Trattoria Brutto in Islington

Really disappointed to write this as have been to Brutto on many occasions during the last few years and was one of my favourite places to go. Not any more unfortunately. The food is still ok however what lets it down massively are the staff. The front of house was so arrogant and unfriendly it was almost comical. Although I did note he was jovial with another table - maybe they were “important”. Our waitress continually told us we had the table for 2 hours..yes we know! Such a shame. Won’t be back, glad I got to experience it when it was good

I have given 4 rather 5 stars to reflect my overall experience . The food is great and the staff accommodating and efficient. What didn’t I like? The music is way, WAY too loud. We all go out to eat as a social occasion and the level of music here is so enormous that normal conversation is absolutely impossible. If this doesn’t bother you you’ll have a 5 star dining experience.

The food is very nice, mainly authentic northern Italian, with a very well chosen wine list. However, in all our very numerous trips to Italy (3 to Venice in the last 12 months) we have NEVER experienced music so loud that our (charming) waitress couldn’t hear us! The table behind were having to shout SO loudly that they were hurting our ears! Not their fault as, at normal speech level, we couldn’t hold a conversation. I really wonder if the music is for the customers or for the staff - it should be for the customers, of course. On leaving we chatted to 2 or 3 tables - they all thought the music was ridiculously loud and it spoilt their evening. It ruined ours. If Brutto is trying to be an authentic Italian Trattoria they are failing miserably. The Italians really value conversation during meals. It was impossible to have a conversation in Brutto without shouting at a level that eas terrible irritating to our neighbours and damaging to our throats. I won’t be going back. I’ve a suspicion, Russel Norman would be appalled at the present management.

Nonsense. Three small toasts with a bean spread - £9. Easily made at home for 20p. Sliced beef - tough, arrived cold. £22, tiny portion. Lulled into their web with the headline £5 negronis - don’t be fooled, that price is baked into the overinflated food menu. Finished with the tiramisu, but came away starving and £50 lighter. Arrogant, rude staff dismissed my polite concerns over the poor quality beef. In short, a typical, nonsense London rip off, too big for its boots and deeply unimpressive.

Great food, atmosphere, service. Probably the best restaurant in London at the moment. Simplicity done well. Consistently.

Great service, fresh food and good atmosphere. A busy restaurant on a Wednesday lunchtime is a good sign. I would probably avoid the 1pm risotto next time (just rice and peas, very bland) and overall I thought it was pricey for what it was but each to their own, you can decide: I had (7) anchovies + 2 bits of toast for a starter, a small bowl of pasta with asparagus shavings as a main, the above mentioned bowl of risotto and to try and fill me up, a scoop of ice cream with 2 small cookies: £1 shy of £50 (I just drank sparkling water).

This was my 6th visit and I wanted to share this experience with Jon, my fiance. We had table 34, which is my favourite as it is bang in the middle of the restaurant. I had a £5 Negroni, which was delicious and we shared a plate of "cuddles" - deep fried dough balls with soft cheese and prosciutto. Jon had tagliatelle with asparagus and I had penne alla vodka. Both were exceptional. We shared thinly sliced rare beef with fried potatoes for our secondi. The meat was tender and the potatoes were crispy.We ordered a carafe of house red. Sarah looked after us really well and remembered me from before and Dennis, our greeter also remembered me, which made me feel at home. A fabulous dinner.

Excellent food service and location. First visit and I will return. Had pate on toast and also pasta - All very good and also excellent Italian wine!

Service is fine. But I'd avoid the Castelfranco with parmesan £10.50 which is just 2 large lettuce leafs. Also avoid the Gnocchi with Girolles which tastes ok but looks so sad and not worth £16.80. And 2 small glasses of uninteresting house red. We had to leave after that to avoid further disappointment. £43 of disappointment. I do hope we just chose the wrong starters and that everything else if as wonderful as they say.

Would have preferred to write this as a direct email but it's not easy so in public it is. Great and fun lunch today as always, but three of our dishes (meat tagliatelle, sausages and shredded beef) were oversalted to a fault, while the fennel side tasted almost unseasoned.

I came to Brutto for a birthday meal with my partner. Lovely ambiance, friendly service (they were clearly busy but nothing felt rushed) & great drinks menu. The food was nothing short of fantastic - authentic Italian dishes. We’ll be coming again - this really is a special restaurant.

I can’t understand the hype. Perhaps there was some vibe at lunch hour - happily busy, but the food was surprisingly average and very overpriced. Still cannot work out how they justify charging £16.20 for a small bowl of Tagliatelle al Ragu with a tiny bit of reddish sauce speckled with a few hard brown meaty pellets. Service was nice. I will not be rushing back though.

Been looking forward to coming here for ages. Evening started well, we were early and the front of house handled it perfectly…and then it kind of fell apart. We had the boy from the magic roundabout serving us. He took out drinks order and then came back to ask if we wanted some drinks a few mins later..wine came and it was warm. After the third time of me saying it was warm and him pretty much saying it will go cold, I said, I don’t want it to go cold later, I want to drink it now. Are there no cold bottles…he looked at me like I was stupid and said it will go cold again. About 20 mins later it’s was nearly cool enough. Shame the £40 vermentino was awful. Yes we are in London blah blah. Food came. Veg crudité which was basically a lump of fennel with a couple of radish and a foetus sized carrot. The lardo toasts were good. After asking for more water for the third time, magic roundabout looked at the table and said…oh I’ve taken your jug haven’t i?! Yes when I asked the first time! Mains came…pasta with a bone broth. Clap cold and pasta so underdone it was hard. Other dish was rare roast beef, cooked nicely enough and tasty smeared in a thick gravy. “Would you like dessert?” Errr no. I’m sure if they read this they will think we don’t know what we are talking about. Maybe we don’t. After spending our lives in the food and restaurant game, we know a little possibly. But the place is full and buzzy. So what do they care. The modern way is sadly becoming style over substance…but you can very quickly fall out of favour. Would we return? Nah.

This was my 4th visit and I wanted to share this experience with Jo, my friend of 45 years. We had table 34, which is my favourite as it is bang in the middle of the restaurant. We each had a £5 Negroni, which was delicious and shared a plate of "cuddles" - deep fried dough balls with soft cheese and prosciutto. My friend had pasta with rabbit and I had tortellini in broth. Both were exceptional. We ordered a carafe of house red and white. Sarah looked after us really well and remembered me from before, which was nice to know. It felt sad knowing that the founder of this marvellous restaurant Russell Norman is no longer with us but we raised a glass to him with affection.

The service has little experience. If you offer an Italian menu, the waiter must be able to take orders in Italian; otherwise, don't bother writing the menu in Italian if you expect the customer to translate it. The men restroom stinks so horrible that almost made me loose appetite. Possible that none of the managers can handle it? Does that show cleanliness in other places, such as the kitchen (which has a door next to the bathroom)? The food is adequate. The starter and the main course failed to impress. On our way out, hardly one said goodbye or even thanked us.

Sadly my twice yearly catch up at Brutto with a good friend and former colleague will be relocated after our most recent visit. Whilst the food was as expected, the same cannot be said for the service. Incredibly rude waitress who quite clearly wanted to be anywhere but serving us. We were made to feel like a huge inconvenience from start to finish. Constantly being told we had limited time, however having to wait 15 minutes before someone came over with a wine list, then having no plates when the shared food arrived. At the end of the meal we made it clear we didn’t want dessert and asked for a cocktail, then after a wait the waitress returned to see want we wanted for dessert… which we had already declined. After waiting for our cocktails, 10 minutes before our allotted time was up being aggressively told the table was needed back IMMEDIATELY. Never felt less welcome in a restaurant. Having always had nothing but praise for the place and recommending highly to all I shall now avoid and suggest others do the same. Classic case of a successful restaurant getting complacent and showing little care or courtesy to customers.

Booked my Birthday meal here Its always fully booked and you can only book 2 weeks in advance Its darkly lit with a lot of atmosphere The food tastes and feels authentic. Tried the anchovy with sough-dough, penne with tomato , beef strips and fig panna cotta with a carafe of house wine A lovely alternative evening

I had eaten here a couple of times before but my friend had never been. I knew she loved pasta and Negronis, so this was the obvious choice. We shared a plate of "cuddles"- deep fried savoury doughnuts, which come either prosciutto and soft cheese, which you stuff into the warm cuddles. My friend had penne in a vodka tomato sauce, which she loved and I had trofie in a cavolo nero and hazelnut pesto. The house Negronis are a bargain at £5 each. We had a lovely, leisurely meal. The Brutto team were very welcoming and friendly. Great value and excellent food.

I had a great experience. I sat at the bar for drinks and an early dinner. Harry and Jack were awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable, and helped me choose some great wine to go with my delicious food (pesto trofie and sliced roast beef). Top stuff and I hope to be back soon.

A special time with the family out for Brunch. Very tasty Italian dishes indeed, so yummy good and we had several starters to share followed by delicious mains so as pasta- and meat plates - we really enjoyed the whole meal. I can 100% recommend this special restaurant!!! This restaurant is wonderful and the ambiance is so lovely. Excellent service.

Went with my girlfriend for her birthday and had an incredible experience at Brutto! Best food and service in London. The food came out efficiently and in order, so starter, first main, second main and then dessert. We like to share, so this was perfect for us! We like to take our time with food so anyone moaning about the times etc, ignore them… enjoy your food, talk, drink and listen to cracking music! There is a reason it’s always fully booked and difficult to get a reservation. Ignore the 4 star rating (which is criminal) and ignore the people moaning in other reviews! Wake up early, book a reservation and get yourself to Brutto! Can’t wait for our next visit.

50 min interval between antipasti and pasta. A waitress were chatting and did not listen our request to ring all the dishes together. In the end, we had to cancel secondi(the waitress still insisted to eat or do a take away). Great food but there restaurant better to keep trained waitresses.

Absolutely delicious food. Great host - thanks to the owner for taking our photo afterwards. Worth the trip from Australia!!

- good food - fast service - noisy and cramped place - the boss does nothing but talking and eating ice cream.

One of the best restaurant atmospheres in London. To go along side that, food was exceptional and the staff very friendly and helpful.

I can’t understand the negative reviews of this fabulous restaurant. The food was outstanding, service excellent and the environment perfect. Will definitely go back as soon as we can

I'll keep it short. I'd disagree with many of the negative comments below. Great laid back ambience, cosy and relaxed seating and our service attendant (Colette) was such an angel! So attentive, warm, genuine and tall! The primo and antipasto were really delectable. The deserts...

I knew I had time between work ending & the train home, so booked Brutto (you do need to book!), as I’ve enjoyed both Polpo & Spuntino previously… As I walked in Russell Norman was tidying chairs & tables… As he’s the owner, I thought...

Simply perfect. I had one hour to have lunch. And was near Brutto. I tried their new special. Simply divine. Then had the most scrumptious tiramisu. Couldn't be happier.

Having lunched in nearby Cafe du Marche (fantastic - charming service) we decided to have a drink at the bar in Brutto. I came to Brutto earlier in the year and had a really good experience. We were greeted at Brutto by a nice young...

Busy, noisy, VERY slow service. Took 60 minutes to serve two starters and two main courses. Food pretty good to be fair. Menu confusing. Be careful to check price of what you are ordering.

Lunch with two friends, really enjoyable experience, welcome was friendly, service was good and unobtrusive, the Umbrian red, a Torri Cantine Riserva was very drinkable, starters shared - anchovies, tonato, chicken liver toasts. Mains were a shared steak and tuscan beef stew with all the...

Great meal with family. My daughter recommended this restaurant and it certainly lived up to expectations. Husband had the steak which he said was the best ever, it certainly was a big one !! I had the Shin Beef - amazing. Will be back

Food's fine. However, if you are over about 35, you are not welcome for dinner. If you want to talk and listen to your dinner companions, you are in the wrong place. As if the din of other diners isn't enough, for some reason they...

It’s always interesting when a restaurant you review has far fewer reviews that you expect. Perhaps it says something who a TripAdvisor reviewer is and why people review. Brutto is a case in point as was Orfali Bros in Dubai which I recently reviewed. Anyway...

I found the menu and dishes underwhelming, leading me to believe this venue I has much hype. I started with the dough balls with cheese and ham, rather uninspiring. The pasta with asparagus was ok. Bearing in mind the hype of ‘great beef’, I then...

Went here knowing nothing about it other than that someone recommended it online. Service was good, friendly, prompt and not intrusive. I had the tagliatelle with egg yolk and asparagus. Side dish was bread salad.... The food was excellent. The pasta was perfect and every...

Good quality Italian food with flair. Yes to the £5 negroni’s. Cool space, although seating layout quite tight, great music. The waiting staff are excellent, and our waitress was fabulous.

I booked this in person and mentioned that it was for my daughter's actual birthday and was assured we would get a lovely table and she would be made a fuss of. The restaurant was very busy we were seated next to a couple with...

Can't say I was too impressed by the restaurant. My cousin had heard of it and thought we might try it. The atmosphere was nice though a little bit..incoherent, one side trying to be traditional Italian (checkered tablecloth, wood, pictures on the walls) and the...

I can’t quite believe we paid so much money for a few pieces of cheese that might as well have been brought from the local supermarket and plonked down on a plate with some sliced up pear, the kind you find at the bottom of...

We were really looking forward to this meal due to all the buzz and how hard it was to get a reservation. This anticipation possibly made us expect more from the meal. Atmosphere is absolutely 10/10, love the red checked tablecloths, candles and buzzy vibe....

Loved it and will go again. Food was delicious - I had the beef stew which was melt in the mouth. Also try the dough ball style starter which are like mini savoury doughnuts and very moreish. Loved everything about this place, service also great....

Checked table cloth makes me happy ,slow( charming) service unhappy ,and reasonable prices (by London standards ) are a bonus these days …. But it’s the food we go to restaurants for and on that front it failed to satisfy my hunger for good rustic...

Enjoyable evening, Wonderful food and lively atmosphere. Highlights were the tagliatelle with mushrooms and for someone who is not much of a eat eater, the steak which was perfectly cooked and succulent . The best steak I've had in years

Dinner for four on a cold January 2023 evening between 7.30 and 9.30 pm. Total cost: £269.82. Table at back of restaurant. Lovely buzz to the place, our son and daughter 27 and 24 immediately liked the atmosphere, the muzak was loud but not very....

It is difficult to get a table here and we were on the waiting list and told at the last minute. It is an atmospheric and busy place with a large bar where you can also eat. The menu certainly needs a bit of explanation...

Helpful and friendly service, quality drinks, loved the bean and rosemary broth, sausages and lentils stellar, bistecca bueno, all round quality lunch.

I'd forgotten how much I love old school traditional Italian cooking and Brutto does this SO well. The 5th member of our party (an Irish Terrier) lay relatively well-behaved beneath the red and white checked table cloth, blending into the wooden floor boards. He was...

Finally got to go here - fairly local to home. The food was excellent, drinks superb and very well priced, and the service was spot on - informative, not intrusive and friendly. Have already booked to go back. As a vegetarian who doesn't like mushrooms...

Went for lunch on a Saturday. Place was busy but pleasant. The food was OK. Starters were OK. The steak was not the quality you get in Florence. Service was very good.

Real gem of an Italian restaurant, small, not too noisy and perfect for a casual business lunch. Food was absolutely incredible, amazing options for vegetarians. The best thing was the tiramisu - you have to try it!

Lovely ambience, nice food (bit overly salty on a couple of the dishes) but service - oh dear - 20 a 25 mins for the wine to arrive after chasing three times, after chasing extensively we finally got the primo course an hour and a...

An excellent meal. Seated us at the bar after a dozen other places were full and I was pleasantly surprised by the diverse and rewarding flavours. Staff were a tad overworked, but that's why I got a table so I'm not going to complain :)

Really enjoyed our lunch here recently. Excellent food, good service and lively atmosphere. For central London the prices are reasonable.

We really enjoyed our first visit - a warm welcome that accommodated our early arrival, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable service, delicious food and a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to all the team.

Not a great experience. Overpriced italian food, rude manager who tried to get us to leave as soon as we finished eating . I have read rave reviews and I am so disappointed.

Great Trattoria in the heart of London, felt like in Italy, Great service, can sit at the bar and wait for a table. Service very friendly and will give recommendations. Can't wait to go back

Very mixed experience. Great welcome. We sat at the bar as we arrived early. Bar man was great - very engaging. Food and menu - overall really liked it. Potatoes with the sliced beef a bit rubbery though. Service - very hit and miss. Some...

Lovely friendly place. The manageress is very pleasant and welcome you very well. We had a drink on a outside table first and then we moved inside for lunch. The table we were given was great , we could see everything from our table and...

Brutto is simple, selections are unpretentious and delicious. Anyone not giving this place at least a four star rating has no taste

I arrived half an hour before the restaurant opened tonight, and was warmly welcomed by Mr Norman himself and was served their £5 Negroni ( or two) while waiting for my son to arrive. We shared a superb T- Bone steak, preceded by two excellent...

Had such a wonderful meal with my best friend here! The dishes are simple but delicious, the staff were friendly and the service was quick! Fully recommend.

I’d heard such good things about Brutto, and then getting a table feels like winning a prize so was really looking forward to a catch up with friends. The table for four was tiny, luckily the plates of food were so small or they wouldn’t...

My friends and I had been waiting to visit Trattoria Brutto for ages and finally (due to its, I think, mad booking policy) got a table. Well tbh it was not worth the wait and I left disappointed and shocked by the attitude of some...

All the good reviews got me curious so I went with friends including an Italian. We ordered the steak, papardelle, vodka pasta and a couple more. We absolutely loved the meal and cant wait to go back.

It's always such a pleasure when expectations are met, and an even greater pleasure when they're exceeded. I've followed Russell through most of his openings over the years (spuntino being the most under rated but exceptional place IMHO) and just had to wait for the...

Long day, needed a pickup. Really felt good about this Farringdon local from arrival. Lively room, excellent service and a great menu. Courses were well paced and food was first rate. Sausage & lentils, rabbit pappardelle, our two mains. Only knock was a pretty steep...

A simple formula, a bit retro but good fun.It is noisy("buzzing") for a reason; the prices are reasonable by today's London standards,the food is unchallenging and familiar and the service is fine.

Homely, buzzy, warm, welcoming! I despair at some of the spoiled entitled horrors that take time out of their day to bash up peoples businesses. Shame on you lot. This place is everything an informal restaurant should be. The food is tasty, honest, unpretentious and...

We arrived early since we had tickets to go on somewhere else. We didn't have a booking but the website advised seats were available at the bar for drop ins. When we arrived we were given a friendly welcome and offered a table for an...

Food was average and completely overrated Staff including manager was condescending , entitled and rude Won’t be recommending this place

Another typical London rip-off… Firstly, the whole booking process which is a total fallacy: reservations open two weeks in advance at 7am, the website keeps on crashing on you but you really want to get in so you try and try again until you manage...

This was an amazingly disappointing restaurant - who is writing these good reviews? £4.30 for a basket of poor bread which was the only starter of any interest. Tagliata like tired carvery roast beef in poor gravy. Apple tart that was worse than bought at...

As the title says really. It's hard to put a finger on anything that was really bad about Brutto, but given the hype and prior pedigree, not to mention the sense of achievement in actually getting a table, it really didn't live up to what...

Superb food, lovely surroundings and utterly charming staff. And dog-friendly to boot! What's not to love. We shall be back...and soon.

This restaurant was much hyped and boasts several 5* newspaper reviews and now, I note, Michelin guide recognition as well. So we too were suitably hyped up when we secured an evening table in the two week window offered. Sadly reality rarely matches hype. The...

Incredibly understanding and efficient staff when we were in a hurry. Excellent service - highly recommend.

Absolutely love this restaurant. We felt like we were eating in a Florentine trattoria. Such a cool atmosphere, welcoming, friendly staff and delicious food. To start, we enjoyed the deep fried dough balls with prosciutto, pork tonnato and lots of bread from local Bread &...

Well I am not going to tell anyone how good @bru.tto was. I am not going to say how generous the pate on toast was nor how the Cuddles were immense. I am going to refrain in saying the food , service, atmosphere and value...

Best meal I’ve had in years. Atmosphere, staff, interior and most importantly the food were all beautiful. A totally memorable evening.

I had a lovely meal with my wife in November. The food was really nice, I particularly enjoyed the Coccoli with stracchino and prosciutto and the Negroni was perfect. The young staff members are all very attentive and well trained. I can’t wait to go...

I don't often write trip advisor review but this one deserves it. Simply delicious! The vodka pasta was incredible and the steak was perfect. Great service, great music nice vibe plus £5 Negroni's. What's not to love?

Not quite like a florentine restaurant ( music too loud), but the food is fabulous. Tasty, real cooked food. Excellent quality ingredients and the perfect antidote to the ubiquitous small plate offerings. Everything we tried was simple and delicious. Real portions, you won’t leave hungry....

We were so excited about going to Brutto after reading the many rapturous reviews in the press and from others on trip advisor. To say it was a disappointment would be a total understatement. The omens were good after a warm welcome & entry into...

Nice food. Tables a bit too close together and music a little loud throughout but perhaps to stop nearby diners eavesdropping. Had to let staff past in thr aisle a few times which is fine, but would've been nice to be given right of way...

From Negroni cocktails to Affogato this is an authentic taste of Italy in London. Attentive service, and amazing steak. The wine list is well suited to the food with the DodiciDodici Barbera an excellent match for the flavoursome Bistecca Fiorentina. At £110 per head for...

We had dinner at Trattoria Brutto on Tuesday , and everything was outstanding . From the warm welcome to the knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff Even though they were fully booked , we never felt rushed or abandoned , as in other establishments The food is...

If you’re pining for the days when you could just grab your passport, board a plane and jet off to Italy, then pine no more because Russell Norman has, (once again), created a little bit of Italy in the UK. I understand that Brutto was...

This was the last stop on a 4 day visit to London. We booked 30 days in advance but the wait was worth it. The food was incredible.. who knew something as simple sounding as fennel sausages, braised lentils and mustard could be so incredibly...

Having moved on from Polpo et al (who’s standards had fallen in recent years) Russell Norman has opened Trattoria Brutto on the site that was formally Hix. Recently reviewed by Jay Rayner, I was fortunate enough to secure an early evening booking coinciding with a...

Went to be Brutto with my family, lovely decor! Food was authentic Italian. Front of house friendly and polite. Looking forward to going back

It’s truly like stepping into a Venice eatery. I could tell you how it’s been well thought out, the lighting is perfect, the music is great, the service was spot on, food well seasoned, table setting was charming, pasta cooked like you’re in Italy, menus...

Listen, if you want good food, great atmosphere and helpful staff this is the place to be. Whilst waiting for our table at the bar we were served some delicious nibbles (that's what we call them in the North but you know what I mean)...

Really love Brutto. Have been a couple of times and already feel like a regular. I think that’s a pretty special quality for a hotspot restaurant in London. The food is wholesome Tuscan fare, we had the fat anchovies and butter, bread salad, shin ragu,...

Absolutely loved our dinner at Brutto last night, where to start? First of all the hosts, both absolutely lovely and attentive, not once we had to wait for getting attention, felt really looked after as if we were at some friends house. The group of...

The decor was cool enough. I was looking forward to the outing after COVID lockdown . The food was average and nothing to rave about . They forgot to order 1 of our dishes and even reminding them took 25 mins to arrive. Penne was...

From the moment we got to Bru.tto, it felt like an old friend; welcoming, warm & convivial. The host offered a choice of seats either in the main room or at the bar so opted for the bar - what a kind, thoughtful gesture and...

Felt like we’d been coming here for years. Our favourite restaurant in the world is Osteria Alle Testiere in Venice and although Brutto is totally different we felt equally at home. Delicious food, friendly charming service and a great atmosphere. Yes there were a few...

Visited with a friend and great atmosphere and service. Attentive and friendly. Had the ‘cuddles’ to start and could have easily eaten a bigger plate of these tasty morsels. We ordered two primi plates to share. Enjoyed the vodka pasta but rabbit pappadelle nothing special....