service, nice welcome... the food was alright, but a bit expensive, especially the milanese chicken (£25 alone). ADD: Thank you for your answer. I don't deny you put your heart and hard work into the food you're serving. The pizza was nice. The tastes were genuine and it came from Italy (which, I think, was the reason for the prices). However, the prices made us jump, and we are French and Italian, not English. We have eaten in "posh" restaurants later that week in London, and you were the most expensive. For £25 (the price for the breaded flattened slice of chicken breast alone), we had a whole lobster with sauce and truffle fries in another restaurant the next day. Same in a restaurant at the top of the Sky Garden with a view and great food. That's why we were surprised...

Excellent local traditional Italian. You get your traditional dishes without fuss, great food, great and friendly service delivered by the owning family. My new local find.

The owner is crazy. Was demanded 5 times to order a starter because the wait was an hour+ and the chef was too busy for the mains. (Despite there being 3 tables seated) When we asked after continuously being asked to order starters they told us the starters would not be on the house. Waited an hour, didn’t complain but the owner chef came out and aggressively attacked us to order a starter, and then came over again saying she would not cook us the food we had ordered and to have the wine. Never experienced such appalling service in our lives.

A small, intimate Italian restaurant. It was wonderful!

We used to go to this restaurant many times before covid. Recent visit we were told that we need to choose either two courses meal for 29 pounds or 3 courses meal for over 30 pounds (which is expensive for a casual lunch at a place like this as I know the area well) I asked the waitress whether we could choose other dishes as I wanted to eat a pizza which they used to offer during lunch time. The owner shouted at us from the other table ( she was on the phone to someone before) and said that “we are not a cafe and we want people to eat” She was rather rude so we left. If the staff is not treating customers well then what’s the point of spending money and time here.

Great customer service and excellent food. Extremely gluten free friendly too!

1. Marinated artichoke appetizer was out of a jar. 2. Side of Bread (£3.50) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar arrived with a bottle of olive oil no vinegar. 3 Salmon salad arrived undressed but for a quarter lemon - saved by the bottle of oil they forgot at my table. 4. Chicken was dry. 5. A substitution of fries for the potatoes came as a SIDE rather than a substitution. Added to bill - removed after complaint. 6. Side of brocolli didn't arrive with dinner, promised to arrive momentarily and it arrived at the end of the dinner with too much Chile to be edible. 7. Waitress never came by to check on me the whole meal. 8. Waitress never came to take my dessert order. 9. Manager had been sitting at next table for the whole time chatting with a customer, took my order. 10. Babal rum arrived with dry cake, too much sugar syrup and no rum flavor. Really people, is this worthy of the 4 & 5 stars people give because they like one dish?

Amazing food, very kind staff, best milanese in London! Definitely recommend!

3 days in London and already a regular at this lovely place. Great food, authentic atmosphere, lovely wines. Highly recommended.

Nice brunch for the weekend! Absolutely recommended!

such a nice and good restaurant. With sweet owner. And the food is ❤️

So happy Il Blandford is open again! My husband and I really missed this gem during the pandemic. The food is outstanding! It’s the closest thing you can get in London to a meal at a trattoria in Italy or at a cozy Italian restaurant in NYC. The restaurant is tiny, so you have to be be able to appreciate the close quarters and bustling vibe.

Excellent pasta. The tables were quite close to each other and the seats were very narrow for a tall man. But the service was great, and the food was delicious.

Lovely italian cafe. We had really tasty brunch there. The coffee is excellent and the staff was really friendly and let us feel the dolce vita athmosphere in the middle of London. Great place to start your day off!

Standard Faire Italian in Marylebone. Good quality food at an efficient price. A good and tasty way to spend a few hours.

Amazing brunch, very good food and a cozy environment.

Really nice food, but erratic service. First time I’ve been since the pandemic and it was quite different (no pizzas on the menu). Alex did a sterling job on his first evening out front, but Jessica (the owner) was rude to him in front of customers and overly controlling. If Jessica had not been so overbearing things could have gone more smoothly. It didn’t help that Jessica sat with a customer for 20 minutes and then took a cigarette break in the middle of service (when understaffed)!

Here is my favourite Italian restaurant in London. Nice vibe. Nice food. Not only tasty but also comes with great dining experience. Definitely recommended!

Tiny and warm restaurant, the voice and the smile of Jessica, the owner, make your culinary experience, unforgettable !!!! The best part is that she surprises you and all other guest with a small detail letting everybody feeling special!!! The gnocchi were delicious and together with the music they brought us in Italy!!! We will come back sooner!!!

Simply lovely restaurant, ablaze with great cooking, well chosen wines and the most amazing front woman in Jessica. Went with my old friend Hugo and I shall be back. Thank you.

From the moment you step in till leaving you will have the most authentic Italian experience you can get in London, no need to keep trying other restaurants, come here indulge and leave happy and satisfied. You will want to return and bring all your friends as well.

We held our office Christmas dinner there (20people) and booked without knowing anything about the restaurant. I was a little worried at first due to the limited seating capacity and it being very different to our usual 'corporate' dining venues. However, it was one of the best lunches we have had as a team and an hours lunch turned into 5 hours. This is a very authentic Italian experience and the host Jessica was amazing. The food was all freshly made,, the tiramisu was delicious. A great spot for coffees or a long boozy lunch/dinner. Its not a fine dining experience. Its a local place that is a great setting for informal get togethers. Definitely our new local. Phil

Discriminated against upon arrival and waited two hours for food. Left crying . Don’t waste your time

Staff were incredibly rude, some of the worst service I have experienced.

Have been coming here for nearly 7 years. One of the best Italian restaurants in London.

So many great meals and memories at this family run joint for decades. One of the best in London

Jessica is so friendly, she is so nice and the food is delicious 😋 thanks so much!!

Very poor service and no client commitment. Very disappointing

A special, unfussy, marvellous place to eat. Popped in for a lovely pizza and wine afternoon meal. Jessica was so friendly and made us feel very welcome as did everyone! Definitely be back. Marylebone is so charming! See you soon. Best regards, Michael & Nicola. Xx

Horrible service, specially on the phone. Will never order or eat there again

It has been a long time since I had eaten such exquisite food. The cherry tomato has flavor, the salad, the broccoli, the spinach, chicken fillet... The pizza has the perfect crust. You can notice each ingredient the great taste it has. Congratulations!!!!!