La Barca Ristorante in Lambeth

The people in this restaurant make the whole restaurant way better, they are super friendly and super welcoming to the guests they made sure our dietary restrictions was looked after they also made sure that we had everything that we wanted, I would highly recommend this place if you are in need of some vegetarian food too

True Italian service and food Dash of Italy in ❤️ of London

When it comes to traditional classic Italian food served with great style, you can't beat this restaurant. It's a gem. I recommend the spaghetti la Barca

A lovely restaurant for pre-Theater at the Old Vic. Traditional in the best possible way. Prices fair and service very professional. Would highly recommend their specialty seafood pasta.

Enjoyable meal for two in a pleasant atmosphere with well cooked and tasty food. Sad not to get a complimentary limoncello at the end of the meal, as has happened in the past, but will still visit again.

A genuinely warm and friendly Italian restaurant with great food and service. You can imagine yourself in Italy. There are no fake packaged meals here it's all cooked fresh and is delicious. The service was attentive and efficient without any sense of rush leading to a relaxed experience to savour. You would certainly want to come back.

I went there yesterday, it was really good. The staff is nice as well. Recommended

Italian restaurant located in the Waterloo district, with an elegant and refined setting. The welcome is warm, and the service very friendly. The menu remains classic, but the dishes are excellent and well prepared

Had two amazing pasta dishes. Sat outside and it's very very warm with the heaters in February

Después de un exitoso primer almuerzo en agosto (ver reseña anterior) , mi esposa y yo - junto con otros 3 miembros de la familia - hicimos una visita de regreso a La Barca (convenientemente ubicado a una corta distancia de 5 - 10 minutos a pie de la estación Waterloo) más temprano hoy. Habíamos reservado con antelación (muy recomendable ya que esta es una propiedad popular) y nos habían asignado una bonita mesa de esquina. El servicio desde el principio fue de primera y fácil de usar. La comida no es la más barata pero -reflejada por la no escasez de platos limpios- excepcional en calidad. Realmente necesita ser probado de primera mano para ser realmente apreciado. No es sorprendente que La Barça celebre su 50 aniversario el año que viene, aunque -basándonos en nuestras dos visitas- sospecho que la próxima tendrá lugar mucho antes.

Absolutely brilliantly superb place in all ways. Lovely staff, great food, wonderful atmosphere. All restaurants should be like this. Thanks for a great night.

Unfortunately, the clam linguine had its revenge! Everything else was a delight... would definitely go again.

I happened to visit the store after seeing the London Eye and experienced friendly service and a good atmosphere. Carbonara pasta may be a little salty for Korean tastes. But it’s delicious haha

Fantastic food and service! The wait staff first brought out a selection of breads and some of the best olives I have ever tasted. Our party of 3 chose a variety of pasta dishes for our main course, and each was exceptional, especially the Trofie Calabresi pasta (spicy sausage/nduja). The best was yet to come - the tiramisu and ricotta cheesecake desserts were out of this world! Great service and lovely food throughout. I will 100% be back soon!

Qué restaurante tan fabuloso. La comida es absolutamente increíble y tuvimos una siciliana con nosotros que dice que es lo mejor que ha tenido fuera de casa. No tiene sentido que me pasee con la comida, sólo ve allí y cómela. Lo que me encantó - a la llegada el camarero que me saludaba reconoció que tenía problemas de equilibrio como mi acompañante me entregó y me tomó de la mano para acompañarme a la mesa. Una de nuestras partes tiene una intolerancia alimentaria, que había notificado al hacer la reserva. Sin necesidad de recordarlo consideraron esto en cada etapa de sus opciones y se adaptaron para ella. El personal de espera es atento pero no dominante. También son muy atractivos y divertidos. No te equivocarás aquí. Hazte un favor y reserva una mesa.

every aspect of our meal was executed to absolute perfection. I had the branzino and it was perfectly cooked and wonderfully fresh. The service was spot on from seating through dessert. Their wine recommendation was perfect. When I get back to London, I will definitely return. *they typically de-bone the branzino. I requested it as a whole fish.

Top notch restaurant great food, service and atmosphere. Highly recommended

Very over-rated! Don’t be fooled! This restaurant is all style over substance. I had Bruschetta and veal with Gorgonzola. The bruschetta was bland and the veal was really chewy and tough. I have never had tough veal in my life - it was similar to a cheap minute steak. My husband had the ribs and calf’s liver, he enjoyed his meal. I would have complained about my main course if a waiter had bothered to ask how my meal was. We were left with the impression that the service was only good at the front end of the meal so that you order the maximum food and drink. The bill was £185 - very expensive for below average food. We would never return and I’m sure the management don’t care, its such a busy tourist area that they don’t need to rely on locals returning.

We hebben er HEERLIJK gegeten! Vriendelijk personeel. Mooi cosy restaurant! Het eten was er vers uit de pan/oven! Echt erg lekker gegeten. We gaan er zeker weer naartoe als we in Londen zijn!!

OK lugar. . . El personal amable, pero la porción muy pequeña ... especialmente los postres ... se sintió como ser estafado. Realmente no me sentí italiano para mí... No volverá a ir

Fantástica comida. Personal encantador. Auténtica cocina italiana complementada con vinos resonanlynpticed. Volveremos a visitar.

Excellent afternoon, great food and wine.

Lovely classic Italian food. Good wine. Fabulous friendly staff. Very comfortable. Highly recommend.

This is one of my favourite restaurants in London. We have been going for years and have always have a fabulous experience. Highly recommended- great food, great service, tonight was no exception, just lovely!

The maitre’d Lorenzo was very kind to us and very personable, which always helps. And not to mention, of course the apps, drinks and food were amazing

Had an excellent work christmas dinner last night. Very nice, classic italian restaurant atmosphere. Food was to die for, and the staff aren't afraid to give you their opinion on what's good. The pappardelle with smoked duck was particularly good.

My God !!! What a restaurant. Visited last night for dinner with work colleagues and without any doubt had the best Italian food I have had for years. Service was superb and the food was sublime. All the fish tasted like we were by the ocean and the pastas were cooked perfectly. The steak simply melted In the mouth. I’ll be back as soon as possible.

Ran across the street from the office for lunch. I was in the mood for soup and got the pasta fajoul. Calamari was excellent. Was the perfect amount of posh yet casual.

Best carbonara I’ve ever had, Dover Sole was very nice also, and good antipasti

We went on a busy Wednesday evening for a work meal and thoroughly enjoyed the food. Great service as well considering how busy it was.

Everything perfect! From the food to the service... Thank you for making us feel at home... Super recommended!!

La Barca was our first dinner in London and it did not disappoint! The waiting staff was extremely friendly and took care of us as if we were family. The food was incredible and super authentic. The lobster ravioli I had was delicious and in some sort of cream sauce that had hints of pumpkin that just really worked. Would 100% recommend stopping in for a meal!

Outstanding food beautifully cooked with a great waiting team. Good atmosphere ...... I love the white table clothes!

As always food was outstanding. Great waiting team …

They really try to get you here and if you're not going in ready to defend ... They will get you. Quite over priced and try to over sell you extras of everything. The food was nice enough but it's just hard work to spend a sensible amount of money in there. Good job we weren't drinking at lunchtime - crazy expensive for a little taverna style restaurant in lower marsh. Especially if you're in a big group they'll get one end of the table to order enough for the whole table then go down the other end and get them to order double as well. We won't be returning.

Quick business dinner with three colleagues. Food tasted reasonable, but is wildly overpriced. Wine selection is good but duly comes at a premium. Annoyingly, I wasn't able to change the type of pasta served with my dish (unlike every other Italian restaurant I've ever eaten at), which suggests the dishes are prepared in advance. La Barca is not a bad bet if you're in the vicinity, but I can name ten other Italian restaurants in London without thinking about it that easily top this.

A proper Italian restaurant with excellent food and superb service old style. The restaurant is about 50 years old and features photos and famous actors on its walls all having starred on stage at the Old Vic across the road. Lunch and dinner service are equally excellent - and the waiters fuss over you as if they have known you for years. The wine list is extensive arranged by Italian regions. But beware, the wines are expensive - so study the wine list carefully which you can do in advance online. The pasta dishes are amazing as if nona made these. The chicken dishes are delicious and so are the antipasti

The staff is not the most friendly unless you speak Italian. The service is slow. And although the food ingredients were fresh, apart from the homemade bread sticks, everything else was average. There was no flavour to the spinach ravioli I ate..and I have had better Bruschetta. The Tiramisu however was the highlight and was really tasty

This unexciting lamb cutlets cost me 27pounds plus service

I live locally and I never thought to come here but was quite good surprise , the food is ok the fish was fresh and the service is great , I recommend

Amazing Italian restaurant....had a very good dinner with the colleagues and friends.....hospitality is amazing.....authentic Italian food and ambience .....

Had a pre-show reservation. Nicely managed by restaurant without rushing us. Complimentary lemon cello to top off.

Great restaurant close to Waterloo. Food was amazing and staff lovely

Beautiful food and attentive service. Had the duck, which was excellent, tender with a delicious jus. Had a starter of sardines and my partner had crab (big enough as a main). Cannot fault anything around the food and wine. The service was helpful and attentive but not in your face. There was no push to leave even though we were last out. Well, it's worth a visit if you want a quality experience.

Great pre theater setting. Lots of fun actors photos adorn the walls. The food was ok. Bruschetta needed more flavor. Duck Paperdelle was a bit rich. The sauce overpowered the duck. The outstanding dish was the pasta with clams. Nice clams. Tasty sauce. Service was fine. Thankful they moved our food along as we were headed to a show afterward.

Great food but rude staff! One of the waiters told us to “stop talking” when first approaching our table to take an order! Made my guests and I feel incredibly unwelcome.

As a Japanese who enjoys seafood and Italian cuisine, I highly recommend this restaurant. Both the taste and the service are five stars! I went last April for my birthday and plan to return this year!Booking required!! If you love Italian food, please come to this restaurant! ! Service and taste guaranteed. Reservation required.

Delicious ravioli dish and desert.

A nice meal with the friends. Service was very friendly and portion sizes were decent. Ambience was very pleasant.

We Cannot fault this restaurant from the perfect service , food (we had fresh sardines and carpaccio to start followed by rack of Delicious lamb then tiramisu) cocktails (La Barca Spritz), wine (a stunning Amerone ) atmosphere and generous portions. The best restaurant in London by far. The quality is exceptional along with huge portions . It’s not cheap but if your looking for the perfect place to eat then go and enjoy La Barca

Raya helped us and was absolutely amazing. She suggested a wine we have never tried, and it was perfect. Some of the most delicious Italian food we have ever had. If you are in London this is a must visit.

Sono stasera qui con mia madre personale molto gentile fuori dal comune cosa difficile da trovare a Londra. Personale gentilissimo ci tornerei più e più volte solo per la gentilezza 🖤🎧

Beautiful dive into Italy. Attentive and kind staff who speak mainly Italian but also other languages. Pleasant environment even if crowded. Abundant food and top notch cuteness. Cost?.... faced with so much perfection nothing matters to you anymore. Still worth it!

La Barca is a super friendly family run restaurant with authentic Italian cuisine and wine. A warm welcome and great food are always assured. Having ate here many times I cannot speak highly enough of this great family run restaurant. A London institution!

Excellent Food Service ambience

Overall reviews are very good and I had high expectations. We were all very happy with excellent cooking and service. Sardines, bass and mixed fish grill were cooked perfectly. Lamb ragu and beef tartare spot on. Service was attentive, polite and professional. Overall the experience was very enjoyable; a good wine list too. I do agree with another review that the atmosphere in the restaurant could be improved with adjustments to the lighting which is a bit stark at the moment. What I don’t understand are the negative reviews; people that are having a bad day seem to need to blame it on someone or else they have a mis-understanding of restaurants. A really enjoyable dinner on a busy Saturday night.

My brother and myself - together with his son - had lunch earlier today at La Barca which is conveniently located a short distance away from Waterloo Station. It was our first visit and it took our eye after having seen 20 or 30 other restaurants in the vicinity. I’m glad it did as it proved a most enjoyable visit with very good, traditional and reasonably priced Italian food - coupled with excellent service throughout our stay. Certainly one of the best Italian Restaurants I have eaten at in London and - as such - I’m confident a return visit will soon be in the offing!

Best Italian outside Italy. Ive been here a few times recently and will return as often in possible. Its by far the best Italian ever, tucked away where you might not see in passing. The food & wine menu is extensive and excellent value. Everything ive tried from pasta to dover sole is spot on. Courteous and efficient staff. Love it here

The welcome at the start was warm and after being seated there was a prompt handing of the menu. Asked if I wanted any water, which I did, but to my surprise a bottle of water was opened and poured. There was no ask if I wanted a bottle or tap water. Meal was delicious, I only had a main course and was planning to have a desert with coffee, however as soon as finished the meal, the table was cleared of everything, including the condiments, but was not asked if I wanted anything else like desert or if the meal was ok. The staff member just cleared everything off and dropped a bill booklet at my table, although it was empty no bill in it. I found that very rude, never had such experience. No one took any interest in me for about 20 minutes time then another staff member came to pick up the bill, realising it wasn't printed and only at that point asked if I wanted a desert, by which time I was in no mood to stay iný longer. So not impressed by the service, did not feel welcomed or looked after more like a burden. Otherwise it was a lovely place, the food was delicious but shame about the very bad service.

As an Italian I can say that it is one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to in London. The service provided is very high, however the waiting times are slightly long. It took them 20 minutes from ordering the starters and an hour from ordering the main courses. They probably wanted to serve all the dishes together and that takes more time. The bruschettas are really excellent. Chicken with mushrooms and "osso bucco" with Milanese risotto also. Unfortunately the carbonara is not a real carbonara, instead of eggs it has cream inside and is very heavy. Large portions. Very expensive for what you eat, but suitable for the excellent service provided and considering London prices. For 5 people £308 (one starter each + one main course). Friendly staff.

Great Italian food! The waiter recommended excellent dishes we loved. It felt like a visit to Italy with the vibes, service, and food.

Went here for lunch last week. Only had a starter, main and still water. Service was friendly and attentive and they looked after me well. The salmon starter with crab etc was delicious and a fairly sizable portion. Good quality salmon. For the main I had duck supreme and as you can tell from the photos it was awesome. Great flavour. Great texture. Great smell. Was a top top dish. Didn’t realise you could eat so well here. It was a real treat. Will definitely go again.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said!? This restaurant is fine dining at its best. The waiters are incredibly professional and accommodating, the food is so delicious, and the atmosphere is everything you could want for a nice meal out. We had two different pasta dishes, a cheese plate, salad, the lamb entree, wine, beer, cappuccinos and a hazelnut chocolate mousse that I will dream about for years to come; everything was executed to perfection. I only wish we lived this side of the pond so we could return for more. I cannot recommend this little gem enough.

The staff was very welcoming. The food is delicious and served in generous portions

This may be my favorite Italian restaurant. Our food was delicious, and the service was exceptional.

People of a certain age will have fond memories of romantic dinners in Italian restaurants during the seventies and eighties, served by efficient Italian waiters dressed in crisp white shirts and black suits. Various dishes were prepared tableside and the aroma of spirit burners and alcoholic flambés filled the air. Generally a good time was had by all. Dating back to 1976, La Barca has remained in a time-warp and seems pretty much the same as it would have been 40 years ago. The walls are adorned with photographs of many famous customers, including David Prowse, who owned a gym nearby. Star Wars fans will know him as the man inside the Darth Vader costume, though the voice was dubbed in post production by James Earl Jones for the 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope and its sequels; Prowse's strong West Country accent was deemed unsuitable for the role by George Lucas. La Barca continues to serve healthy portions of very good Italian food accompanied by wines from a very serviceable list. Long may it continue. Recommended.

Friendly staff, lovely food and it feels like you are not in London

Wonderful food and service. Felt like we were eating on a piazza. The house seafood pasta dish was wonderful.

Went here for graduation dinner. Did not dissapoint me at all. Flawless. Beautiful. Stunning. I shall return!

I thought this was a fantastic restaurant with great service very good food and cheery atmosphere. Only reason the food was rated a 4 instead of a 5 was the mayonnaise based sauce for the Octopus special was a little too heavy and the Octopus itself was mixed between cooked just right and over done.

Great food, superb wine, perfect service - what else can you wish for? (The only detail that was a tiny bit less good was the mousse al cioccolato.) Will definitely come back next time I'm in London!

Went for my friends 93rd birthday! We both enjoyed every second and can’t wait to go back. Highly recommend.

Nice place but mediocre pasta... I sat outside on the very enjoyable terrace and sipped some wine, had some bread and olives, and then ordered the pappardelle à la campagniola. Unfortunately, the pasta was so unimpressive that it kind of ruined the whole experience! It was either overcooked or not even fresh pasta, or both. The creamy sauce was way too creamy, and there was way too much of it. I think the underlying flavors were great – sausage, shallots, and asparagus – but it was hard for them to show up amongst all the cream!

Absolutely amazing restaurant. The most exquisite Italian food. Fresh ingredients, very friendly and attentive service. Generous portions. Highly recommended!

Very good Italian restaurant, very smiling and friendly service, generous dishes, dishes as good as ever

Delicious food! Amazing service! Thank you🫶🏼

Fantastic place, efficient service. Welcoming and very professional staff

A very real Italian restaurant. The service is Italian and of very high quality. The place is nice and quiet. And the food? Mamma mia the food. The house specialty spaghetti is a spectacle of flavour, perhaps one of the best I have ever tasted outside of Italy.

May be the best Italian Restaurant I have ever eaten in. The food though quite pricey was simply superb.

Really well executed food, good service garlic king prawns and duck supreme fantastic

Absolutely delicious food, better than in Italy. We had a tuna steak and lobster pasta. Kids enjoyed it as well👍🏼

This restaurant has a good atmosphere, nice place to sit, delicious food, beautifully arranged dishes. There are many groups of people coming to celebrate birthdays. It's probably a restaurant that Londoners like to eat at. The staff are friendly.

Ho difficoltà a esprimere una valutazione per questo ristorante: 4 per il cibo 5 per il servizio (in modo particolare il bravissimo Luigi) 1 per l’atteggiamento del manager, scontroso quasi da farci andare via. Avevamo prenotato per le 20:30 ma a causa del freddo e del vento della serata ci siamo recati al locale alle 19 (volevamo evitare di tenere la bambina per strada al freddo). La reazione del manager del locale è stata indescrivibile, tanto che mia moglie voleva andarsene. E’ vero che ci siamo presentati in anticipo ma sarebbe bastato dirci con gentilezza che non era possibile darci un tavolo. Poi ci hanno fatto accomodare all’esterno e lì abbiamo scoperto lo strepitoso Luigi! Per completare la recensione: il cibo e’ stato molto buono ed apprezzato

Traditional Italian restaurant. 🔝

Situated close to Waterloo station. A nice set up, with a pleasant undercover outdoor area at the front. Customer service very good and food was traditional and of a very good quality. Price on the high side but then again everything is around central London so it’s on par with those around. Would go back and would recommend

Rating: 6/10 Food: nice carbonara. Price: pretty fine for what you get. Other: good service. The inside is very cramped though.

Nous nous sommes régalés au Barca ! De délicieuses pâtes et desserts (nous avons passé des vacances plusieurs fois en Italie et avons rarement mangé aussi bon). Tout le personnel est très aimable et souriant et met tout en œuvre pour que vous passiez un bon moment ! En presque résumé nous avons passé une excellente soirée et pensions repartir avec une note 5* à mettre sans aucune hésitation. Mais tout dégringole au moment de l'addition. La machine à carte bleue ne fonctionne pas. Le patron nous indique que le problème est que notre carte est bloquée car nous avons fait trop de fois le mauvais code PIN. Ce qui n'était absolument pas le cas. Nous lui indiquons donc et précisons pour tenter de communiquer que notre carte fonctionne très bien depuis que nous sommes arrives à Londres 5 jours avant. Prenant notre mal en patience, nous fournissons 2 autres cartes différentes. Toujours le même problème mais le sourire crispé et le regard noir du patron était de plus en plus incriminant à notre égard. A aucun moment il ne semble éventuellement admettre que le problème ne vient peut-être éventuellement pas de nous. Et nous avons une réelle sensation d'être pris pour des voleurs. La tension monte, essayant de garder le sourire, nous lui avons alors demandé qu'il nous indique le distributeur de billet le plus proche (je chercais en parallèle sur mon mobile). "Waterloo" a-t-il répété à plusieurs reprises à mon époux sans avoir l'idée de bien vouloir lui redonner son manteau pour sortir. En 5 minutes, mon époux était revenu avec l'argent liquide et notre carte qui avait parfaitement fonctionné. Nous lui signalons au passage mais pas la moindre attitude avenante, patiente, compréhensive (voir même peut être un mea culpa ? La machine à carte indiquait en effet "return to terminal", il suffisait peut-être simplement de la reposer sur sa base pour que la connexion et le paiement avec notre carte - VISA premier international - se passent bien !!!). Bref un gros sentiment d'impolitesse et de manque de fair-play. Il est possible que nous ayons eu droit à cela car il savait que nous n'étions "que" des touristes et que nous ne reviendrions pas tout de suite. Certaines tables avaient d'ailleurs droit au digestif offert au moment de l'addition. Peut-être pour les clients réguliers uniquement mais en tout cas, la différence de traiment se remarque !!! Pas le moindre au revoir de la part du patron au moment où nous avons passé la porte, il nous tournait le dos et continuait à répéter à ses employés que le problème venait de nos 3 cartes et non du terminal, non obstant la preuve du cash fourni en un clin d'œil

Last minute find for pre-theatre dinner before going to the Old Vic. Oh my word. The food was amazing, the service was soooo slick. Hats off to them for their business model. Pretty impressive to get through 3 amazing courses plus coffee in just an hour. Never felt like we were under a time pressure for the show because service was so slick. And they did not compromise on quality. Obviously used to feeding theatre goers. I would highly recommend this restaurant and if I’m back at the Old Vic or just in this area for something else, I will definitely be back to this restaurant.

Amazing food, good quick service. We were a table of three and I think we were done in an hour. Great if you're in a bit of a rush but if you are keen to chill a bit and relax you could feel a bit rushed. Creme brulé was AMAZING!! In my opinion it was a bit expensive but a nice treat and the food was good so makes it worth it. Very busy place so obviously very popular. We arrived before it opened and by the time it opened, people were queueing to get in

The warm welcome to the restaurant is superb. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful with food selection and options based on personal preference. The food options are impressive, everyone at our table had something different and the feedback was unanimous, an average of 9.5/10 on all meals. Ideal for business or personal.

Traveled here from the states and normally don’t post reviews but want to share our wonderful experience. What a great place for dinner before the show. Started with Bruschetta and my husband had Cotoletta di vitello milanese with pasta side and my entree was Pollo montebianco with Spinach side. We enjoy Cafe Lattes and Tiramisu. Absolutely fabulous!

Great little Italian place... Authentic food and service.

Love it nice local restaurant with good quality locally sourced produce… make a reservation otherwise you will have to take away!!

My favorite about this restaurant is their wait staff. Our guy was very friendly with my gluten allergy and ensured I was fed the most delicious food!!

Lovely atmosphere. Great place for a quick lunch, business meeting or romantic rendezvous. Staff are brilliant, portion size is great and service is really friendly and warm. A proper, authentic Italian restaurant experience a stone's throw away from London Waterloo. Will visit again.

Incredibly rude and inhospitable service. My father and I had dined here once before and so enjoyed it, that we returned again after having been to the theatre. They let us in but said the kitchen was closing in ten minutes once we sat down. We ordered in five minutes and alongside our mains ordered a bottle of Champagne. We were rushed throughout the meal despite it not being 11pm. One of the waiters was particularly rude and argumentative towards my Father. It was very upsetting especially after such a beautiful evening. Consequently we shall sadly never be eating here again. I would advise in the future not to invite people into your restaurant if you are going to rush them through an in no way inexpensive meal.

This restaurant is just behind Waterloo station so convenient for South London. Like many family Italian restaurants it is quite predictable being busy, noisy and accompanied by personable staff. The service is good and the menu extensive. It will certainly fill you up. I can particularly recommend the pawn starters and veal with truffle main. Both delicious although not haute cuisine but great food. We were in a party of 8 and the bill worked out at £85 each including service. You can sit outside under an awning in good weather although the surroundings are certainly not picturesque.

Top food Top service Top wine Top fish Top lobster Top everything But you have to’ more clearly say there is a service fee of 13.5% . Surely you wrote somewhere about that, but it should be top evident

What a find! Super meal, despite the restaurant being absolutely packed

Excellent food, super pleasant staff.