L'artista in Watford

We went for dinner after visiting the Harry Potter studios and we arrived a little late but they served us without any problems, the staff was super friendly and the food was 10, the truth is that it was a great decision to choose it, if you pass through Watford don't hesitate to look for it.

Fantastic food atmosphere and service.Good choice and excellent quality.One of the Best Italian restaurants around

Great food, generous portions and friendly staff all with a nice atmosphere.

Good italian food. Chicken is Halal.

Best pizza we have ever had! Great portion and truly artisan food. Value for money too. Extremely impressed from starter to dessert - and we a dine out a lot! Highly recommended 👍

I loved the tirimusu and calamari, Defo will be returning. The pizza was ok. The only thing that was disappointing was the tables are too close together were the customers, waiters and waitresses struggle to walk through without bumping into eachother.

Although unfortunately I didn't take any pictures, let me say in all honesty , the restaurant is clean , the waiting staff were all friendly and attentive, the service was quick , the food was delicious , and the portion sizes were about right , I've been to some restaurants , you pay the Earth and get a tiny childs portion of food , but definitely not the case with this restaurant. Value for money is quite good in this day and age , even with a 10% service charge , the amount I paid for two mains a shared starter , two desserts and two beers was reasonable.

Very disappointed with the tomato garlic bread … all crust and no tomato and very little garlic . Clearly cutting back on product as have been going to this restaurant for over 30 years and this bread is always the family favourite . Chicken Kiev was dry calamari was very chewy and sauce was without substance , real shame .

After trying another Italian place in the area, it makes me appreciate this gem even more! Please support this business ❤️

A well-run Italian restaurant in a convenient location for central Watford. Pizzas were tasty and the service was very prompt - our food was brought out within 10 minutes of ordering. We went on a Saturday at 5.30 and it was packed - glad we had booked!

Having been going here since the late 90's, I had a booking yesterday for Mothers day. Timings were so out, quite clearly they had pre-booked too many ppl in or taken to many walk in's to not allow for the pre-booked customers. Service and delivery of food was shocking yesterday.....I have tried to feed back to the restaurant but no one seems interested. Then to automatically add a service charge to the bill I feel is a little out of order. Although the food, once it finally arrived , was lovely i will unfortunately not be visiting again in a hurry.....

Lovely location. The pizza is amazing. Friendly staff. You can't be wrong. 😉 Try it, and you definitely will follow in love. That's AMORE 😍

Managed to get a booking for 7 on Carabao Cup Final 2025 Weekend. Excellent food, lovely venue with a really nice atmosphere.

Calamari was clearly frozen, overcooked and bland. The seafood pasta was a similar story, the carbonara sauce was bland too.The chef clearly doesn’t know how to cook seafood. Then my friends calzone the dough was still raw. When I told the manager the issues he argued back and stormed off.

Came here for food with my partner atmosphere was noisy no music just people talking felt like I was in a school dinner hall. The food was okay my partner ordered a pizza which came relatively fast and was cooked well however I ordered ravioli and they were frozen and bland and the calamari was chewy felt like I was chewing an old rubber boot.

Excellent Italian Restaurant in Watford! This is a fantastic Italian restaurant with delicious food, generous portions, and great value. The flavors are authentic, and every dish is well-prepared. Service is very efficient, even during busy lunchtime hours. The fact that it’s always packed shows how popular it is with locals—I believe it’s a well-renowned spot in the area. Located in a very convenient spot in Watford, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for quality Italian cuisine. Highly recommended!

Catastrophic Service but great food Service: Absolutely terrible. It took over 25 minutes for a waiter to take our order, despite us asking three times that we were read after 5 minutes. Drinks: We ordered tap water and one beer, yet neither arrived — even after reminding the staff three times. To make matters worse, they still tried to charge us for the beer that never came. Staff Attitude: When we pointed out the missing drinks when paying the bill, the staff were not at all apologetic, which made the experience even more frustrating Lack of Organization: The two managers seemed to have no control or structure in place for the staff. It felt like a complete free-for-all, with waiters wandering aimlessly and no clear system for taking orders or managing tables. Food: The food itself was actually quite good, which was disappointing because the chaotic and careless service overshadowed what could have been a pleasant meal. Overall: The experience was incredibly frustrating. While the food had potential, the disorganized staff, forgotten drinks, and unapologetic attitude made the visit a huge disappointment.

Service: Absolutely terrible. It took over 25 minutes for a waiter to take our order, despite us asking three times that we were read after 5 minutes. Drinks: We ordered tap water and one beer, yet neither arrived — even after reminding the staff three times. To make matters worse, they still tried to charge us for the beer that never came. Staff Attitude: When we pointed out the missing drinks when paying the bill, the staff were not at all apologetic, which made the experience even more frustrating Lack of Organization: The two managers seemed to have no control or structure in place for the staff. It felt like a complete free-for-all, with waiters wandering aimlessly and no clear system for taking orders or managing tables. Food: The food itself was actually quite good, which was disappointing because the chaotic and careless service overshadowed what could have been a pleasant meal. Overall: The experience was incredibly frustrating. While the food had potential, the disorganized staff, forgotten drinks, and unapologetic attitude made the visit a huge disappointment.

Love the food which is sensational and the staff who always bring a smile to our face and make us feel so welcome. There isn’t anything on the menu that isn’t delicious

Very lively and vibrant restaurant with delicious food~~ will be back❤️

Great food, super quick service and bustling atmosphere

Fantastic as always! Great solo dinning experience.

Really lovely place friendly food good and hot

We love l'artista! The food Is amazing and the service is great. It's a staple for family celebration!

Food is always amazing. The staff are so friendly and ensure you have a lovely time. We are regulars !

Não encontrávamos restaurante aberto e o único era o L'Artista . Entramos sem muita pretensão e fomos extremamente bem recebidos. Pela hora avançada a equipe estava bem humorada e muito prestativa. Pedimos psta que veio rápido e muito bem servido. Muito atenciosos e valor muito honesto. Recomendamos!

Always busy excellent food and service and very reasonably priced

Calamari was overdone and chewie but the sauce it came in, and the bread it came with were both brilliant. Liver and onions was bang on but the broccoli side again was overdone and a bit mushy... Staff and atmosphere great. Food mid range.

Food is always great, my wife and children love the place!

“We had a wonderful experience! We went there just for dessert after having food from Nando’s, as they had run out of dessert. It was almost 10:45 PM, but the manager was more than happy to serve us. The waitress was extremely helpful and amazing. Having worked in the food industry myself, I have never experienced this level of service, especially late at night and during snowy weather. I’m very impressed and will definitely recommend this place to everyone. I’ll be visiting again for sure! The pepperoni pizza and desserts were absolutely delicious. Thank you!”

This place has no class . Food Bad, Service unfriendly Dont go there !!! Save your money

The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, which came into force on October 1, 2024, requires all businesses to give 100% of all service charges and tips to their employees. This means that businesses can no longer hold back service charges from their employees. It's a shame lartista doesn't give there staff the tips. So don't pay the service charge give it to the staff member if they have given you a good service. This restaurant is great except for this procedure of which needs to be addressed b the owners.

Great food and reasonable prices but soo noisy the night we went we couldn't hear ourselves talk so left before dessert.

Always super busy and lively - love it

Nice food and large portion sizes at a good price. Would recommend for some authentic Italian in Watford. However service was slow

I had a bufalina pizza here and it’s probably the worst Neapolitan pizza I’ve ever had. The tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes did not taste good-quality, the buffalo mozzarella made the pizza extremely wet, the dough tasted like ordinary dough and lacked the bitterness of sourdough and it did not have any charred spots. I also noticed they serve Hawaiian pizza which ruins their credibility as an Italian restaurant. You can defo get better Neapolitan pizza elsewhere in and around Watford.

I went with my partner and a few of our friends, really lovely, authentic place! Food was delicious and fresh, very quick service! Staff were really great and catered for our mates baby, we will diffently be back again!

Un menu molto esteso e grande, la pizza è spettacolare anche se cotto in forno elettrico, rimane soffice al centro e croccante ai bordi, ingredienti di altissima qualità , consigliatissimo

I have just read a few of the recent reviews and can’t believe I’ve just eaten in the same restaurant . I was told this was family run and had been for the last twenty years ? Maybe Pizza is their signature dish We were a party of six Starters were dishes in sauce - garlic bread to eat with these dishes arrived about 20 minutes later. Prawn and advocado starter was like something out of the 1970s Advocado served in skin ? No seasoning - bland !! Two of our party ordered the same vegetarian dish ( pasta with aubergine and courgettes ) one had a huge steaming pile of veggies on top other Nothing . Server could not see the problem - said there is a piece of courgette under that piece of pasta 🤷‍♀️ We asked for additional veg topper asap and not after the pasta was eaten . A huge vegetable soup consistency arrived after all mains had been eaten . Chicken with mushroom , peppers and onion was the same vegetable topping and bland and unseasoned . No sides with this dish all to be ordered separately . I could go on and one but I won’t Last but not least we asked for a cow milk alternative as we had a lactose intolerant in Our party ordered- they stock no alternative But can serve the cows milk on the side ???

Worth the price. Food is ok, slightly more affordable than the other 2 similar restaurant nearby. Service is good!

Had read lots of reviews and heard lots of positive comments . Was I really dining in the same restaurant today for lunch ? Half of the starters for six arrived while the others waited and garlic bread required for staters with sauces arrived 20 minutes after the hot starters . Avocado and prawn starter presented like something out of the 1970s Avocado served in its skin , no seasoning - tasteless ! Two from our party had a vegetarian pasta with courgette & aubergine topping .One plate had a vegetable topper the other nothing ? Server could not understand what our issue was . Servers were very in experienced - painful to get anything extra you needed . Extra topper arrived after all mains were finished - looked like a bowl of vegatsble soup . Chicken with mushroom , peppers and onion was the same vegetable topper as above . Table salt. & pepper empty No glasses served with water , had to drink out of our soft drink glasses . All a bit hit & miss No vegan dessert on offer Ordered coffees - don’t seem to have heard of cow milk alternatives Lactose intolerant member of our group had to drink it black although they told us to leave the milk served on the side ?? Atmosphere loud and noisy Manic feel around the staff Food very mediocre and that’s being kind Would not visit again and couldn’t recommend After thought - have they heard of food allergies and intolerances ?

The food tasted really good and were big portions. The service was good. The atmosphere was really busy.

Very friendly staff and excellent food plus good portions. Never had a poor meal here

Food was nice. Think pasta portions could be reduced from a business wastage point of view. Atmosphere was brilliant, busy with music playing in the background. Service was good, staff were very efficient but I would say it would be nice to see them smile. At moments it felt like there was a problem. SMOKING - Please make sure those who wish to smoke move under umbrellas and the front door is closed. The experience was slightly ruined as the smell of cigarettes filled the restaurant.

We arrived and the manager was rude and sarcastic to us which wasn’t a great start. Sat down and the restaurant was busy and full of children who were running about. We did think about leaving at this point but decided to go with it as we aren’t from the area and it was a cold night and not sure where else we would go. My food when it arrived was nice, I had a pizza and my friend had the marinara but she said it was short on the seafood and heavy on the pasta and not the best. Garlic bread was really salty. It was so noisy we couldn’t even talk to each other so we asked for the pizza and garlic bread to be boxed up, paid and left. The service from the young waiter was good and he was polite, hence I’m giving it 3 stars. They do put a service charge on the bill so take it into consideration when tipping. Can’t say I would recommend sadly.

My and my husband's favourite restaurant.

Great food, very large portions, friendly staff.

Not the best food, absolutely terrible service and their toilet was disgusting

The food was amazing not a bad price for the portion size which is great. Even though it was busy and every table full from the minuite we arrived to leaving it did make it very noisy as it isn't a large place. The wine was amazing see picture with this post as I recommend. I helped the server by passing plates to her when finished and she was was greatful and even said "thankyou for helping" (I use to work in customer service and knows how it feels) food was full of flavour and such a wide range on the menu from pizza, pasta and other options the puddings looked great but I had no room 🤣 highly recommend this place to eat we didn't book and it was super busy but they managed to still fit us in. 😀

Absolutely delicious we normally go in person but we couldn’t tonight. THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Massive portion sizes once again we accidentally ordered too much (we don’t mind lunch for tomorrow is sorted). I hope they never change you can’t get this much value for money anywhere else. 100% recommend if you’re debating what to order tonight. 😍😍😍😍

I've been to eat here other times, but something has definitely changed. An insult to Italian cuisine, I've never eaten so badly, terrible quality and totally disinterested staff who clear away barely touched dishes and don't bother to understand if there's something wrong. A real shame

My favourite Italian EVER. The staff are all lovely and friendly and the atmosphere is always buzzing. The pasta is second to none and the portions are HUGE. Love it!

Delicious food from starter to desert and great service even when they were extremely busy. Price also reasonable . Definitely will be back .

A wonderful Italian restaurant with warm, friendly service that makes you feel like part of the family. The garlic bread pizza was a standout – light, fluffy dough paired with a rich, garlicky marinara sauce. The vegetarian pizza was equally impressive, generously topped and full of flavour. For dessert, the melt-in-the-middle pudding was sweet but left a slightly powdery texture, while the cookie cake was silky smooth and the perfect way to end the meal. Portion sizes were very generous, offering excellent value for money. Highly recommended!

Great food and service as usual

Considering how busy it was ...excellent service and meal was delicious.

It is with a great honour to say Thank You to SVETA for going that extra mile , a smile that could melt any heart . I have to say she is a complete asset to the Restaurant. I suggest pay rise 🇺🇦 🩷

This is a fantastic Italian restaurant. I would highly recommend the food is excellent cannot fault it. The service us good could be a lot better due to it being busy. The staff just need to be a little more vigilant, especially if you're trying to get their attention. Gets better every time we visit.

Our favourite restaurant in Watford!

Omg make sure you starve before eating here the portions are massive as well as delicious I wanted to try calzone it was huge and I wouldn’t have again as it was too much but that means I wouldn’t have a calzone ever again anywhere I wish I had tried the pasta it looked Amazing and my family said it was the prawns were big everything great very reasonable price wise I would definite recommend a visit

We are always coming for the amazing food and the professional service .Davide highly recommended senior waiter.Always taking of us and quick service .The best Italian restaurant in the Watford our favourite 🤩

For me this place is the standard bearer of good food in Watford. Been coming here for well over 20yrs now, and many of the staff are the same now as then. Always great food, great service and great atmosphere.

Was very busy as it was Saturday evening. We had to wait a bit to be seen for drinks. Food was delicious cannot fault. Overall very lovely evening

Amazing food and incredible service, busy authentic Italian love it would highly recommend but you really need to book 😋

Took my son and two of his friends for a Boys night out prior to a sleepover. The Garlic pizza bread is always a hit, as is the TRENETTE ai GAMBERI. Huge portions, super friendly staff!! Thanks for making tonight special for the boys!

Visited last night at around 07:45pm. L’Artista is probably one of my favourite Italian restaurants in the UK. The images I have posted is the hot starter - PEPATA di COZZE (mussels cooked in garlic, wine and tomato sauce) which cost around £6.90, along with the Ravioli Lucania. Which was around £12. On top of these I had a portion of fries and a drink of Moretti. The bill worked out around £32 with the service charge. Really recommend this restaurant, the service is also exceptional. 👏

Excellent restaurant. The staff is incredible and super coordinated. The manager knows his stuff. Delicious and fresh food whether schnitzel, lasagna, salad etc… To recommend without hesitation

Very nice serving, the food isvery very good,

The pizza was nice but I'd ordered through Deliverooo and it was stone cold when it arrived. Have done this before and it turned up warm. Maybe the restaurant should look into how they do their deliveries . BTW I've had food delivered from other places and its been fine.

Wonderful service. We use it to get a light meal when we are out, so are quite cheap when we go there and have 1 pizza to share between 2 adults and a child. We eat for little over £10 but they treat us with the same respect they show people who order big meals and drinks. The food we have tasted is great,

A good choice of food and absolutely delicious. Very good service and staff nice and friendly. However, found it a bit noisy, but still enjoyed the whole experience, and will go back again.

Food was okay okay apart of that environment was great.

Worst excuse for an italian. The food is grim and taste like it comes from out of a packet. 10 years ago, it was amazing. Now it's over crowded and even more so over rated.

Fav Italian restaurant in Watford.

Terrible Italian food, ordered suprse chicken AKA chicken Kiev, the waiter said it will take 25 min because they make it fresh, what a lie , it took 25 min because they needed to defrost it in the microwave, it was Terrible Terrible Terrible like chewing rubber I did not eat it but was still charged .

Excellent Italian food, impeccable service, the pizza chef and the manager are the cornerstones of the place......highly recommended.

Lovely food, friendly swift service.

I just order (carbonara) and in the middle of the food came a very small piece of iron that hurt my tooth. I informed the attendant who just said "sorry".

If you’re an American from the suburbs like me, you will likely be disappointed with the service at this restaurant. Here’s why: • Poor Service from the Start: I was seated, and nobody spoke to me or even offered water for ten minutes. It felt like I was invisible. • Difficult to Get Attention: I had to fight to get someone to take my order. It was frustrating and completely unprofessional. • Unhelpful Management: The waiter, who was also the manager, refused to give me any suggestions on what to order. It’s baffling when a restaurant can’t recommend a dish. • Inconvenient Payment Process: After finishing my meal, I was left waiting to pay my bill. No one came to take my payment, and I had to get up and go to the front to settle it myself. • Mandatory Service Charge: On top of everything, there’s a 10% mandatory service charge, which felt completely unjustified given the poor service. The Good? The food was good, halal, and reasonably priced. But the service left much to be desired. This experience just might be how European culture is, but it’s definitely not how restaurants operate in the U.S. I won’t be returning.

Amazing, great atmosphere, staff and food. I've spent 7 months in Italy with work and this is a genuine experience...

Great italian food! Always good food and loud atmosphere. We always go back whenever we can.

Very enjoyable evening at L’Artista. I’m vegetarian and spoiled for choice on the menu. Very generous portions delivered in a timely manner and absolutely delicious!. Service was impeccable, Franco and his team really look after you. We’ll be back again soon.

Consistently excellent food! Family friendly!

Lovely Fiorentina Pizza. Nice atmosphere sitting out, seeing the hustle and bustle of high street.

L'Artista is a little slice of Italy right in the heart of town! I recently visited with my family, and we opted to sit outside under their charming umbrellas. The atmosphere was absolutely lovely, and with the staff being authentically Italian, the whole experience felt like a quick trip to Italy. We started with the Bruschetta Classica, Antipasto Primavera (featuring goat’s cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and rocket), and Melanzane, Zucchine & Prosciutto (a delightful mix of aubergines, courgettes, mozzarella, and parma ham). Every bite was bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors—so much so that I almost forgot I wasn’t actually in Italy! For the main course, we indulged in the Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino and the Capricciosa pizza, loaded with mozzarella, tomato, ham, peppers, anchovies, egg, and olives. The food was absolutely to die for, perfectly capturing the essence of authentic Italian cuisine. Our server was the cherry on top—attentive, charming, and always checking to make sure we had everything we needed. We felt thoroughly looked after. Unfortunately, we were too full to try the desserts (next time, for sure!), but we did enjoy some lively white wine that paired beautifully with our meal. L'Artista is a must-visit for anyone craving an authentic Italian experience. I can’t wait to return and try more of their incredible dishes!

This reminds me of Bar O Sole Mio that serves the workers at the Docks at Le​Spezia Italy 🇮🇹 that I go to when on work. Very similar set up with real Italian 🇮🇹 pizza and pasta. Just be aware that the portions are massive! Even when it comes to the starters and can get very loud and rowdy in the evenings. It's a very budget friendly restaurant with true Italian 🇮🇹 food 😋😋😋🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Food was really tasty. First Italian restaurant I have tried on high street. And I think I will go there again. And portions were also in good quantity.

Vile food, pasta dish arrived with no pasta. Tried charging extra when we queried it. They forgot the starters and then kicked up a fuss when we said we didn’t wanna pay service charge.

Visited last week with a friend, where we both ordered pizzas (margarita and calzone). The food arrived quickly, and was quite good but lacked unfortunately details such as basil or olive oil. The most outrageous was asking both of us to pay for a shabby service. The waiter never asked if everything was fine with the food and as well we needed to go to the counter to pay as the waiter didn’t pay any attention. 10% service charges is ridiculous!

Delicious pizza, good drinks selection, great service. Will be back!

Always a great experience eating here with the family. Good food and great service

Kids-friendly restaurant with huge portions of food in good value. Great choice for families after visiting Harry Potter Studio.

Excellent option for Italian food. Really surprised me on how authentic the food and service is . Filled with Italians too which a good sign. Excellent service and ample space and huge portions .. highly recomended

Terrible service will not be returning .

Great place. Good food. Good service. Always busy. Spaghetti Vongole, superb.

Dog food at best . The staff were pushy and moody

Staff was not interested that we was there.. I asked for a child's pizza ... the relpy was we can't do them.. It was clear my child has Down's (downsyndrome). And has food issues... So, all that was left to eat was chips... Shame really

Came in to eat for my birthday. Restaurant is clean and really nicely laid out. Every single member of staff is smiley and welcoming. Food was just amazing and portions are MASSIVE. Best of all we took what we couldn't finish home. Gonna be our new go to restaurant from now on. Well done L'artista, probably the best food I've had in a very long time! By the way - try the salted caramel ice-cream it's incredible!

We went to Liz to celebrate my sister getting a new job. As always, the staff are phenomenal, and the food impeccable with very generous portions! I have to say I was surprised that even at 4 o’clock on a Sunday the place was very busy but extremely well run. While we were there, they were three birthday celebrations which only goes to say how much L’artista is a place for special events (and everyday events too!) It’s my son’s favourite place to eat!!

Still one of the best Italian restaurants I know. Been visiting for years and never ever disappoints. Always a friendly welcome.