L'Italiana in St Albans

I had calamari starter and the it was completely flavourless. Our mains were all very good, pizza was amazing and pasta arrabbiata was delicious The restaurants biggest downfall was the service at the end of the meal. We were asked to be out after 1 1/2 hours, and as soon as the deserts came out, the bill was put on the table with it Then a very rude man bought a car machine over and said, no Amex, didn't say anything else, took my card out my hand, payed contactless for half the meal and was reluctant to give me a receipt. With a £20 service charge added on automatically, I felt he could've been more friendly and it spoilt what was a good evening

Cross contamination, no respect for customer food choices. Got order wrong.

Lovely food, best garlic bread in the area. Always lovely staff and very accommodating. Little bit cramped but worth it for the food quality

No reservations? Forget about it. Despite a half-empty restaurant 🤷🏻‍♂️ We won’t bother trying again.

Amazing. Italian customers too. Very delicious food, superb vine.

We visit St. Albans very frequently - mainly to take visitors to the fantastic cathedral in this delightful Roman town. As we wanted a bite to eat we decided to try L'Italiana. It looked very busy (a good sign) and more appealing than the chain Zizzi. The name of the restaurant makes it very clear what kind of food you can expect and the menu is indeed hugely derivative. Nothing wrong with that as everyone loves Italian food. As it turned out their pizzas and pastas were good although they lacked the wow factor that you probably need to go to central London for. The service was courteous and efficient.

We visit St. Albans very frequently - mainly to take visitors to the fantastic cathedral in this delightful Roman town. As we wanted a bite to eat we decided to try L'Italiana. It looked very busy (a good sign) and more appealing than the chain Zizzi. The name of the restaurant makes it very clear what kind of food you can expect and the menu is indeed hugely derivative. Nothing wrong with that as everyone loves Italian food. As it turned out their pizzas and pastas were good although they lacked the wow factor that you probably need to go to central London for. The service was courteous and efficient.

Nice food, quite expensive compared to other Italian restaurants visited, there again, you are in St. Albans!

I recommend the best food I will definitely come back there

The pizza was nice but it was very mean wirh the cheese i hardly tested the cheese what a pity other way it will be perfect

Amazing, tasty,freshly made food. Great service. Lovely building and atmosphere, highly recommend.

Great food and fantastic service thanks for a great evening.

The pizza is very good. It is a very cozy place with fast and friendly service. Located in the center of Saint Albans.

Always know you will have good food here....

Nice place, tasty food, good location, service 4 from 5 star.

Lovely food, staff and ambience. The food here is amazing. Had the lasagna and Aglia e olio the best. Will try the pizzas next time.

2nd time visiting this restaurant, but with my wife on this occasion. Not inexpensive if you eat a la carte, but excellent selection and portions on the Specials menu. Great service also from the team !

Restaurant came recommended by our hotel and was perfect. Amazing food, friendly professional staff, lovely atmosphere. Would highly recommend 👍

One of my favourite Italian restaurants. Lovely food and great service!

Came here with the family on a Sunday and we all really enjoyed our meals. Very tasty food, good quality. Service was also very good. I think we’ve found our new favourite Italian in St Albans. Will definitely come again.

Such a lovely, friendly restaurant. Service was excellent even though it was full when we visited. We weren’t rushed at all, and the food was delicious. Great for kids.

We attended the restaurant on New Year's Eve with our friends. We had a lovely meal, as we always do and the service was great. Would highly recommend.

My wife and I ate here on New Year's Eve. Lovely food and lovely people ! Thoroughly recommended.

Stopped in for a birthday meal. Lovely food and very clean restaurant, however one staff member who served us was very rude and it took an excessively long time to be able to get anyone's attention to actually order our food. Were going to order dessert but didn't because by the time we got someone's attention it was very late and we had to get home. The other staff member on was lovely but seemed very rushed off her feet.

Authentic, high quality Italian food. Friendly and kind staff. Excellent service. Thank you so much!

We did not make a booking but the staff was friendly enough to give us a large table for 1.5 hours. All dishes were above standard. Definitely will visit again.

Popped in for a quick lunch, had not booked but we managed to get a table for 2, service was excellent and the food was delicious. This was our first visit but it won't be our last, we will remember to book next time.

When I gave constructive criticism of the size of the cannelloni main course the rude waiter suggested I order 2 next time! Didn't apologise at all. Main course was starter sized. Won't be going back.

The restaurant was busy and extremely noisy but as it was a Saturday night i guess expected. However, they just did not have enough staff and hence the service was terrible. One main meal arrived 10 minutes after everyone else's on our table. This was not the problem though, the problem was the way the staff dealt with it. Just a simple tap on the shoulder and a free glass of wine would have made everything ok but all we got was a scowl. Their pizza special was the worst pizza I have ever had. We left early.

I visit this place since 2008 and is still one of my favourite places to go to. Food is amazing and the staff is lovely. So friendly and helpful, they make the atmosphere a delight!

A friend recommended this place and I have been meaning to go for years, I finally got there on Tuesday, and I was impressed by the decor and ambiance of the restaurant and the friendliness of the staff. The menu was full and impressive, My pasta dish was one of the best I have ever tasted and just enough although too much to have a sweet as well, there were three of us and we all had something different and were all delighted with our choices. Even the bread was warm and delicious. I will definitely be back soon.

Great food, friendly staff and good prices

Disappointing. Table 20 minutes late, staff unconcerned and left us stood by door. Didn’t improve much as they didn’t seem that bothered by our custom. Parents, who rarely complain about anything equally not impressed. Food was good apart from undercooked pizza which was ‘due to the oil’. Probably my last visit. I prefer restaurants like this to chains but this experience may change my mind.

L'italiana has great food, from the pizzas to the pastas, to the amazing homemade tiramisu. We had a great time for my birthday surprise party! The staff were amazing, polite, always smiling at any request and very attentive. :)

For the first time in my life I didn't eat my pizza, I ordered a cheese one and it was completely tasteless, the barely visible cheese was overpowered by the taste of the tomatoes. You won't get authentic Italian food here, I work in a large Italian community in Watford and none of them recommend this place

For the first time in my life I didn't eat my pizza, I ordered a cheese one and it was completely tasteless, the barely visible cheese was overpowered by the taste of the tomatoes. You won't get authentic Italian food here, I work in a large Italian community in Watford and none of them recommend this place

Lovely food, friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Would recommend.

I visited for the first time with my wife and friends. We really enjoyed it. Cosy restaurant, friendly staff, quick service and delicious food. I really recommend it to our family and friends. See you next time and all the best!

Great restaurant. Have ordered take away pizza a couple of times from them. I messed up today and ordered online from the wrong branch. They were very understanding and quickly made me my order. Will be back!

Very vibrant atmosphere and always busy as the food is great and the service is quick and the servers very pleasant. We had a lovely meal and would definitely recommend a visit.

Amazing, cosy food with lovely staff who are always happy to help

Organised a family get together Thurs 31st Oct, for 11 people and they found space to accommodate us in the back room. Staff were great, friendly and attentive. Menu offers lots of options, reasonably priced and when the food came it was great. Lovely evening catching up with cousins that we haven't seen in ages. Thank you for making it a great evening

Visited on Saturday afternoon and it was very busy but we were given a table and we had about 90mins before the next booking which was plenty of time for our meal. The service was efficient and friendly with the children being welcomed. The menu was extensive with all the usual choices on there but with some lovely less familiar dishes and all were reasonably priced. The food was absolutley delicious and portions were generous without being over facing. Would 100% visit next time we are in St Albans

Fantastic food, but more important they took my food allergies really seriously, the waiter kept checking with the chef and was really helpful. Will definitely be back for more.

My granddaughter absolutely loves this restaurant and we’ve been coming to Italiana in Shenley for years, and more recently, because of logistics St Albans. She wanted to bring her parents, so they could share the love that she has for their mussels, prawns and clams in spaghetti with white wine and garlic sauce. She chose to bring them on her fifth birthday! It was a last-minute decision and my daughter sent me a picture to say how much she was enjoying herself, I called the restaurant and arranged for her to have an ice cream with a candle at the end of her meal. The staff all came to sing happy birthday to her, and this was such a lovely gesture considering it was last minute and I wasn’t even there., it was arranged on the phone, as I wanted to make something special to her for her birthday memories. Thank you, Italiana, It may have been a small everyday thing for you, but she will remember this, and we really appreciate that you made it special for her 🩷.

We liked the food, I really advise this place. I came the 26 of October 2024 and we could stay outside and eat ! Thank you to kosta

Used to enjoy it here but seems to have gone downhill and quality of the food and ingredients was very poor. A very bland meal.

Pretty decent Italian style food. Not all of the dishes are authentic but the restaurant is cute and the food was tasty. Lovely service.

L'italiana has become our lunch time must go. The staff are friendly and the service great and the food is amazing. We would recommend all day long

Love coming here. Good honest food.

L’Italiana is definitely the hidden gem and possibly one of the best Italian restaurant in London. I have been visiting them for almost a decade and their foods and services are still maintaining the excellence, that is amazing. Highly recommend !

L'Italiana were booked up but offered my group a table for one hour. Our pizzas arrived on our table less than half an hour after ordering. Exceptional food.

Gorgeous seafood risotto with huge clams that tastes succulent and fresh. Perfectly cooked and topped with cheese, the portion size was just right for me! Very busy inside, so book in advanced.

Lovely restaurant. Delicious food. Right in the centre of the stunning St Alban's and a very short walk to the cathedral. Book in advance if you can.

Poor start as we had a confirmed booking for 7.30 but were told there was no table available until 7.45 and to come back then. After a bit of discussion as to why, waiters moved another couple to a different table and got us seated. Very embarrassing for all parties. Still didn't actually take drinks order till 7.45. The food from specials menu was excellent. Very busy restaurant and maybe not enough waiting staff.

We visited knowing our time was limited, but a late-arriving guest delayed our order. The food took nearly 40 minutes, and before we could finish, we were rudely told to leave. The waiter was condescending and as we were leaving he was speaking about us to another table. To management: Customers come for a good meal, not trouble. Kindness matters, especially for a local restaurant. With rude staff, people will turn to the internet to express their frustrations. Terrible service, would not recommend!!

Food was delicious and an excellent menu Even though it was a midweek visit the atmosphere was good and the staff were friendly and efficient. I wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

I've probably eaten here >30 times in the last 3 years, always great quality, big portions and a reasonable price.. book in advance as they are routinely at capacity by about 1pm or 6.30pm...

I've probably eaten here >30 times in the last 3 years, always great quality, big portions and a reasonable price.. book in advance as they are routinely at capacity by about 1pm or 6.30pm...

Lovely cosy place and great pizzas!

Lovely cosy place and great pizzas!

We went for a business lunch, a party of eight. Staff were very polite and attentive. The food was excellent!! The place is a bit small but cosy. Highly recommended!

Arrived Sunday for a quick lunch. Tasty large size Pizza and quick service. We will come again.

Consistent, quality, friendly delicious food - always a winning choice. You will get a warm welcome and a belly full of good food

Food was terrible I asked for Margherita and I got a pizza with only mozzarella on top no tomato. Extremely low quality ingredients , tomato had no taste at all, oil the lowest type available, mozzarella was not mozzarella but a disgusting cheese, even the mushrooms were disgusting ! You can see the picture of the bill. A total rip off. 10 pounds for Two Small bottles of Peoni! Not to Mention the awful “pizza” Which is not pizza but cheese on toast. And I paid 87 pounds for getting a tummy ache. Steer clear of this place, much better heading to Mc Donald’s. And obviously none of the staff is Italian or has any clue about Italian food. Total waste of time and money.

Went for late lunch Sunday at 5pm. My friend and i were not very hungry so we ordered 1 main to share, large glass of wine and a soft drink. The waiter that served us was annoyed we only ordered 1 main and treated us with distain. The restaurant was not busy at that time. We would never return to the restaurant because of his attitude. The dish we ordered was delicious and very flavoursome. I really enjoyed my glass of wine and would have ordered dessert if we were treated better. Our experience was ruined because of the waiters behaviour towards us. We are fortunate St Albans has other good Italian restaurants for us to eat in.

Last minute visit to this little gem of a restaurant. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the food was wonderful. Highly recommended!

A great Italian restaurant with a range of past , pizza, meat and fish dishes. The pasta dishes were great , just the right size. Puddings also good and friendly service. They found us a table a short notice and were attentive to our needs, for example removing the cheese from a risotto.

Lovely lunch here for my dads birthday! Food was beautiful and such a lovely atmosphere with music and the windows open because it was such a beautiful day! Starters we had mozarella fritta, calamari and insalata tricolore. Mains we had pollo milanese, margharita, courgette pasta and risotto. My dad and stepmum had a gorgeous bottle of wine from salice salentino (top marks). Service was great they were busy the whole time and always had a smile. Toilets were so clean! Thank you for a lovely afternoon - we will be back :)

Even better than on previous occasions Fantastic focaccia oil and balsamic and insalata tricolore as starters. My wife's Stroganoff was delicious as was my spicy pizza. Desserts - a creme brulé and ice creams were great. A real gem that never disappoints.

Very lovely restaurant right next to the clock tower. Good food, good interior design, and good service. Risotto is so lovely but I didn’t take the picture.

A good meal well presented and served. It was a bit loud and the background musak obtrusive. I would definitely visit again at a quieter time.

Food is always amazing here. Had Calamari for starter and Spaghetti Scoglio with tomato sauce for a main. These are the same two dishes that I have every time I am here. Food and service are excellent.

I have been going here for years but on my visit last week with a friend I noticed there were a few changes particularly in the pricing and the quality of the food, it wasn’t up to the usual standard ( a distinct lack of tomatoes in the tomato (Napoli) sauce and smaller portions. However my biggest bug bear was when the bill arrived, we were asked if we wanted to split the bill, which we did, I even told the waitress what the split was, unfortunately she decided that she would make up her own pricing and rounded it up by 90p each we were not offered a receipt and only on checking our bank statements were aware of what she had done. Please check your bill carefully and ask to look at hand held card machine.

Sat outside with the busker playing music down the way. Really nice atmosphere wonderful evening. Food was great, spot on and good timing bringing it all out. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Will come back again.

My favourite restaurant in St Albans, and definitely the best Italian! Service is great, all staff are very friendly. Pizza is incredible, so tasty.

Fabulous evening meal here this week ….all the food was stunning with all 4 in our party really pleased with their chosen dishes ..! Calamari Friti , Fillet steak tagliatelle and sea bass dishes were particularly impressive! Great service and excellent value delivered by a really friendly team of excellent staff - thank you so much for making our evening with some very special friends a truly memorable one 😃! P.S. cocktails served were absolutely top drawer too 🍸🍹!!😋

Avoid it for anything else around.

Visited here many times but last night will be our final visit. Expensive meal but not value for money! Small portion of lobster and clam ravioli, literally two pieces of ravioli with a few minute clams thrown on top with a prawn, have had this dish before at this restaurant and had several pieces of lobster ravioli but menu has changed not for the better!!! this cost £25! Wife had king prawn linguine and has had an upset stomach. We did have starters and a drink each total bill £118-00 seriously a lot of money for little food.

Great night all around! Nick and Kosta are great

I recently dined at L’Italiana and had an unforgettable experience! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was inviting and authentically Italian. The service provided by Nick and Kosta was exceptional – they were attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. The food was absolutely incredible. Overall, it exceeded our expectations in every way. I can’t wait to return and enjoy more of their delicious cuisine. Highly recommend!

Fantastic food serviced by brilliant people. I came in without a booking during a very busy period and they still make every effort to accommodate me. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and the atmosphere made it that much better!

We had an excellent family meal in this vibrant restaurant in the heart of St Albans historic centre. The service, from our friendly and helpful waitress Anna was excellent and the food and hospitality matched. Would thoroughly recommend and we will be back

I had lunch on Weds, perfectly cooked pasta with fresh clams in white wine, delicious!! Home made Tiramisu, yummy. Both were beautifully presented. And a glass of Valpolicella, wonderful, and served at a perfect temperature. Lunchtime pasta meal was on offer so extremely good value also. Staff were lovely, friendly and efficient. Atmosphere and decor great. Loo very good as well. I will definitely eat here again when next in St Albans and happily recommend.

Lovely place. Excellent lunch and nothing was too much trouble for staff. If I return to St. Albans I will certainly eat there again

Both food and service were amazing. Thank you to our waiter for the recommendations. Nice ambience to complete our dinner. Overall great experience. Definitely a come back

The food is always lovely. The pizzas have really thin bases and a perfect balance of toppings. There is a great variety of pizzas, and other food is also available. There is a good selection of drinks. Service is fast and high quality. The decor is nice and the vibe is good. They could benefit from some more toilets (although there is little they can do as it's a listed building).

This place has been on my list for a long time and finally I could make it, amazing, well above my expectations, food is amazing (went for mussles, funghi pizza and bolognese pasta), atmosphere 10+, and the staff is friendly, well trained, makes you feel welcomed. Definitely will come back soon, and not alone.

Great Italian restaurant, serving quality dishes at a very good price. The restaurant is quaint and the staff very friendly. We arrived without a booking and were catered for within a few minutes. Ordered Calamari as a starter and Veal Milanese, both meals were very good. Very good value for money. Would recommend

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and amazing food. I will definitely recommend it.

Great no-hassle Italian in St Albans. Service was brilliant and prices are so good. Highly recommend!

Fave place for pasta. I go for the vegetarian option on the pasta menu and it’s a hit every time. The staff are always friendly and efficient despite how busy they always are. Book in advance as it’s a tight space and likelihood of being turned away is high.

Had a lovely meal on my birthday, the food was delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful, the restaurant was fairly busy for a Sunday evening, there was a nice relaxed atmosphere, would highly recommend a visit.

Tailor made dessert that I treasure so much 😀. Wonderful service

Lovely food and good prices with the lunch pasta offer making it reasonable for a family of four.

SUCH delicious food. Highly recommend going here instead of Zizzis as its family run instead of a chain. Everything is delicious and cooked so well with lots of flavour and service is so friendly. I recommend the pasta, salads and definitely the fried zucchini as it’s the crispiest I have ever had and the best! Also the tiramisu is to die for. Thank you! (And thank you for the love hearts at the end)

Great food and service Thoroughly recommend but book early to make sure you get a table

This is our favourite Italian restaurant for me and my husband We really like this place we go often and we have tried mostly everything and they are amazing Also the service is really good

Delightful Italian restaurant in the heart of St Albans

A friend's birthday was a good excuse to try L'italiana again and we were both very impressed. The service is first-class: friendly and efficient. It is so very nice to order food knowing that it has been freshly cooked and not heated up in some microwave; the soups here are outstanding, for example.