Trattoria Raffaele in Lewisham

Outstanding food and service, great choice of menu and the customer service could not be faulted. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a great evening out.

Once again the best food for absolutely miles ! I completely love this place if I could I would eat there every week , the staff are the best with the loveliest welcome every time. Book early and treat yourself to the most authentic Italian food since Sam Marco in Clapham high closed ♥️♥️

The best spot in Sydenham, always so welcoming and friendly! Very well priced for what you get as the food is excellent, this really is a hidden gem. This is my go to spot for dates and family occasions. 10/10 and would recommend to everyone.

We had take away on many occasions. The Pizza is delicious with very fresh dough. gnocci also is outstanding. highly recommend.

Probably the worst pizza I have had. It felt like one of this pre-made pizza base. Unless you have never eaten a real pizza I won’t be spending my money here.

Really great food and a very nice atmosphere in which to enjoy dinner. Especially recommend the specials, in particular the ragu.

We have been coming to this restaurant for almost ten years. The food is always amazing and so is the service! All the family loved it.

What can I say, what an experience! We were welcomed with a warm welcome and open arms. The food was fantastic and from start to finish and the staff were fantastic. It’s a must go!

This was my third visit and I have to say it just gets better every time , tonight I asked for Arabiata spaghetti off the menu and oh my goodness it was the best one I have had since Spaghetti Classics in Brixton closed ! I’m so happy to have found this small gem of a restaurant and the staff are delightful too . It’s my new go to place , don’t go if you want flashybecause it isn’t like that it’s authentic and real . I’m happy and a devotee ♥️

Most amazing service coupled with the most delicious food. Cannot believe this is tucked away in Sydenham! Almost don’t want to share it!! My favourite place!

Excellent food and great service. Especially the spaghetti ragu and the bruschetta starter (cheesecake was also very nice)

Honestly an incredible restaurant! We have always had the best meals. Authentic Italian cuisine with fantastic hospitality. Maria is the most amazing team member too!

Have past this place a million times and thought it didn’t look particularly special, it was always heaving on the weekends so thought it must be a hidden gem. My god is it!! The reviews are all true, a family run, authetic Italian serving incredibly high quality and delicious food. The inside is intimate and adorably genuine. Service was excellent (small critique: we waited a tiny bit too long for our starters but it was an anomaly and our server dealt with it perfectly - we didn’t mind because we were enjoying the atmosphere so much). We ordered exclusively from the specials board and were not disappointed. Feel so lucky to have this place on our doorstep!

Honestly, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place, I've been going for years and have never had a bad meal once, whether it's in the regular menu or off the specials board the food is always delicious. Fresh ingredients, quality meat and the pasta is always cooked just right! The service is impeccable (a special shout out to Maria) It's my favorite restaurant in London and Raff the owner always greets us with a smile and pours a top notch Negroni! I highly recommend Trattoria Raffaele.

We’ve been coming here for over 25 years but We haven’t been since pre COVID. As we’ve had a quite a few memorable celebrations here we decided to book in for our 30th anniversary. It was as welcoming and atmospheric as it’s always been and the food really excellent. Love the menu isn’t overwhelming and always perfectly cooked. Great specials options too …Personally love seafood and Sea-bass was sublime…. plus very good wine. How fabulous to come back to this Italian restaurant that is still delivering Italy in lower Sydenham …great atmosphere… welcome … food and wine…and has just added another memory to the album!

Delicious, fresh and authentic food. Welcoming staff and very warm and cosy atmosphere. We are so lucky to have this as our local restaurant!

We’ve eaten here twice; the first time early in the summer we just popped in on the way home from a drink with friends and the second time we booked a table a month in advance. The first time we are given a small table but we’ve not booked and happy enough the food is good and we ordered simple dishes we had pizza and a pasta and left happy but thinking it was expensive. The second time we booked well in advance table for four adults for 8pm, the restaurant is full just one very small table for four it seems like we not invited to this party. If you come here aim for 7pm because the restaurant is winding down from 8.45 but before that the atmosphere is very good. The food is so disappointing, Bruschetta is between £8 & £11 per portion which is mainly tomatoes and bread with herbs so very expensive which is fine if the food is excellent but extremely disappointing when it’s poorly prepared and low quality. I ordered Saltinboca which seemed like it had been reheated twice before, leathery and salty all other dishes were disappointing also. House wine is £10.50 for a 250ml glass and if you dare to ask for a jug of water be prepared to ask 3 times and WAIT a long time. We won’t be eating here again @£240 for four people isn’t a trattoria informal dining it’s expensive and as there’s lots of others to choose from in the area we won’t be returning.

Well run restaurant with friendly personalised staff without being intrusive. Open area at the front where dogs are allowed. Enjoyed a very special ravioli freshly made with lemon sole and king prawns and with a sauce that accommodated my dietary needs. Well worth the visit.

Best in South East London. staff are very very lovely nothing is too much trouble. Yet again amazing food

I love this restaurant. It’s been a family/friends staple for nearly two decades. Raff (the owner) is a gentleman and a legend. All the other staff are lovely too. It has a great ambience. The food is excellent. Personal favourite is the linguine vongole, but the tortellini is super tasty. Also, don’t sleep on the desserts. Completely recommend but definitely book in advance to avoid disappointment!

Service is usually fantastic at this restaurant; friendly and prompt. However, today will be my last visit as I didn't appreciate being totally ignored by the waitress, whilst I was queuing to collect my take away order. She greeted the family behind me and showed them to their seats and even when the lady of the family went up to the waitress and pointed out that I was in the queue before her, the waitress did not think that the right thing to do was to apologise to me. Disappointed to say the least.

Dinner for 3 and 1 baby in a buggy. The antipasto was delicious and varied. The grilled seabass was cooked to perfection and the side order of vegetables were hot and freshly prepared.

Have been before but this time was disappointing. The prices have been substantially hiked, especially bottles of wine. The pasta main course special contained pieces of chicken which I thought at first were cheese and then bread. This is a small restaurant and the main and severe annoyance was parties of very loud diners. One group of young men shouted at each other the whole evening. Won't be going there again.

Everything is just delicious, and the stuff is pf unparalleled kindness and competency. The food is simple and good, with flavors that creatively build on Italian traditions. The filled pastas, as well as the meaty “secondi” are all worth trying, without exception. The kids love getting their animal-shaped pizzas.

Being coming here the past 28 years. By far the best restaurant in the local area that also has the best staff. Highly recommend.

This is a little gem. Family run for years. Great choice of food, always freshly prepared and great service. Always a pleasure to visit.

Trattoria Raffaele is definitely one of the best places I’ve ever been to. To begin with, the atmosphere is so cozy and it’s s like you’re transported to a family run restaurant in Italy. Raf, the owner is so friendly and treats every single costumer like if they are part of his own family. Maria, is always with a big smile in her face and so knowledgeable about the menu that you can’t help but just trust her with your eyes closed. She’ll definitely bring you the best food, with the most lovely wine that will pair perfectly. The food is so good and fresh and the specials are often changing so you can never get tired of their menu. Amazing from beginning to end. ❤️

The food and service are absolutely superb… second to none! The best Italian food I’ve ever had, in a very intimate restaurant. Try the pappardelle with lamb special, you won’t regret it!

Once again, Trattoria Raffaele blew us away with the quality and ingenuity of their food! Exquisite monkfish ravioli, clams pasta and excellent ragu! Would not change a thing! Thank you Raffaele, Maria and Chef Cati for your dedication and warm welcome!!

I was impressed with dinner at this restaurant. Authentic Italian decor, fantastic service. Dough balls with mozzarella were excellent and gnocchi sorrentina delicious, great tomato sauce. Portion size of the dough balls is big - definitely could share those. Prices about average. Brilliant menu to choose from and lots of specials too. I look forward to getting through more of the menu. If you live around the area and haven’t been.. what are you doing :) (recommend booking in advance)

This is my ‘Go to’ place, I go before I travel, I go when I come back, I go when I’m at home… I’ve been going for over 20 years - as Trattoria Raffael traded under a different name - when Raffs dad was the...

This restaurant is amazingly beautiful!! I loved the food, specially the pizza and the cheesecake, the best I ever had. The staff were really friendly and caring. I would love to thank Rafael and Maria for their kindness, they were very welcoming and nice and...

Ordered gluten-free garlic bread and pasta - the garlic bread was like concrete, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was effort to snap it in half and hurt our teeth to eat. It’s by far the worst gluten-free offering we’ve ever experienced from a...

My first visit after hubby and friend been there many times . It did not disappoint. Food was delicious especially the tiramisu which was to die for. Very attentive friendly staff . Great atmosphere too. Wish we lived nearer as would definitely visit often .

We have been several times and always have the best time! Staff lovely, food amazing! Good value, tiny bit above my ideal price but you can see why because great quality and a family Buisness. Must book in advance Id say as they get busy...

We were served by Maria who was absolutely excellent. We had great customer service from start to finish! She was funny, engaged, and gave me a lovely surprise as part of my birthday meal. The food was spectacular. I’d recommend this place!

As always, the food was absolutely delicious, the staff unbelievably efficient and friendly. Can't wait to return!

We went on Friday 1st July with family and it was excellent as usual. The owner is a lovely guy and always make the effort. Very friendly and it’s a great restaurant with great food. I highly recommend this restaurant as the best in the...

best place to eat in london never fails exquisite food and the most amazing service ever. Again everything was amazing family run and always the best to take friends and families

This is about the 8th time we visited the restaurant, and tonight I went there with my daughter for a father-daughter meal, and I can honestly say this place is one of the best Italian food I have had. The service is out of this...

Another fabulous evening at Raff’s. Fillet steak Brushetta was sublime - crab ravioli beautiful and lamb shark -excellent - thank you for another fab evening Pete and Annie

Driven past and overlooked many times. Excellent authentic quality food. Feels like a trattoria in Italy, fresh ingredients m. Friendly charismatic staff. Won’t be just driving past again. Excellent.

Booked Raff's for my 65th Birthday celebration. We enjoyed amazing starters, the usual brilliant selection of mains and a brilliant cake made for the occasion. Everyone was made very welcome and the service was brilliant. Thank you for making this occasion very special.

If you’ve never been to Trattoria Raffaele why not. The food and the staff are excellent. You will not be disappointed and they can always recommend what’s a good dish if you’re not too sure. But I should say one thing all the food is...

Excellent. Another delicious meal, another great evening at Trattoria Raffael. @TrattRaffaele. Food was great, service brilliant as always. Raff and the team never fail to make us feel welcome and spoiled, no matter how long or hard their day- no mean feat when we all...

Food was okay., a bit overpriced. Our starter could have been cooked a bit longer.. the aubergine had a bit of a bite to it. Staff were amazing... wish the food was as nice!

We went here with high expectations and were not disappointed. We had starters, mains, desserts and liquor coffees and everything was superb. Prices were above average but worth every penny. Great wine list and although the menu is not extensive it's all good (I'm sure)...

The food is nice but not amazing. It is very overpriced for what it is. Staff are super lovely though, just wish it wasn’t so pricey. There are other Italian restaurants which are cheaper and better

We are local to the area and have walked past this restaurant many times over the past few years and finally decided to visit for our date night. We are so glad we did but disappointed we left it this long to come in the...

Raffaele is the best, fab atmosphere and just what Italian food should be! My lasagne was the best I’ve ever had! And I’m so please we share the tiramisu for pudding. The portions are very generous here. Thank you to the lovely staff for such...

Bad attitude staff! Would give this a zero star if I could! Booked a table here tonight with 2 dogs specifically asked numerous times if they allow dogs to be told yes. Arrived this evening and poured some water for the dogs (which we provided...

Everything about our meal was perfect. Really great service, fabulous food of exceptional quality, good range of wines and cocktails and excellent value for money. Wonderful experience!

This is an absolute gem. I never knew this restaurant was so good. Everything about this restaurant is spot on. The owners and the staff were ultra friendly and helpful. The ambience was buzzy and then the food.... all homemade, fresh, plentiful and delicious. Sensible...

It's our go-to for a reasonably priced meal out. My Italian hair dresser travels all the way over from Clapham to come here and says it's his favourite place to get Italian food. Service is fantastic. Food great and it's cosy. Can't wait to see...

Everything we ate was delicious! We were blown away by every bit of our meal. Clam linguine in particular! Staff were so friendly and the restaurant was set up well for covid safety. We were celebrating our anniversary in these weird covid times and had...

New king prawn and monk fish ravioli was excellent. And Nonno Raff (I think) out front was a treat...

We visited this restaurant on a week night with the kids after seeing reviews. A lovely little place, felt like we were in italy with authentic food made well. We were welcomed by the owner and made to feel at home. The food was great,...

Went to a pub near this restaurant and after walking out of there ( as chef was in the beer garden stroking a cat and feeding it by the kitchen door ) walked into this pleasant Italian . Had all the necessary COVID-19 precautions in...

Lovely hosts, food, We have been going for birthday celebrations. Excellent place, extremely friendly restaurant to.eat

Hands down the best and most authentic Italian ristorante in SE. Was blown away by the service and the food was beyond exquisite. Lemon sole and king prawn homemade ravioli was to die for! Will be back very soon!

La comida italiana sin pretensiones y auténticamente excelente, combinada con una cálida bienvenida de Raffaele, fue una velada fantástica. El equipo estuvo muy atento a todos en el lugar, que es pequeño e íntimo; puedes ver la pasión que tienen estos chicos por lo que hacen y lo hacen bien. La comida fue excelente, posiblemente la mejor comida italiana que he probado fuera de Italia.

A lovely, family run Italian restaurant. Very good food, with kindly, friendly staff and very reasonable prices. Go, you won't regret it.

¡Acabo de entrar a Trattoria Raffaele para cenar y es una pequeña joya! Teníamos pan de ajo con mozzarella y chile que estaba delicioso. Luego mi novio comió ragú de conejo, que estaba en oferta y yo comí lasaña. Todo es casero y absolutamente hermoso. Pero la verdadera estrella aquí es el servicio. Es un negocio familiar y todos son maravillosos y realmente alegraron nuestra velada. ¡Estaremos de vuelta!

Trattoria Raff está ABIERTA para los negocios y estuvimos allí el miércoles. La estrella de la velada (aparte del increíble personal que estaba tomando todas las medidas de seguridad, y el número de la mesa se ha reducido por distanciamiento) fue el nuevo titular en el tablero de especiales. . . . . ?? bolas de cangrejo arancini con salsa picante de tomate. ???????????

Such a great friendly restaurant to eat which has tasty pizza, fresh pasta and superb specials. Mozzarella dough balls are always amazing.

I have been to this restaurant 3 times now and every time it’s been amazing.The food is out of this world, service is on point and the atmosphere is extremely welcoming.The staff tonight last night couldn’t do more for us.I don’t think there is an Italian restaurant in London that could top it.

Sunday lunch for four adults and two small children . Treated fantastically the whole time . Everyone made to feel welcome . Children had a great time cooking their own pizzas . Adults enjoyed the food and wine immensely. A truly exceptional family friendly restaurant.

Tomé una fiesta de 10 el sábado pasado por la noche.La comida fue maravillosa como siempre. La mayoría de nosotros comimos de la junta de especialidades, vongole, ragú de venado, varias cosas maravillosas que se ofrecen.Para empezar siempre voy por sus hígados de pollo y tocino con espinacas. . .Gracias Raffaele por una velada tan encantadora.

What a fantastic place to go out for a meal. Great, fresh food cooked and presented with style. The friendly staff make you feel as if you are a star I cannot recommend this place highly enough.

Viajamos desde Hayes (Kent) para cenar en este restaurante después de ver muchas buenas críticas en las redes sociales y no nos decepcionó. Decoración de taberna tradicional, dueño y camarera muy atentos, bebidas decentes y lo más importante, comida increíblemente deliciosa. Teníamos calamares, bolas de masa, hígado de pollo y rollo de berenjena como entrante. Pizza de salchicha picante y champiñones, pollo en salsa cremosa de champiñones, pizza de margarita para niños (en forma de pescado) y espagueti boloñesa para niños como plato principal. Todo estaba delicioso, no estaba lleno como justo antes del día de San Valentín, pero había una multitud encantadora. Esta no será nuestra última visita.

Great food and Rafgaele is a wonderful host. The ambience is lovely. Highly recommend but book as very busy.

Fantastic to have local. It is what it is, and that's a great local neighbourhood restaurant. Recommended

We visited for a romantic dinner after hearing great reviews from local friends. An absolute gem, wonderful ambience and personal service - felt completely at home.We shared antipasti plate and some dough balls for starter and those dough balls are absolutely gorgeous! Penne amatriciana sauce was mouthwatering with perfect al dente pasta. Finished off with a tiramisu to share and waddled home up the road with very happy full tummies. Will be back very soon. Thank you!

This is a small family run restaurant. We were offered a warm welcome having arrived fifteen minutes early. No hurry, no rush, an easy laid back atmosphere, customers ranged from babies to seniors all interacting and absorbing the ambiance on offer. The starters were substantial and authentic, my adopted son is Italian and he gave this food an 11/10. The pizza was delicious but the Pasta dishes priced at £16 and £15 were not good value l feel for the portion size, eight mouthfuls and it was gone. We tried the ice cream with a strong coffee accompaniment, highly recommended. Booking ahead is recommended for this little treasure.

Such a great restaurant! We were two couples and had a very fun evening! The food is substantial and delicious and the atmosphere and service made us feel like we were in a local trattoria in Italy. Definitely give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

This is a great find in the high street. There are even tables (not that many) outside.The specials are very authentic and always worth trying. The regular dishes are also good plus there are some nice wines on the list.Popular so book especially at the weekend.

This is the best Italian food I think I have eaten outside of Italy. The service was lovely and the food was so good that we will definitely go back!

If you are thinking of visiting, then I strongly recommend that you do. The food is very tasty and seems authentically Italian. My boyfriend and I are already planning a return visit.

I have walked past this restaurant so many times but never popped in as it looks pretty basic from the outside. Biggest mistake! The food was fantastic, all the ingredients are fresh and in season. The wine was great. Service great. Everything was great! Highly recommend. I'll be back!

I have visited Trattoria Raffaele many times over the past year, taking different crowds of friends and family each time. It hasn't disappointed on any occasion and now it's my family and friends favorite local.

Pleased that I booked in advance as very busy for a Wednesday night This was only the second time I had visited this restaurant and was very impressed with food, ambience, and value for money Will definately be back

Great food and service. Unfortunately positioned on a noisy street so sitting outside not without the odd hooting. Inside is warm and authentic and is a great option especially if looking to avoid those awful high street Italian franchises!

We have been here a few times since moving to the area. The atmosphere is wonderful, so cosy and warm and welcoming. The staff are always so friendly and kind and make it a special experience for everyone. The food is very tasty too!

A real gem of a place. Wonderfully traditional decor. The service and food is great. I had the Special- monkfish and prawn ravioli, fresh and full of flavour! So much better than the bland high street chain Italians. Support your local businesses!

Hace unos días fuimos a Trattoria Raffaele por primera vez, aunque lo supiéramos desde que nos mudamos a Sydenham. Somos italianos, por lo que tendemos a evitar los restaurantes italianos porque a menudo son decepcionantes.

Es un negocio familiar fantástico y real. La comida es excelente, tuvimos pizzas y pastas (los canelones con pasta de cangrejo de la junta de especialidades fue exquisito!). Su hígado de pollo y sardinas asadas eran increíbles, el tiramisú tan bueno.

Superb food, service and reasonably price. This is a great little Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is cosy. The whole restaurant rings wither the sound of people enjoying themselves. People come from all over the world to this restaurant, it so good that it makes Sydenham high street look good after you have had your meal.

OMG, can’t believe this gem of an Italian restaurant has been under my nose all these years and I have only just discovered it! The food is authentic, delicious and truly Italian in every way. I had the most gorgeous antipasto which to be honest was big enough for two; everything on the plate tasted so fresh and the mozzarella just melted in your mouth. My main course consisted of home made tagliatelle cooked with tomato, aubergine and Italian sausage - I can’t put into words how good it was, I didn’t want it to end!

Tasty food, friendly service. Cozy restaurant, ideal for smaller tables of two or four. Be sure to try their delicious pizzas and the bolognese gnocchi !

We live locally and were interested in visiting this place, as it was rated as the best restaurant in London on Tripadvisor. We visited on a hot Friday night. The lack of air conditioning inside was uncomfortable.

Comida sabrosa (el 25. 05. 2019), buen servicio de comida, pero. . .

Service was extremely attentive and friendly. Food was out of this world and reasonably priced (dough balls with mozzarella were sensational!). The ambience and feel of the restaurant is cosy and inviting.

He estado tratando de conseguir una mesa aquí un sábado por la noche durante meses y meses y recientemente he disfrutado de dos comidas maravillosas más tarde un sábado por la noche. El personal es fantástico, acogedor, lleno de sonrisas y bromas. Sus recomendaciones sobre la comida deben seguirse.

Disfruté de excelente comida italiana en la Trattoria Raffaele en Sydenham anoche. Nuestro grupo de 4 pre-reservado (lo que sería una buena idea) y nos dieron una mesa conveniente en lo que fue la noche más calurosa en Londres hasta el momento en 2019. El aire acondicionado ayudó. Lo mismo hizo el excelente servicio, sin mencionar los muy bien cocinados platos que cumplieron con creces nuestras expectativas. Además del comparativamente pequeño menú de pie, los platos del día nos ofrecieron varias opciones muy interesantes. El restaurante también produce pizzas frescas, pero nuestros entrantes y platos principales fueron más imaginativos que eso. La casa roja (a los 18 la botella) tampoco estaba mal. Trattoria Raffaele se presenta como un restaurante cómodo, sin pretensiones pero serio. Sin retrasos, no hay platos 'no tan buenos', y eso en una noche de la final de la Liga de Campeones y un clima muy caluroso. Lo recomiendo altamente.

We went last night and the new starter here was incredible “asparagus wrapped in saffron bread and home smoked roast duck breast with soft duck egg in crispy breadcrumbs, drizzled with reduced balsamic, dressed with Parmesan shavings.. This new dish is sure to be a favourite. We both had this and followed it with the stunning crab and cod stuffed ravioli, and seafood lasagne. What a feast.

Very impressed with this little gem of a restaurant. We both had the specials, I had the crab and crayfish ravioli which was clearly homemade pasta, flavoursome, full of tasty crabmeat and cooked to perfection. My partner had the veal and beef meat balls which fell apart and the spaghetti and sauce was beautiful. Lovely Italian larger too. The only small minor point I would make is that for me the plates were not hot enough resulting in the food going slightly cold quickly, however this is still not enough to effect the star rating of my review because the experience was just lovely!

2nd time I have been here...... both times the experience has been great, both visits everyone in the group have had great food and very well priced, I would recommend you eat here if you love Italian food.

I have been visiting this restaurant with my family since it opened in 2008. The atmosphere is great, the welcome always warm, the food superb and the service excellent. Raffaele is a delightful host and greets us as friends. Having moved from the area to Devon in 2015 it is great to know that there a warm welcome to be had at the Trattoria whenever we travel to London.

We were a party of 12. This was my first visit to the restaurant and I was not disappointed. The place was busy always a good sign of good food. Fast service for drinks and the meal. There was a good atmosphere in the place. I asked for French fries although they were not on the menu they were served with my lovely steak. Everyone at our table were very satisfied with their meals. Will definitely visit again.

Our third visit in about a year. A warm and friendly greeting started the evening; two of our party chose from the specials board. I can’t resist the meatballs (when they do not include pork) accompanied by a bottle of Montepulciano. Delicious food. Busy and buzzy.