La Passione in Cotswold

When you spend two weeks in England, you can't always just eat in pubs. That's why we decided to visit the Italian restaurant. Very friendly welcome, the restaurant was already full. Nevertheless, we got a table straight away. The selection on the menu leaves nothing to be desired. It has everything you could wish for at an Italian restaurant. There's even a Negroni on the drinks menu as an aperitif. That's great class. And it also tastes much better than in many places in Italy itself. We chose spaghetti Bolognese and an avocado and prawn dish for starters and a pizza and chicken with mushrooms and cream sauce for the main course. Everything was freshly prepared and tasted excellent. I love Italian restaurants and visit them regularly all over the world. This one is now one of my favourites. A very special thank you goes to Matteo. He mainly served us in the evening and was obviously in charge when the patron (I think he's Italian?) went home. Matteo not only did a great job, but also showed and taught the probably new, young employees various things. That made a fantastic impression. You wish you had employees like that and unfortunately they are far too rare. Thank you for a great evening with you, thank you Matteo.

Delicious food and very attentive staff. Fair prices.

Lovely Italian. Highly recommended.

A mixed bag all round. 2 very good tomatoes based pasta meals (tasty and great portion sizes, some happy diners) but 2 below average cream sauce chicken meals (not so generous size and frankly just not very tasty). The cream chicken meal (Pollo Alla Passione) had dry overcooked chicken and a really bland cream sauce with no flavour, definitely no passion to be found with this meal. The service was very good. Deserts were again a mixed bag, with a great souffle which wasn't over sweat but the Tiramisu also lacked flavour. Overall all the food was edible but two of us were left wishing we had chosen different meals!

Great place for a relaxed dinner out. We came a few weeks ago and the children asked to go again tonight as they loved the food so much. Great service both times, great food and a lovely, relaxed vibe. Our new local, family favourite!

Great place. Friendly staff Very authentic Italian menu. Good quality, fresh ingredients. Nice decor and nice atmosphere. The sound level is spot on with a bit of back ground music. soft furnishings, wood panelled walls and little breaks between some of the tables make it really easy to talk.

Everything about the place is excellent... So many great choices on the menu.. The service was amazing as was all 3 courses we had.

Went for mums bday - amazing food & service

Good menu, tasty food, fast and friendly service, cozy atmosphere.

Had beautiful whitebait,veg pizza and calzone (good size not too overfacing) and gorgeous tiramisu . Lovely meal , great staff & venue

We had the lasagne which was a dollop of mush and the calone was awful tasted like plastic and full of water.

Visiting Cirencester for the first time, we were so lucky to find La Passione. Delicious food in a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Food was great,service was fast…my only problem was the heat. The room soon filled up and the room became quite hot. Brilliant place though,would recommend!

Had dinner here and the food was the best I've ever tasted! I had the prawm and salmon linguini and the sauce was so delicious and generous portion size. The restaurant is also well presented and friendly staff. We will definitely be returning.

Was not expecting to have one of my best pastas in a small town in the Cotswolds. Amazing service, Al dente pasta, beautiful garlic bread. The seafood linguine was nice and spicy and generous. Loved all of it!

this restaurant is lovely! there are an abundance of main meals - we recommend the pasta and pizza in particular, they are very delicious. the staff are really kind too and made our dinner even more enjoyable. we love the interior as well, it is super cosy😊 thank you !

Stopped here for lunch spontaneously and super glad we did. First of all the Pepsi tasted amazing. The food was also fantastic. The lasagne was honestly one of the best I've ever tasted. Also the starters were perfect. The service was spot on. The lunch menu was a great option which also made it super affordable! Thank you, we will be back

Always a warm welcome and unforgettable flavors. Easily one of my favorite spots in Cirencester and in UK. Authentic Italian food just like in Italy. They’ve brought the real taste right here to the UK. Amazing food and top-notch service! It’s easy to describe the experience as great entertainment the staff are friendly every day, and the dishes are truly stunning.

Food was excellent, great service too

Last night, we dined at an Italian restaurant, and their service was excellent. Our waiter, Giorgio, was very helpful and honest with us about the halal options. He explained which dishes contained pork or alcohol and went above and beyond by suggesting options that suited us. He even mentioned that they could prepare special dishes for us. We really appreciate his attention and care, and our experience was made even better because of him! The prices were reasonable, and the service was exceptional. We’ll definitely be returning and will recommend it to our friends.

Good food but I think I need to get used to English service, it wasn't bad, just a bit lackadaisical My wife loved it so much she ate twice as much as normal. The garlic "bread"was Non, the Indian flat bread, not Italian bread

Wonderful monday evening with great food and service . Cristano our waiter was a superb host . Highly recommended

I love this Italian. The best lasagna I have ever had! Always very good food and super service.

Delicious food, excellent service, everything very good, recommended

Cute little Italian with a lovely atmosphere and tasty food. We'll be back next time we hit Cirencester

First class service, food amazing.

Wonderful valentines meal with my husband at La Passione. Food was wonderful and very reasonably priced. Service was great. Highly recommend.

I just moved to the area and when deciding where to go, a co-worker and I chose this place simply because the other Italian in town closed for the evening... Its a little place in the center of town, but at least my food was not good. We both came hungry as we like Italian food, but there was disappointment brewing. My co-worker liked the food (funghi forno starter and pasta primavera for mains), but my bruscetta was one thin slice of bread drenched in oil and for that 6 or 7 GBP? Definitely not!!! For mains I went for lasagne and it was overcooked beyond believe. One couldn't taste the different layers, but rather one slob of mush. Food wise it for me it is a no-go-to-zone, but since my friend seems to have enjoyed it, I give it 2 stars. When leaving I saw pizza on some of the tables and it looked good, so maybe I'll give it another try when I am craving pizza.

The lasagne was excellent, but only 3 star for food as the potions were small and you don't get a side of veg and mini roast potatoes like you do with the on par Italian restaurant over the road.

Service very good.Food was excellent price reasonable

Authentic Italian restaurant, great menu and dishes. Very reasonable wines. Service is friendly and easy parking nearby.

We were visiting Cirencester for a couple of days. Visited this restaurant on a Sunday night. Had great food, both of us thought the garlic bread, the main meals & decaf coffees were excellent. Agree with the other comments on here, it's a warm and cosy restaurant with lovely staff. Would happily visit again when next in the area.

First time in Cirencester and this was the first restaurant we really liked the look of. Nice, warm, cozy atmosphere. The waiting staff were amazing and quick and the food was amazing. Will definitely recommend.

Outstanding Italian restaurant. Wonderful food.

Food was amazing. Great service. Seafood pasta was perfect.

Delicious food and great service. Visit here if in the Cotswolds!

Fantastic Italian food, great service and nice atmosphere. The penne arrabbiata and Etna pizza were both amazing! We would definitely go back if we're in the area again.

I was part of a group of 18. We all commented on how rare such excellent service is and the food was amazing. We’ll be back

What a super restaurant. The food was great , the atmosphere friendly and the staff were lovely. Nothing to dislike!

Had a wonderful lunch, plenty of options to choose from and family friendly! Reasonable prices too. The staff engaged with the children and they provided a wonderful service. Table for 10 all catered for and everyone happy with food! Thanks again!

Wonderful authentic Italian restaurant serving delicious food. Popped in for lunch while at the Christmas market and I’m so glad we did. What a treat, the staff are efficient and helpful. The food came quickly but we weren’t rushed at all. Wish we lived closer so I could visit every week.

What a marvellous restaurant. Best lasagna on the planet. I can’t recommend it enough. Sadly I don’t live in Cirencester, otherwise I’d be eating here every night!

Incredibly delicious food with friendly staff.

We came in here on a Saturday night without a reservation while visiting the area from London, and they were kindly able to seat us right away. As an Italian who is picky with food, this was delicious! The cannelloni especially were flavourful and perfect. The service was excellent and they were accommodating with our toddler daughter. We would definitely return next time we’re around the area.

Really wonderful place with very good food and great service. We really enjoyed our lunch here. The artichoke hearts were the best I have ever had. The tomato mozzarella and carbonara pasta were also really good. The garlic bread was different from what we were expecting and we didn’t enjoy it as much.

We had the set “Lunch Menu”. The food was delicious and really reasonably priced. Definitely coming back again soon!

Not quite 100% Italian but still good enough for four stars.

A lovely Italian restaurant in the heart of Cirencester town. Me and my partner are on a little trip away at the Cotswolds and this place didn't disappoint. Sharing Bruscetta for starter, seafood linguine, and seafood pizza🤤 lovely ambience and service. Cannot fault!

I eat low carb, and the menu has lots of choice that isn't pasta or pizza. I ordered chicken and asked for no potatoes and was given extra roasted veg instead. Very tasty, and much appreciated.

I had the Carbonara and Tiramisu, it was fantastic and the portion size was plentiful. The staff were amazing, there were not many people there but it very quickly picked up around 7pm and was full. There wasn't anything to fault.

Great service! However, the pizzas were not the most original in my opinion. The wine menu, in the names of the wines (just the grape varieties) is unusual. Overrated in my opinion.

We had a pizza and a pasta. Excellent food and service. Highly recommended

Dinner was great. Service was timely and personable. The wine selection and dessert were wonderful.

Had the Piada lunch deal, £9.95 with Mortadella and Gorgonzola. What a great plateful we got, more food than expected and very tasty. It's a hot filled Italian sandwich which is served with chips. Really good value for money. Recommended.

Enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere, good and friendly service. The food.....fantastic!!!

It’s alright but really not sure how this place has a 4.7 :( It was extremely busy so must be something to it!

This is a great independent restaurant. Stopped for lunch. Extensive menu, efficient but unobtrusive service. Generous portions and very good quality food. Fair prices. Would thoroughly recommend.

We had an entirely ordinary meal at La Passione. There was nothing remarkable across the bruschetta, calamari, spaghetti della casa, and pizza san michelle. That’s not to say anything was “bad” (though the calamari was very bland) but our food didn’t have the freshness or bold flavor that typifies great Italian food. This place is fine for an Italian meal but I’m not sure why it is one of the highest rated restaurants in Cirencester. On the plus side, it was easy to book a reservation online, the service was quick, and they were happy to accommodate our baby in a stroller.

Lovely meal, good menu and traditional atmosphere

This is a great "non chain" Italian restaurant where the food is great and the portions sizeable. Our group of 8 loved the atmosphere and the friendly service. The pastas were superb as was the wine selection.

Excellent food and great service.

Early Saturday evening and popped in to ask if they had a table. They did! Really lucky as the food, service etc were excellent.

First experience in this Italian restaurant to be repeated. Our pizzas were excellent as well as the dessert, the profiteroles. We will come back when we return to the area, to enjoy other dishes. The service was also perfect

Great tasting food, friendly knowledgeable staff

Nice food. I had spaghetti and meatballs, my wife had cannelloni. The sauce with the meatballs was superb. Staff member even told me how to make it 😉. Staff were friendly and not too pricey either. I had homemade lemon cheese cake for dessert with a blob of ice cream with my wife having homemade tiramisu.

The finest Italian food I've had outside of Rome. Absolutely stunning. Wish it was closer

The food was absolutely delicious, and although it seemed busy it wasn't ridiculously loud like some other places. The decor could probably do with a little update, but it kind of gave the feel of a classic Italian place, do this didn't bother me much. Would absolutely recommend just on the food alone, incredible!

The food was absolutely perfect, I loved my Cannelloni, and my family enjoyed theirs, the only issue was they didn't appear to realise Tea is often drank with milk and it took 3 staff to get the milk and in that time half of my family left and we were drinking tea on our own... otherwise a perfect evening

This was a wonderful find at short notice! Truly excellent food served very promptly by a very organised staff. This has been one of the best meals I have eaten in recent memory. I would strongly recommend this to all readers!!

An enjoyable evening. Thanks to all concerned 🥂

Nice Italian Restaurant Tasty pizza, pasta, and seabass Friendly staff

Great Italian food, excellent service!

Gluten free pizza was incredible, best I have had! I’m celiac and had no problems!

Tasty, good service, reasonable prices.

Fantastic place! Excellent food. Brilliant service. Helpful and friendly staff. Highly recommended!

Awesome food, lots of gluten free options, generous portions. We'll be back!

What a wonderful place! We came here twice during our stay in Cirencester. We shared a pizza for appetizer. They were happy to substitute salami for mushrooms on our pizza. Grilled salmon was very good. Seafood pasta and the other two paste dishes we ordered were also very tasty. Wine good as well. I think our waiter's name was Matteo. He was very attentive and kind.

Amazing good and an amazing service

Great service and so many Italian dishes.

We have been here a few times now and have always had excellent food. The staff are cheerful and mostly Italian which makes it more genuine.

The best gluten free pizza I've had! I cannot recommend this place enough! A must visit! I will definitely be coming back!

First visit here, lovely food, superb service. Would love to come again when in Cirencester

We had our 21st wedding anniversary at La Passione last week. The service, superb. The food, superb. The ambiance, superb. I would strongly recommend this restaurant.

I had a party of 11 here for a school trip and they met my every need and expectation from my first email to the night of the meal. The prices are fair and portions generous. The atmosphere was cozy and authentic Italian and every aspect of the meal remarkable for me, my staff, and the children.

Great food and service. Well done to all.

Had one of the best Italian meals in this delightful restaurant, atmosphere and staff were great, Mateo went out of his way to ensure everything was fine a very professional friendly service.

Lovely Mother's Day meal. Authentic food in a super atmosphere. Friendly staff and even a complimentary glass of fizz to celebrate. Couldn't fault.

Service was good, but the food was decidedly average. Dare I say it lacked passion. Presentation was sloppy, dumping tabs of butter into a shared starter just gives it a thrown on a plate feel. Having premade deserts in the fridge across from the men's toilet doesn't feel very professional. I also deeply hate mandatory 10% service charges. It suggests you don't feel your clients will value your product enough to pay.

Amazing value for money, excellent quality and portion sizes. The servers we're very attentive and friendly, food was amazing and we had an excellent evening meal. Would definitely recommend and return

Had a belated mothers day dinner last night, It was a great choice. Fabulous food, very efficient friendly staff, great atmosphere, friendly staff, a lovely place to eat. Highly recommend, will be eating there again soon.

Gorgeous italian food... Authentic and delicious

Staff are wonderful and welcoming very happy to help and food is incredible and came out wonderfully quick and was hot.

Lovely food, atmosphere, we also did take away couple of times and it was delicious too, great sea food pasta and lovely prawn starter!

Great atmosphere, great food, definitely recommend :)

Was made to feel welcome from the start, friendly but professional staff who knew the menu and were able to make recommendations. Food excellent and prices reasonable. Relaxed atmosphere too, with unobtrusive background music - all in all a perfect place to eat after our journey to Cirencester.

Great food, lovely atmosphere. There for valentine's night, and they looked after us very well. Nice touch: a rose for my wife to take away (guess a valentine gesture👍🏻)

authentic italian cuisine at a really good price point - amazing value for the service and food quality. very sweet little restaurant full of friendly and accommodating staff. probably one of the best carbonaras i’ve had!

Shared a chicken pasta meal. Service was excellent and food was best italian food in town, we have had. Highly recommended to eat here.

Authentic Italian restaurant. Amazing food and great staff.

We hadn’t booked, but were met by Katrin, who’s service was impeccable throughout. Had an excellent evening. Excellent food. Would highly recommend.