Polpo in City of London, Westminster

I recently dined at this restaurant, and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. First off, the portions were incredibly small, especially for the high prices they charge. The food itself was bland and lacked any real flavor, making the meal feel like a waste of money. To make matters worse, the service left much to be desired. The male waiter was overly pushy, constantly trying to upsell us on more items and add-ons. It made my entire party uncomfortable and took away from what should have been an enjoyable meal. I understand that restaurants need to make sales, but there's a fine line between good service and making customers feel pressured. Sadly, this place fell short in both food quality and customer care. I wouldn’t recommend it and definitely won’t be returning.

I feel that charging 13.5% service leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. It feels that you are deliberately conning customers by posting misleading prices on the menu.

Eric and John were very attentive bartenders, happily return!

Great service super attentive - amazing food!

The food was delicious and great service.

Amazing food and service, thank you to Shad for being a great host.

Great bar fantastic service friendly atmosphere will come again

Great food! Amazing service! Cosy! If your in London this is the place to eat! Service is seconded to none! Will be coming back again 😀

Recommended restaurant and not disappointed

First time in. Very good. We shared several 'tapas' dishes. Nice atmosphere and good service.

Loved this little spot! The venician inspired food was very nice and reminded me of my trip to Venice a few years back. We sat at the bar and shared a few dishes that were just amazing. Our server/ Bartender John was very nice and knowledgeable. Would recommend for a quick bite but try and make a reservation if you don't want to sit at the bar 😅

I could seriously eat everything on the menu. Love the small plates idea, means I can have a good go at trying most of them. Deep fried olives and zucchini fries are absolute favourites.

I recently visited Polpo in London and had a generally pleasant dining experience, but there were a few aspects that didn’t quite meet expectations. The ambiance was charming and cozy, with a casual yet stylish feel that made for a comfortable meal. In terms of the food, some dishes stood out, especially the prawns, the sauce was wonderful which was well-executed and flavorful. I would definitely recommend. Overall, Polpo is an okay choice for a casual meal, especially if you’re in the mood for Venetian-inspired dishes, but it didn’t quite leave a lasting impression for me.

I recently visited Polpo in London and had a generally pleasant dining experience, but there were a few aspects that didn’t quite meet expectations. The ambiance was charming and cozy, with a casual yet stylish feel that made for a comfortable meal. In terms of the food, some dishes stood out, especially the prawns, the sauce was wonderful which was well-executed and flavorful. I would definitely recommend. Overall, Polpo is an okay choice for a casual meal, especially if you’re in the mood for Venetian-inspired dishes, but it didn’t quite leave a lasting impression for me.

Service was shocking. Waitress was rude from the moment we walked in. She clearly didnt want to be there. No smile no hello no thank you. Taking our order seemed like a inconvenience had to ask for a wine menu multiple times the manager eventually brought it over and a second later she slammed a second one dow on the table. Shame as was a nice looking place. Would have ordered more but just wanted to leave. Food we did have was good.

Service was shocking. Waitress was rude from the moment we walked in. She clearly didnt want to be there. No smile no hello no thank you. Taking our order seemed like a inconvenience had to ask for a wine menu multiple times the manager eventually brought it over and a second later she slammed a second one dow on the table. Shame as was a nice looking place. Would have ordered more but just wanted to leave. Food we did have was good.

Pit stop for my lunch break. I was worried I wouldn't find anything vegan, but Eric, the impeccable manager, recommended the best tortelloni ever. The menu has a Venetian feel to it, even SOHO, with its winding streets, is reminiscent of the flowing canals. Talking to Eric, you can tell he loves what he does and it shows in the service and food.

Eric and Eze were wonderful and the food was absolutely delicious, I had the chickpea ricotta balls and a delicious white wine with croquettes on the side. The bar staff had to be the highlight very attentive and the whole experience made my day.

Amazing customer service ! Caroline, Eric and Eze were fantastic ! Foods super delicious ♥️ Go Polpo !

Delicious food and amazing service! Never have a bad meal here

The tiramisu espresso martini was 10/10

Always a decent meal, whether for business clients or personally. I’m a local and have been multiple times. Not so good for dairy allergies as the menu is very limited, but if not…off you go!

For an Italian restaurant in London it is very good I didn't give 1 euro at the entrance to the restaurant but instead it was a pleasant discovery.....finally there are things different from the usual dishes you find in London

Food was delicious, however customer service was lacking and basic standards of table service and etiquette were not met.

3 big stars all round, if I could give 2.5/5 I would because this place is a big fat average!! Let down by the fritto misto which was literally soggy sticks of courgette, the wine was also expensive and average at best. Thanks but no thanks xx

If you are looking for very tasty Italian food in the heart of London this is THE place ! Seriously just go and try it out !

Delicious and always a must when I’m visiting London. The pork meatballs, fried stuffed olives and any of the crostini’s are some favorites but the menu is fantastic. Great for sharing and the staff are always fun and lively.

Having used recipes from the Polpo cookbook, I thought this is an excellent place to experience Venetian food. Yes, it’s about a fusion between tapas and Venetian dishes, and some people may find the portions too small. But that’s what tapas are about. The wine list is also excellent. The service was attentive and accommodating (we didn’t like being first placed close to the air conditioning).

Best Venetian food experience outside of Venice. In fact, it’s even better than many tourist traps in the Serenissima. Erik, the bartender, elevated our experience with his excellent suggestions and utmost hospitality. Eating at the bar by the wide open window is a real treat on a hot London day. Polpo was and remains our favorite restaurant this side of Canal Grande.

Food excellent service attentive and efficient. Only criticism is the price of bottle of wine. Very average quality - get better in supermarket for £5!

Food was very greasy and made us ill. Everything arrived at once within a few minutes of ordering - how could it have been cooked this quickly? Was it sitting under the warmer? Overpriced for the quality. Will not be returning.

Amazing talian Food The food is delicious... The cocktails were great and the Barmaid Eric is passionate. His creations are worth having an other drink..

Great spot for small plates of tapas, Italian style. We loved their prawn and fennel toast, beetroot tortellini and octopus. Amaretto sour is one of the best I’ve had. Barman was lovely and helpful too.

The bartenders made a horrible cocktail and we were two girls who were already a bit tipsy. Without asking us he kept pouring gin in our drinks while we were drinking and then doesn’t inform us that we were charged for it, felt like he did it because he could have gotten away with it. In addition to it being unprofessional that was very unsafe. But hey atleast the restaurant looks pretty even though the drinks and staff are horrible.

Wow. Erik and Miguel will change your life. Best barmen in the galaxy. Try the tiramisu martini or spicy margarita. 🌌🍸

Erik the bartender, was sensational, and to be honest, he made the drinks incredible, his quality of service was exceptional. If I was to recommend a drink, 100% try out the Polpo Sour!!!

An amazing lunchtime meal and drinks sat at the bar watching the incredible Erik do his mixology! Great food, great staff - we will be back very soon!

"Fabolous experience! We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant evening. The staff was amazing and really made the evening come together - selecting dishes, pairing wine and even showing us the recipe book! Thank you Polpo!"

Nice tapas style. Extra points for the vermouth.

My friend and I had a very enjoyable meal on Friday but the enjoyable experience was abruptly cut short due to the fact the window decorations were being dismantled while we were sitting in the window. We popped in to the restaurant when we were passing to see if we could have the corner/bar seats by the window and when we arrived there was already someone sitting there which was disappointing. We sat and enjoyed a lovely spicy margarita which a very nice gentleman made for us and when the guest left we were then allowed to move into the corner. Our food came out and we enjoyed every bit of it but just as we were finishing our dishes, the men came to take the window flower decorations down. There was mess everywhere and washers and debri flying around the area we were sitting at. A lady suggested we moved but there wasn’t really any apology made and no more food or drink was offered to us which was disappointing, or even a drink on the house for the inconvenience and at no point were we warned that we might have to move or that there would be a mess made around us, also having to be moved around a lot wasn't very relaxing. Also the lady I was with was her 60th birthday and apart from the bar man wishing her a happy birthday there was no other effort made. So all in all the food was nice but my experience was not great which is a shame, as she had recommended Polpo highly. This was also the review I added to the managers and didn’t even get a response.

Too noisy, noises bounce the walls. The food is good , specially the fried . The rest nothing special and a bit over price But good for a drink and nibbles to share

So delicious! The service from the waiters could be a little more attentive but one of the bartenders was very dedicated and made my cocktail perfect. As a whole everything is so charming

Erik was simply amazing - we eat at the bar he was so engaging and helpful. Could not fault his service and friendly approach.

Good food but slightly expensive.

Sat at the bar and got the best service in the restaurant! Highly recommended.

Decent food, but too expensive for the quantities offered. Service was friendly but not very well organised, potentially because it was very busy on the day we visited.

Really nice italian restaurant in London. A bit pricey, but high quality food and great atmosphere. Might get a bit packed depending on the day, so better to book in advance

Most cheerful waigthers in Piran with delishes food, excellent location with view to the sunset and to the sea 😉

Came here on a recommendation & it was brilliant! Great atmosphere, delicious food & lovely staff. Thank you for a wonderful night 😊

My friend took me here for dinner before a show and it was the perfect pre-theatre outing. Quick service, beautiful interiors, great wait staff and perfect portion size. Prices were totally reasonable and we made sure to keep room for dessert (tiramisu was so good).

Tremendous Dinner in a relaxing atmosphere. ( We booked this location after having a successful late lunch in their Sloan Square, London location on Saturday. We ate right after Trooping the Colors and it was superb). This Soho location is close to Liberty’s and Carnaby Street and it is a relaxing bit of Italy. Housed in Canaletto’s building (where he lived, as a painter) it is a 100% Italian experience. Their bartender, from Lithuania, makes a superb “Paper Plane” drink. All starters and mains are excellent at both locations! You cannot go wrong!

Love this little slice of Venice in the heart of Soho. Had the pork meatballs and they were delicious. The zucchini fries are always a favourite of mine. My friends and I weren't sure which wine to order so the waiter brought us a small sample to help us to decide.

I suspect the food is straight out of the microwave. Avoid.

Not a great experience, average food at best, miserable service. With so many better places to go avoid!

I’ve been visiting Polpo for many years. It’s always been at the pricier end of the market in terms of what you get for what you pay but the balance has been just about worthwhile. However I was stunned yesterday to be charged 13.5 percent service for a table of 3 people at lunchtime, adding £35 to my bill. In my opinion a 13.5 percent service charge, automatically added to the bill, tips the balance into the “definitely not worth it for the money” category. Such a shame as it’s a nice little restaurant but the price of the dishes combined with an exorbitant service charge means it’s off my list from now on.

I had wanted to go to Polpo for a long time, but unfortunately I wasn’t blown away by the experience or food. Perhaps because it was a busy Saturday afternoon. The food was a little bit underwhelming. The Italian flavour somewhat Anglicised. The tiramisu was very sweet! Nevertheless, it was real food, freshly prepared and nourished us well. I will return when it’s not so busy and perhaps I will be blown away after all.

We arrived at 9:00 p.m. and the kitchen was already closed, an hour before the closing time indicated on Google and in the Routard guide. Nothing special to say but the restaurant should change its hours online to avoid this kind of unpleasant surprises.

Fabulous food, great company from the bartender at the bar :)

It gave me cancer I'm very depressed now my grandad farted and the restaurant lost power then houses were made out of cheese that I put in my airpods also I at my grandma's car

Ein tolles Lokal mit feiner, italienischer Küche. Hier bekommt man die typischen Gerichte wie Pasta und Pizza. Der Service war freundlich

Very good food,excellent service, great ambiance. Loved the octopus, the gluten free pasta, the zucchini fries. Will come back

Another delicious meal with friends. Aside from some cold potatoes, I can't fault it.

Had a terrible experience here, the food was bland and serving sizes were small. We ordered a pizza which tasted like a microwave pizza and some tasteless spaghetti and meatballs. The serving size was so small I could have eaten two of them. We mentioned the poor quality food to the waiter who then asked us if we want desert! As soon as we arrived the waiter mentioned we had 1hr30 for the table yet we were rushed along, the food came out suspiciously quick after ordering and it’s clear they wanted us out asap. This was also happening to the table next to us. Avoid at all costs, so many better options in soho!

Focaccia was fantastic, wonderful salty flavour. Pizza was a bit too fast food but the beef shin Ragu was really good and had a lovely flavour. Rosemary roast potatoes, I would have chosen a fluffier variety of potato personally. Overall a good meal and service was fantastic. 5 plates to share was more than enough for 2 people.

Tasty food,the bill was quite high, and when we asked for 3 more glasses of wine, the waitress failed to tell us that a bottle would be cheaper for the same wine so minus for that, 41.50 as opposed to 36 Do get the meatballs

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!

Beware: no longer tapas-style, ridiculously large portion sizes, and an aggressively reduced menu - with staff unable to even articulate this change. Thankfully the cooking is still top notch, but the menu isn't: Imagine having just patatas bravas as a main. What happened?!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.