Mangia Bene Italian Restaurant in Islington

If you are looking for a simple, basic, unpretentious, inexpensive Italian restaurant with an easy to understand menu that doesn't intimidate then this is the place! Walked past this little place many a time when staying in Islington, and have always wanted to check it out. Well worth it too - we went in mid afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner when it was empty, the manager/owner (I presume) was very welcoming. The food was served up very quickly and was absolutely superb. Not too dear either - a bowl of say Spag Bol or Spag Carbonara is £12, so compared to some of the more pretentious eateries around it's an absolute bargain. Would definitely come back again! Would definitely come back

Excellent Italian food. Home made food, served hot. Hartley service.

Was in London a couple of weeks and loved the food so much that we ended up visiting for dinner 4 times . Fantastic staff and service as well. Will be visiting again very soon.

It is one of the best Italian places to eat simply delicious 😋 food. Thank you Alida for your amazing service, which is very efficient and welcoming. Highly recomand 100%

Excellent restaurant. Warm welcome. Great food. Exceptional service. Absolute value for money. Would definitely recommend

Proper pizza (try the fiorentina, you don't get pizza with egg everywhere!) and the espresso after dinner is good too. They know what they're doing.

The restaurant was really busy when we arrived without a reservation, so we were lucky to get the last available table. Food was excellent. I had risotto which was cooked to perfection and my partner had veal, followed by Tiramisu. The Tiramisu didn’t disappoint, in fact it was one of the best we’ve had in a restaurant. We had a bottle of Chianti which didn’t disappoint. We received an efficient service from very friendly staff. This is an exceptionally priced restaurant in the centre of Islington.

An absolute treat of a local Italian restaurant. Great value, some of the friendliest service I've had in a long time and lovely food. A warm hug of a restaurant.

Great food and fantastic value with super friendly staff who make it extra special.

Been coming here for many many years, it’s such a lovely restaurant owned by a beautiful family, the food is always amazing and the cocktails are excellent! It’s so reasonably priced as well! I love this place, a real hidden gem ❤️ also the tiramisu is to die for!

Very delicious food, great service and atmosphere. I would definitely come back here.

Very nice restaurant. The staff is very friendly. The meat was really good ! I will definitely come back.

My husband and I had dinner here last week. It was a lovely evening. The atmosphere was great, the food was delicious and service was great too. It fills up pretty quickly so get there early. Can’t wait to go back!

Excellent food and service. Added to that we were about to walk to Sadler’s Wells in a rainstorm when the owner offered to get his car and drive us there! Fine food and chauffeured to our destination, 5 stars is barely enough.

Ate here on a warm August evening and I could have been in Italy. The food aroma hits you when you get nearby and you start salivating before you've even gone in.

Were here for dinner. Pizza was big and tasty. Spaghetti carbonara was also delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Prices were ok for London. Conclusion: Once you are here you can go here to eat.

Lovely open front dining with two great host not very busy as it was a Thursday but there were a few families with little children enjoying the lovely food. The lobster and prawns spaghetti was cooked to perfection, cooked fresh and not reheated absolutely loved it, little miss ordered spaghetti bolognese and she ate it all and some of ours. Will visit again and try other stuff on the menu.

We visited the restaurant on a whim on a Friday night. We were staying in the area and our daughter has a dairy allergy so we always are careful where we eat, we saw this place busy and asked if they catered for a dairy allergy, they assured us it wouldn't be an issue. We decided there and then to give it a go. We were lucky they could fit us in as it was extremely busy for a small place. We were ordered and the food arrived well presented and delicious. The food was extremely reasonable for what we paid, the staff were brilliant and couldn't do enough for us even dealing with a tired 4 year old.

Normally need to add chili oil to my pasta dishes but that nduja fresh fettuccine was out of this world. Thanks

An absolute gem! The food was delicious, staff attentive and atmosphere buzzing. We were there early evening and it was full - was glad I had booked! Delighted to have found it and will definitely return.

Nice Italian with very good food. A little tight but not a problem.

This was my second visit to Mangia Bene afyer having raved about it to friends after the first visit. If you want authentic Italian food, reasonably priced and served in a family restaurant, this is the place for you. Really impressed with the simple menu, prompt and polite service and everytjing tasted so so good. Only one suggestion for improvement as far as I'm concerned. The Tagliata is served using ribeye steak which is not a complaint as it has great flavour, but the fat and gristle should be removed after cooking by the chef and then sliced and placed on top of the rocket. It would improve the dish so much. I have given 5 stars as this is a minor complaint but anyone not used to eating Tagliata with rib eye would see plate waste which isn't the result you want. Plate should be licked clean for such a delicious dish.

Had a lovely supper yesterday evening, lovely liver dish, cooked to perfection. First meal but not the last!

Loved the gnocchi. Service was great. There was a group that was very loud for the size of the restaurant. But worth going to

It was a spontaneous decision to walk in with some family for a drink and a little bite. We only had a few starters including arancini and garlic bread. We were very impressed with food and service. Portions are generous and food absolutely brilliant. I'm sure we will be back for a proper meal.

Wonderfully Italian, lively and the food couldn't be better! Friendly staff, absolutely great value for money!

En lite pittoreskt Italiens resturang men mycket bra napolitanska pizzor och underbara pastarätter och väldigt trevlig och familjär personal! Reklameras varmt för ett besök om du bor nära Kings Cross eller Angel station.

Unexpected gem in Chapel Market. Excellent 2 course meal including drinks at approx £40 per person. Great portions, including massive garlic bread “pizza”. Great pasta and exceptional / friendly service.

Took trip advisor recommendation for this restaurant just 500m from hotel. Exceeded expectations. Two courses and drinks £40 per person, and Limoncella on the house.

A very good neighbourhood Italian restaurant, highly recommended

We like coming here when we go to London, as being in Angel, it breaks the journey from North east to south west London. We love the food, especially the seafood linguine. Taste is always fresh and feels like we are on holiday. It is a dog friendly restaurant which is a big bonus for us dog lovers.

Service was great, food was better.

Good Portions, nicely presented plates, Staff super friendly and helpful - price was also right!

We come today to the restaurant to find its closed for a photo shoot u should have updated ur website saying ur closed u are losing customers today we have gone to a rival restaurant just down the road from u

Excellent quality italian food - we had sourdough pizzas (one of them gluten free) after a long and tiring day, and felt comfortably full and content after our meal. Affordable too, and super lovely staff ❤️

Love this little Italian place. Really friendly service and delicious pasta. Pretty cheap and not long wait. Nice, clean and well decorated. Definitely recommend!!!

The food was superb. The staff were wonderful. The food price was ~13-15 per person. I’m guessing the 20+ from other reviews includes beverages. Everyone on my party of six (2, 6, 24, 42, 41, 60+ years old) thought everything was fabulous.

Amazing place; Very typical and traditional, the dishes on the menu are spelled wrong but the dishes are amazing Great service, great wine. Second time me and my partner come around, we love it here and they are very accommodating. Very underrated should be talked about.

I have just come back from Mangia bene and the food was wonderful! I know my Italian food as half my family are Italian and I spent many a month in Pescara years ago. The calamari was so lovely and the chicken Milanese was cooked to perfection. The staff were so friendly and I couldn’t believe how reasonable it was! I will definitely be going back soon and I will take my Italian family members also when they come down. They will love it. 👏👏

Three of us went on Saturday night for a pre-ballet meal at Sadler's Wells which is about a ten minute walk away. We wanted to get to the theatre by around 7:15 so we booked the meal for 5:45. which gave us about an hour and a quarter to eat our meal. Loads of time! We got to the restaurant about 5 minutes early and we were shown to our table and given menus. Then we waited for about 10 minutes before we had to attract the waiter's attention to order some drinks. They were delivered promptly but then we waited another 15 minutes without being seen again. By this time I had finished my drink and got the waiter's attention both to order another drink and our starter and main course. We then waited for ages again until our starters finally arrived so we asked if our mains could be delivered fairly quickly then as time was running short. The result was that our mains came out about 30 seconds later and we ended up eating everything together... The food was very good and reasonably priced, but service was very patchy. What should have been a nice leisurely meal ended up as a bit of a panic. Next time, we will just order one course!

Beautiful food and a lovely friendly service. The Linguine Ai Gamberi E Rucoletta was perfect and the homemade Panna cotta was devine. Thankyou Chef! put a smile on my face for the day.

Amazing food, best calzone I ever had

We recently had the pleasure of dining at Magnia Bene multiple times, and it has consistently exceeded our expectations. The food at Magnia Bene is simply excellent. Each dish is crafted with care and bursting with flavor. Magnia Bene provides a warm and inviting atmosphere, making it a great place to visit with friends and family. The staff is attentive, friendly, and professional, ensuring that every guest feels welcome and well taken care of. Magnia Bene is a restaurant that we will definitely visit again. The combination of excellent food, and outstanding service makes it a standout choice for dining out. Thank you to the team at Magnia Bene for consistently providing such a wonderful experience! We recommand among all fantastic dishes - the Gnocchi, Vitello Milanese and Pollo Alla Fiorentina.

Excellent. Best value for money in a long time.

It is a great Italian restaurant in Islington. We came a couple of years ago and when we repeated, our high expectations were met. Tasty food and good prices. I had grilled meat and all I can say is it was perfect

Delicious starters and The best pizza I’ve had in London . Love this place , authentic Italian food at its best . Great service and the wines were fantastic . Highly recommended when in London , definitely the best option in the area

Nothing fancy but a solid feed for a decent price. Been here multiple times and would always have it in the back of my mind as somewhere reliable to visit. Great handmade pastas in their “pasta fatta in casa” menu section. Atmosphere a little lacking but at this value, who cares!

Veal Milanese was delicious!! Risotto pretty decent too!

I recently had the most delightful experience at MANGIA BENE! The risotto I ordered was absolutely phenomenal. Not only was it cooked to perfection, but the flavors were so rich and satisfying. What truly impressed me was when the chef himself came to our table to ensure everything was to our liking. That personal touch made the meal even more memorable. The aroma wafting from the kitchen was intoxicating, setting the perfect ambiance for a delightful dining experience. And to top it off, I requested to add crispy pancetta on top of my risotto, and the chef agreed immediately, further enhancing the dish. The combination of incredible food, attentive service, and inviting atmosphere made for an unforgettable evening. I can't wait to return!

Tino was our lovely server and he was amazing throughout our dinner here ! We had come here for a birthday dinner with our friend and he has accomodated us very well by helping us with the birthday cake and even plying a birthday song - he was a real sport! He even offered us limoncello shots on the house after being such a nice worker taking care of our cakes! The food portions were plentiful and we were so full after our dinner! The food also tasted amazing - I would recommend the mussel starter, the sauce was great! I would definitely come back to try the tiramisu for dessert ! Amazing friendly staff, amazing service and definitely will be back for more :)

Always a warm welcome with a mouth watering menu of authentic Italian dishes, all cooked fresh. Wine list offers perfect accompaniment to the food and the service is spot on. We have eaten here twice now and look forward to our next meal. 👌

Cannot fault this place. Turned up half an hour before closing and we're very welcomed. Food is absolutely out of this world you can definitely taste the passion. Such a welcoming friendly atmosphere would 100% recommend to anyone in the area.

Very average Italian food. The pizzas look like frozen oven pizzas, I had the penne arrabbiata which was decent but it’s hard to get wrong. Nothing very exciting in the menu.

I love the fish and other seafood but you shouldn't miss their specials either

Wonderful food, service and atmosphere. Dog friendly too! A lovely place :)

Great food reasonable prices lovely staff

This restaurant is part of the Tastecard discount scheme (25% off the total bill) but you don't get the discount if you're a solo diner. Nothing in the T&Cs to highlight this. Why discriminate against solo diners?

Nice local Italian with a wide menu choice of Pasta, Pizza, Fish and Meat.

Best Italian food in Islington without a doubt, great food and amazing service

You have to really search for places that have the right balance of authenticity, good food and wonderful service and Mangia Bene has all of that. I visited with a friend during a week night recently, and had the loveliest time. Though there were a steady stream of people taking tables all evening, we were never once made to feel rushed, and the food was delicious. Will definitely be making it a regular haunt.

Pizza is ok but salty, and the tiramisu is not made with mascarpone but only/mostly with whipped cream… Service however is fast and atmosphere is nice.

(From a foodie) A little gem! Super flavory! Love it! Simple and tasty! Keep going! Superb Fusili Mangia Bene!

Friendly, local, fresh, wide selection of Italian fayre. Large pizzas!

Fantastic meal... Great service for a large group of 19 that just walked in..... All of the food looks amazing. The drinks were incredibly strong. Very accommodating for our kids as well

Excellent and tasty food and service fantastic as usual. Look forward to the next visit 😊

We came here for our evening meal. The welcome was very friendly and we were shown to our table. The menu was extensive and the prices were reasonable. There wasn't a children's menu as such, they can just have a smaller portion of any pasta dish. Oddly they couldn't have pizza so we had to order our 5 year old an adult pizza. It didn't matter though as between us we ate it all. I had a lovely pasta dish and my husband also had a pizza. We had a really nice time here.

As a place to eat early after a matinee performances Mangia Bene was perfect. An easy walk for the Angel tube the service was good, the staff were friendly and I enjoyed the food which was reasonably priced. Thank you.

What a great find of a restaurant. Exceptional service and what felt (and tasted) like really authentic Italian cuisine. Make sure you save room for dessert as the tiramisu was delicious and I could have happily ordered a second helping.

Absolutely delicious food. Great atmosphere and brilliant service 😋😍 can't wait to visit again. Lovely flavours and generous sizes.

Lively and noisy restaurant offering traditional Italian dishes at very reasonable prices.

Stumbled across here when we couldn’t get a seat somewhere else and was such a great experience!! We got a half metre of pizza (which we underestimated how big it would be) and a bottle of wine. Everyone was super lovely and the restaurant has such a chill cozy atmosphere.

Wirklich gute Pizza, italienisches Personal und freundliche, hilfsbereite Bedienung die uns sehr entgegen kam.

Really nice staff etc,but was disappointed with the food tbh. Pizza was big, bit too big as i had to leave half of it, but quality so so. And the food was piping hot! Food should be hot but not that much! Ambience was ok, think they could make it more cosy with lighting etc. Doubt I'll go back

We use this restaurant when going to shows at Sadler's Wells and have never been disappointed. This time we were particularly impressed with the service. My friend really wanted cheese as a dessert but they didn't have a cheese board on the menu. However, they agreed to make up a small platter with 4 different cheeses that they had to hand, along with some orange slices and toasted bread. We were very happy!

Great food and service. Lovely atmosphere. Very good value. Good choice of options on the menu so suitable for everyone.

Was a wonderful meal and service. Everyone loved their food and my kids are not easy to please.

Sehr leckeres Essen und guter Service. Die Calzone war 10/10

Absolutely brilliant great food at very reasonable prices 10 stars

That was the best I have had in 2023 can’t wait too go back in 2024.

It's such an amazing find. I'm so happy I went and wish I could have gone back again.

Great food great value hidden gem. Very good evening.

The food is good, it’s a small place and every table was full. I’d say the clientele were 50% family meals and the rest either two or four seaters, The service was fine, the food took a longer time than I’m used to to arrive. I had garlic bread (which was just ok) my main dish was the meat Lasagne and.. that was truly delicious. I’d go back yes. A busy restaurant speaks volumes. I’d advise booking ahead.

A very enjoyable meal with friendly, efficient service. Thank you

Great local Italian restaurant. Authentic menu and good value. Wine list limited but more than sufficient

Oustanding pasta, zuccini, coffee. Staff were first class. We highly recommend. Can’t stop thinking about the mushroom truffle pasta.

Absolutely delicious food. We were looking for somewhere to go before Sadler’s wells and stumbled across this fantastic restaurant. Defo recommend

Very very good food, can only be recommended. Staff very friendly

A simple restaurant with friendly service and outstanding Italian food.

Food was better than average but not great. Calamari was nice and pasta was not al dente. Fast service and decent Italian food.

Our second visit and it didn't disappoint. Lots of choice, huge portions and a lovely waitress. We'll be back!

Small intimate restaurant .menu lots of choice and very good value . Staff very pleasant. and helpful. Will go again when in area

My brother first introduced me to this restaurant last year. We went on a lovely summers evening after work and were instantly impressed by the genuine hospitality and atmosphere we received. The food was probably the best Italian food that I have had. We have since made more trips to Mangia Bene most recent yesterday when we chose the restaurant to celebrate my sisters birthday. Again the food was amazing but what sets the restaurant apart from others is the service. Stefan in particular is a superstar when it comes to making sure we were well looked after and also remembers us each time we visit. The whole team are a real asset to this restaurant!

An excellent local italian restaurant with delicious food and a good atmosphere! The prices are great and the service is really nice 🤩 I can only recommend this place to other people :)

This is the real italian taste served in a restaurant full of people who appreciate the italian foods. We were with 4 and decided to select 4 different starters and taste from each other. The second course is had sea bass which i definitely xan reccomend. The other had pizza which were from superior quality. If you are in this neighborhood you can go there. In fact it is a hidden gem because when you look from outside it is less attractive to go in. Once in you forget it and the staff ond owners are very helpful and service is quick. Nice wines on the list as well.

Excellent traditional Italian, good food and friendly, efficient service. Cosy ambience.

Terrific food (we regularly go for the arrabiatta), very friendly team, and an authentic Italian vibe.

Came here last week for my daughter’s birthday meal. Was our first time here but saw the great previous reviews. It did not disappoint. The food was amazing. The staff were brilliant. Will definitely be returning when next in London.

Came for my daughters birthday meal last week. We all had a great time. Food was amazing. The staff were really friendly and helpful. Will be returning next time we are in London.

Gnocchi al forno is delicious and very very filling

Lovely friendly restaurant. Families with young children were welcomed, high chairs available. All food was good. Service was friendly and attentive. Locality was great for Angel station and for Sadlers Wells Theatre. We will definitely be going back!