Polpo in City of London, Westminster

Zeer druk, klein, gezellig maar vooral zeeeeer lawaaierig! De ober zei zelf : de mensen praten niet maar ze roepen! Snelle (te snel) en vriendelijke bediening. Lekker eten maar als het het kookboek Polpo kent verwacht je toch meer! We kwamen aan om 19.30 en vertrokken om 20.30, weliswaar zonder dessert of koffie omdat het lawaai niet te harden was! Dus aanrader voor snelle en lekkere hap (buiten spitsuren) maar zeker niet voor een gezellig (romantisch) avondje. Jammer jammer!

This is not Italian cuisine. We arrived at 9 and left in 25 minutes. Menu online is different that the one at the venue. Ordered crab crocchette and octopus to be shared. The dishes arrived together in 3 minutes. I can imagine they were ready in the fridge and microwaved and stop. The crocchette were full of spicy so was impossible to taste the crab. The octopus was left because too hard to be eaten. The ladien in the table next to us told me the same thing about the octopus and she was mad. We left the entire plate of octopus apart from two side pieces which were softer because they were thinner and the waiter didn't even ask us if everything was fine. He brought the bill and that was it. The waiters were confused and without the slightest smile. This is not real Italian cuisine nor hospitality. Expensive for very small portion and expensive wine. Nothing is authentic and the atmosphere is not like Italy.

Great food. Good service. Next time I would ask to sit at the bar, if possible. A shame the Campari Bar downstairs is no more.

The food was amazing we had a wonderful waiter ramir but the star of the show was the bar manager Sydney she is an icon and creates the best vibe and did so much for us grazieeeee milleeeee

Visited this place again after a few years to see if the food was as amazing as before and it didn’t disappoint me. Got ourselves started on bruschetta and crostini, with the main course for myself including the steak and partner getting the spicy prawn. The Negroni over here is always on point and that’s what we got to accompany our meals. We ended it all with panna cotta and tiramisu, and I relished both! Overall a delightful experience as always!

This was a really nice evening... Delicious food and drinks, really good, positive atmosphere, staff really helpfull, quick and smiley.

Amazing drinks by Sydney she is a mixologist extrodinare!!!! Thank you for such wonderful service we can't wait to come back and try more specials!

We booked a large table downstairs for a birthday celebration and the food and the team looking after us were incredible. Thank you so much to Shad and the team for their incredible service and attentiveness - for example, we wanted to make a little speech to thank everyone for coming, we were okay to do it with the background music playing but without us even asking Shad kindly turned it off so everyone could hear us, that was so thoughtful! It was a wonderful night with amazing Venetian food and a lovely atmosphere. Everyone appreciated the different menu options and very reasonable prices. If you're looking for a warm and intimate place to have dinner with loved ones I would highly recommend Polpo Soho.

Saturday night 6pm ~ Excellent service, wonderful food. We highly recommend

This lady named Sydney is a baddie she’s a star and incredible give her a bonus 🤭🤭🥵🥵 and fabienne was a real bro💪 foood was littt YUM👁️👅👁️

Having bought the Polpo book, before ever eating there, i was keen to try it out when we came to London. The food was amazing!! Service great, and attentive. We loved the Arancini, the Crab cochette, the chili prawn and the Tiramisu. In a sea of eateries in Soho, this one is worth catching.

Having bought the Polpo book, before ever eating there, i was keen to try it out when we came to London. The food was amazing!! Service great, and attentive. We loved the Arancini, the Crab cochette, the chili prawn and the Tiramisu. In a sea of eateries in Soho, this one is worth catching.

It was delicious.. The steak, gnocchi, zucchini fries, and wine were all delicious!!!!! I want to go again!!!!

They forgot about our order. The head guy was nice though and apologised. Also, no toilet on the ground floor so no good for anyone who can't use stairs.

Lovely few dishes with some drinks here on Wednesday afternoon, pair of us sat at the bar and had a laugh with Josh who made us a mean Marg and a few other patrons either side of us. Cracking that they're on CODE too!

Food was excellent and service great. Recommend the nduja arancini for anyone new to this fine restaurant.

We recently visited this restaurant. While the food and the atmosphere was enjoyable, the prices seemed disproportionately high for the portions. For instance, paying nearly £7 for a slice of bread with cheese, salami, and a quarter of a fig felt excessive considering the actual quality. To add to the disappointment, the waiters subtly conveyed their desire for us to leave by bringing unrequested bills at the end of our meal. This was rather unpleasant, especially since we didn't ask for it and we ensured there were available tables and no one waiting outside. We simply wanted to enjoy the atmosphere a bit longer. Unfortunately, the service towards the end left much to be desired, and based on this experience, I am hesitant to return.

Delicious food, although small portions. Only thing we didn't like were the fries - over salted and quickly became cold. 13.5% service charge not shown on menu.

The food we ordered was good & pretty authentic. We had beef papardelle & salads , aranchini & fried courgette & a crostini with fig & salami ( my only gripe is that there could have been 2 slices of this instead of 1 for the price). Then had flourless lemon cake on the house because it was my birthday. Nice touch. And staff sang :) All of it was lovely & I would return. Wine by bottle was on the steep side so I ordered a glass & it was delicious. Friendly staff, Italian

Popped in on the way to dinner elsewhere, just for drinks. Service was perfect. Ended up having a taster, delicious. The food arriving fir other guests looked equally as delicious,will return for food at the next opportunity

Great food, attentive service, more intimate dining area downstairs. It was great to return after about 7 years and see they're still doing great.

Very little food for the prices, the quality and options weren’t amazing either.

Last week me and my partner visited this restaurant for our anniversary, the food here was absolutely delicious, with a wide variety of authentic Italian dishes, ( more about it later ). As soon as you enter you realise that the atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and you're greeted by a pretty lady with curly hair that had a smile on her face. After some time deciding, we've ordered Amaretto sour and aperol spritz. Although the drinks were nice,the prices were overpriced. We have ordered all four crostini and zuchini fries for our starters that was really delicious, however some of the breads were not toasted enough. For our mains we both have ordered papardelle with beefshin which was amazing. The pasta was just cooked to perfection and it was really delicious. And the best part of the meal was deserts. We have ordered a homemade tiramisu, that made me feel like I am in Italy, and a panna cotta. They both were really nice. The waiter, Ramir was really polite and attentive, always checking up on us making sure everything is okay.He also got us some shots of limoncello at the end of our meal which was really nice of him. Great service. Definitely will be back when we're back in London.

Храната е добра, макар да не е нещо изключително. Но и цените са напълно разумни, а обслужването е на ниво.

My partner wanted to try this place and she had high expectations. We were very disappointed. For an Italian restaurant we expected a lot better. The food was thrown out before we had even ordered it was so quick and the also not up to a standard you would expect for such a place. The meatballs and sauce (with spaghetti) tasted no better than it had come straight out of a Heinz tin. The zucchini fries were dripping with grease and we struggled to eat them.

Støjende god stemning i Soho. Enkel og spændende mad. De fleste retter egner sig til at dele. Meget lækkert og lidt anderledes. Betjeningen er hurtig, venlig og sikker. Man bør bestille bord ( kan gøres online).

Tucked away in Soho, this is a buzzing little restaurant with very attentive staff. The food though I thought was slightly disappointing, just about average. The flavours were just not intense enough for small plates, and the pizzette and the meatballs were poor in my opinion. There was a nice frito misto which is a relief given the Venetian influences. Just felt that for the price that the food was a bit of an anticlimax.

Unfortunately didn’t have a great meal here. Many years ago I used to come all the time, but it has gone really downhill. Pretty bland food. In my opinion. Octopus pasta was average, and the beef shin was no better than the quality Ragu Redmill. You know it’s a shame when the best thing on the menu was the bread. So many nice places in Soho, for example, Copita for this style of food only five minutes walk away. Sat right at the back near the weird bar thing and eyeballing a dirty kitchen and overflowing bin were not highlights either. Honestly not that different from a Zizzi…

We stumbled upon Polpo in Soho while travelling and what an awesome find this restaurant is! We had a late lunch snacks of dishes to share. Individual dishes are all flavour bombs... We had the Zucchini fries (more please!), Fig, salami & gorgonzola crostino was just to die for! Pork, Fennel & Chili Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (YUM!) and lastly Sarde in Saor was surprisingly delish! Will visit again definitely!

Great meal, one of the best I'd had in a long time. It was completely unfussy, relaxed and enjoyable. Speedy service and a great selection of dishes.

I would like to say we had a great time but we didn't get that far. I booked a table for my wife's 70 birthday about 3 months ago for a family party of 14 guests at 6pm on 3 Jan 2024 after a show. We were told we would have the downstairs room and the person on the phone was very helpful.I tried phoning and emailing to confirm but got no reply. We made a detour earlier in the day only to find a painter there who said it was closed. This is not the behaviour I had expected from such a good restaurant whose food we have always rated.

Very good Italian in heart of soho. Great food , and fast service , If anything thing the food comes out too fast and seems slightly rushed , however , that’s the only slight negative I would give . We really enjoyed the food and cocktails and would return if in london Soho again .

We happened upon Polpo before we headed to a show, and we had a truly lovely experience. The food was fabulous, we particularly enjoyed the pumpkin ravioli, the mozzarella pizzette, the chickpea, spinach balls, and the Nutella pizetta. Our waiter, Shad, was spectacularly attentive and helpful. Highly recommend for a dinner out in soho!

Food was absolutely beautiful and the portions weren’t too big. The grape, goats curd and pine nut crostini was out of this world! The service was incredibly quick; if anything, I’d say a little too quick.

One of my fav in London, amazing service, lovely fresh and home made typical food and cozy atmosphere. Thanks to the Spanish waiters, the manager and all staff for a lovely night! :)

The food is excellent! Great wine too. I’d recommend the octopus pasta, chicken liver paté, truffle croquettes and nduja arancini. Lots of kids though, so it is family friendly, but noisy.

I'd heard from a number of people how good Polpo was, as well as on podcasts/social media. It definitely met expectations and exceeded - it is expensive but the atmosphere and quality of food makes it worth it.

I enjoyed trying the sarde in saor (sardines), a Venetian speciality. It was lovely to meet Luciana, who also gave us a great service. Thank you!

Good standard Italian place with exceptional service. Dog friendly

used to be a big fan but recently portions got smaller, service worse, prices higher... we ordered a number of chichetti dishes. they all came at once within a few minutes which was unrelaxing and obviously not cooked to order.. and portions so small (even for chichetti).... The waitress ( or actually a student on her weekend job) was nice but didn't know the menu or wines. We did taste the house wine but it was ...umm. rustic... so we had to have a much more expensive one. Overall very poor ... And the bill was big... time to find a new favourite in Soho.

Food is good, simple and tasty. They definitely get 5 stars for their superb service and the very nice chilled atmosphere. I have been here 4 times in the past 2 years, and always left happy with the experience.

Friendly and attentive staff. So kind and helpful. Drinks were great and the food was delicious.

Polpo is really good as a cheaper option for a tasty lunch if in Soho. We shared 3 pizzas between 5 of us which were well-priced at £10 but you do need 1 per person as they are quite small. The mulled wine I had was very nice, although expensive for the size of glass. Still, a nice light lunch that was not expensive but still in a great location.

Nice little gem, happened to stop and look, Forod was tasty, portions fine and cost.

Disgusting! I cannot tell you how dreadful this place. My sons and I gave it a go. The food all came out at the same time, so swiftly the microwaves must have been breaking a sweat we were in and out in 30 minutes! Tiny portions, wine at £12 a glass minimum. I've had better food in hospital, and there was no change out of £40 a head. Seriously, give this dump a swerve.

Average quality food, small portions. Serve wine and Prosecco in small cheap tumbler glasses, maybe they are trying to be cool but it doesn’t work it just feels v cheap! Buy real glasses!

Ate here with my friend from NY

Good enough, poor pizza, expensive.

Excellent service for large groups and great food.

Very busy Saturday in Soho! Polpo was a little oasis of calm. We had a good selection of small plates to share. The deep fried stuffed olives were a revelation! Crostini very good, then shared Fritto misto, beetroot/rocket salad and pumpkin ravioli. All enjoyable - would say the ravioli wasn't particularly tasty - a bit bland but the rest was very good. We shared a tiramisu which was rather disappointing - no defining flavour and didn't appear to have any alcohol in it which I would expect - maybe coffee liqueur or marsala etc. Overall enjoyable - would have preferred wine to be served in proper wine glasses rather than little water glasses - just my preference.

Fuimos buscando un sitio italiano donde cenar en Soho, y aún sin tener reserva muy amablemente nos facilitaron una mesa en media hora! La comida muy buena, el personal muy atento y el sitio bonito! Los precios bastante razonables (excepto proque te incluyen la propina en la cuenta … un poco excesiva e inesperada) !

We managed to get an early table at Polpo: a warm and inviting location in contrast to the frost outside. Some of the aesthetic choices of the restaurant seemed a little odd - plastic-covered menus and fake tea lights on the tables didn't really fit the vibe? I enjoyed the pumpkin ravioli, although it was a little al dente for my taste (the inside of the parcels needed a little longer). The side salad came impeccably dressed and the Parmesan-topped hispi cabbage was a firm favourite. Those looking for a gluten free option may be disappointed (there is gnocchi available off-menu, but little else). Portions are a little small, which is not an issue if you prefer to have room for dessert. Both the panna cotta and the tiramisu are excellent. If you're looking for a laid-back and relaxed dinner, this may not be the place, as service is very swift! Overall, though, an enjoyable family dinner.

Very good restaurant, delicious food, fast and friendly service! We went at around 3PM so not during rush hour though. Great tasting pizza, pasta and balls :)

I have to say this is two different reviews. The cocktails were awesome and well presented by friendly staff in a great atmosphere. If you’re looking for a cocktail bar this place is great. The food was sub-par though, and really disappointing (except the arancini which were delish, but tiiiiny). If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant there are far better nearby.

Called in before going to the theatre. The food was very good - we had flank steak, mushrooms and Parmesan, which was excellent. Service was also very good. Would recommend a visit.

Great food served on time and very delicious.

Food is really good here - it’s very tasty and authentic. Really good products are used. I would like portions to be slightly bigger for the price. I definitely recommend it if you are in the area.

They forgot about our order twice, we had to remind them what we ordered. Last time we asked about the order waiters just shrugged their shoulders at each other, but we finally got our food after almost an hour wait. The food was overpriced, especially in comparison to other places in Soho that offer much better quality food. The "focaccia" was just some bread with some olive oil and it cost £6. They had gluten and dairy free options but even normal foo

Absolutely outstanding,as always. The food,the service,the general ambience. Cannot wait to go back. The staff are exceptional. The food is sublime. Just go- you're in for a treat!

really nice meal, not the best Tiramisu I,ve had. They use fresh ingredients. Cozy ambiance.

'Venetian style' Definitely not. The only Venetian dish is Sarde in Saor everything else is a mix of Italian/American food. Spaghetti with meatballs is the perfect example of a dish that you will never find in Italy. Arancini instead are from Sicily so definitely not part of the menu. There is no traditional venetian dishes. Overall, there are better Italian restaurants where you can enjoy good quality food in London.

Back to its best. Amazing fresh pasta, superb vegetarian options. Fabulous deserts.

Lovely small plates of food and nice wine selection in a cosy atmosphere.

Great service and atmosphere. Nicely busy and buzzy on a Wednesday evening, after work. However I thought the food could be better. We had several sharing starters and a main, while it was all pretty good, it was nothing special. I’d return because it was a nice evening and good if you want something quick and easy.

Excellent italien, très bon service, prix raisonnables. Le verre de vin semblait cher a priori mais est très grand ! Je recommande. Petites attentions appréciées pour les enfants.

The meatballs were with all the pepper in the world! Couldn’t eat them and they charge it anyway 😬 The rest of the food was OK, nothing special

We had an excellent meal here meeting my daughter and her friend They are vegetarian so chose the restaurant and we weren’t disappointed The prawns and fish were divine! Wine was excellent too and not over priced This is a little gem and would highly recommend a visit.

The food is quite generic, I like the atmosphere more

Food was good! Went there for lunch and thought the price and quality of food was at a good standard. There were some unique dishes that I don’t often see at other places.

Food is nice nothing too special. Atmosphere is lovely, it’s a cute little cosy restaurant good for a romantic date or a catch up with friends. Only downside was service really rush you to order, to eat and they’re constantly taking plates away.

really nice place with tasty pasta, the only ‚minus’ is that the portion was rather small.. I would expect slightly bigger lunch portion (had spaghetti with meatballs), even just a but more pasta would be ok I think Other than this all good

Ok restaurant average food but good vibe

The food was wonderful. And the service okay. Spent a lot of time waiting around and trying to get servers attention. Food however made up for it was lovely and fresh. Wasn’t a personal fan of the meatballs they were way too soft. The deep fried olives was a first but definitely not be my last

I found my experience at Polpo to be very average. Service was extremely slow but the staff were friendly. I thought the food was just okay. Perhaps I ordered the wrong items - the best thing was the beef shin pappardelle but it’s temperature was just warm when we got it.

Great food! We ate downstairs and Brandon was our waiter for the evening. He went above and beyond and you couldn’t fault him. He managed the entire floor, including a very large table and other guests. He made the experience a lot easier! We only wished the crostini was more toasted! Our bread wasn’t very toasted.

Sehr nettes Restaurant. Ich mag die Grösse der Portionen und den passenden Preis dazu. Man kann so von allem etwas bestellen und in der Gruppe prima teilen. Bischen wie Tapas. Die Qualität ist sehr gut und das Personal schnell und freundlich. Schön haben wir uns getroffen.

The portions are very small, like children's portions. Not especially impressed with the limited menu, although the food we ordered was tasty enough - no specials board. Service was a little slow although friendly. Will not be hurrying back to this generic feeling and expensive restaurant.

Everything we had was absolutely delicious and perfectly executed. Brandon was lovely; so kind and helpful. We are excited to return.

Nice place. Good atmosphere. Great food and service.

Our waiter Matthew was very kind, pleasant and attentive and we really enjoyed being served by him. The beef shin parpadelle was also delicious.

Love the food and the atmosphere of this restaurant. A lovely italian tapas sharing food! I really recommend it.

If you want food that looks as disgusting as this then go here…. Asked for the fish with no head, they brought the sea bass with head and when informing Carolina that I had asked for head, she went in the back, chopped it off and this is what she brought back. Awful service, and disgustingly unappetizing food. Can’t speak for the taste because who eats food that looks like this. The poor chef’s food was disgraced by a disgruntled employee who needs to be educated and trained on proper food service.

Best Italien restaurant in Soho !!

Polpo is a casual, inviting space tucked into a small street in Soho. We were dining there before the theater and we opened up the dining room and by the time we left it was hopping. We enjoyed focaccia and zucchini fritti, some of the best we have had, for starters. Their wine list is simple, with a selection of whites, reds, oranges and rose. They offer many cocktails, liquors etc. Our mains, pappardelle with beef shin and flank steak with mushrooms, were absolutely delicious. The staff was friendly, inviting and attentive. What a super dining experience!

The food's just amazing, last time I've eaten and it was this good was in Italy. Thank you very much. The waiting was pretty long tho but Clearly worth it.

We came across Polpo by chance and we had an excellent lunch. The staff were really good and reassured us over food allergies. Our meal was delicious and we’ll definitely be back.

Dangerous restaurant! We had dinner there, and were the last to leave. After 5 minutes of walking out of the restaurant, we realized that we forgot our sunglasses on the table. We went back in within 10 minutes of leaving and the staff said that they did not see anything (the table was not even cleaned yet and the restaurant was empty). We went back the next day and asked the manager to check the camera which was right on top of the table we sat in, and his reply was the cameras are not working! We are confident that someone from the staff stole the item, and that the management is in on stealing from the people or they simply do not care. In summary, the restaurant is risky to sit in & the customer service is non-existent. Li

We came here for a company meal as many of us work from different locations and i have to say Great food, fantastic staff. will defo be coming back

An enjoyable evening - the place combines a happy buzz with decent, sensibly priced food and a great team. Would definitely return

Fantastic food, simple with quality ingredients. I have the Polpo cookbook so was looking forward to trying some of the things I’ve attempted to make at home. Staff very friendly and knowledgeable. My only gripe being we felt rushed and we were brought the bill before we asked for it. This was 20 mins before the table booking was over.

I came before the theatre with friends and had a great experience. It was my birthday and they brought round complimentary Prosecco. The food was lovely (bare in mind dishes are typically smaller so order starter). Very fresh and yummy. The food was super quick to come out. They also brought round a complimentary tiramisu with a candle for my birthday too! Lovely staff and would recommend!

Great atmosphere, friendly service. Pappardelle with beef shin were absolutely delicious and tiramisu was of a good quality

The food was absolutely gorgeous. Each dish was really lovely and delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The restaurant has a really nice and informal atmosphere. Highly recommend and look forward to returning next time we are in London.

Polpo is recommendable for the food, the portions are good and the ingredients tested fresh. My partner and I have been few times, the last one was for dinner at the Soho venute. The only negative note is the fact that the staff makes you...

I’ve been to Polpo many times, as someone who likes to try lots of things Polpo is perfection. Up until now I’d say every time I’d gone the food was beyond excellent, however this time it didn’t live up to the expectations. The staff were...

Freundlicher, schneller Service, Speisen und Getränke gut, insgesamt alles im durchschnittlichen Bereich, bis auf die Preise, die im Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis nicht...

Cuisine italienne excellente, de l'entree au dessert Service impeccable Coktails parfaits A recommander

We loved our visit here. The food was unbelievably good. Great espresso martinis. Really friendly service and a lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

Great service. Manager was very polite. Food was nice too. Like the menu is small. I would love to see more seafood options! Definitely recommend!

We went to Polpo after someone recommended it to us. The menu range was good and we enjoyed most of what we had, but unfortunately our experience was let down by the miserable staff, especially the rude and unfriendly waitress. Staff can really make a...