Il Portico

Sono stata con la famiglia in questo ristorante. Personale molto gentile e disponibile. Titolare simpatico e premuroso. Sicuramente un ottimo posto! I piatti curati e molto buoni. Il conto negli standard londinesi, forse un po' alto per gli standard italiani. Ma ne è valsa la pena!

We found this place when we were staying in Kensington for a few weeks. Love the food - good old fashioned Italian cooking, the way it should be.

Enjoyed a leisurely lunch with family. The anti-pasti whetted the appetite, the burrata being particulary delicious and we liked the food enough to have 3 more courses. Friendly service, we were happy with the recommendations.

Great food, fantastic service and atmosphere!

First time here and will definitely be back next time I visit London. I've already recommended to my friends and family. The staff were exceptionally warm and friendly and the food was unreal. Such fresh ingredients and my first ever piece of veal was out of this world, words can't describe it, in fact I'm already starting to water at the mouth reliving the memory.

Lovely authentic Italian experience. It feels like you are actually in Italy with fresh ingredients. It’s not cheap but I think it is definitely worth it. Will repeat!

A wonderful family-run Italian restaurant with a great ambience. Yes, it's a little on the pricey side but believe me, it's worth it. Ingredients are fresh and good quality, the staff are a delight and the cooking is exceptional. Just need to add a vegetable portion to some of their more expensive main courses which looked rather sparse and lonely in comparison to our neighbours' massive pasta portions - and then it will be perfect.

Fabulous veal Milanese with pomedares and octopus .. great service although a little strange in finding a quiet table
Good overall

Excellent service, team will do anything to make sure your experience is top not.

Having eaten at many Italian Restaurants in London, I found the service and food as good if not better than any whom charge a fortune for what should be quality basic food on what all Italian eating is all about.

The food is fantastic, absolutely my favorite restaurant in London. It rivals any Italian restaurant in New York. Worth staying an extra night for.

Outstanding Italian cuisine and good “buzzy” ambience. Attentive staff

Highly authentic, great service, a sensible range of options for starters, pasta, main course plus specials. rather than a multi page menu. All waiting staff are knowledgable, friendly, and very effective. Wonderful ambience that is very people friendly. Food was outstanding, wine guidance was also very helpful.

I have never had anything other than great service and excellent food. It is one of my favourite restaurants.

I asked for a Risotto, which got to my table under 10 minutes. Not only it meant that it was already cooked, as it wasn't "moisty" and as tasteful as risottos tipically are.

Also, I asked for a glass of wine, it only arrived after my meal started and it was too warm for consumption (the waiter didn't care which is strange considering it being an Italian house).

Lastly (I'm not from the UK) I got charged for Service and I wasn't even explained on what that was... Now I know it's something optional you can rebute. Overall it was too expensive for the overall quality with average service and average food.

booked very easily - restaurant telephoned and reconfirmed on day of booking. All very efficient and evening went well. definitely recommend - so popular - remember to book!

A very nice little Italian restaurant. The food and atmosphere are just right so it will be a great place for a fun evening out but good enough for a nice romantic dinner.

great location, wonderful service, the lamb shank was amazing

Very friendly, informal service. Good advice over the menu. Portions were generous - food & wine! - and not much to fault really. Price of truffle risotto was a bit steep but it was very tasty. Would dine here again.

Il Portico is an absolute gem. It is a long established, family run Italian restaurant, now in the hands of the second generation. Whenever we go we are treated as if we are part of the family. The food is traditional and excellent, but what keeps us coming back is the friendliness and warm treatment we experience every time we go. It is the perfect antidote to the corporate feel you experience in so many London restaurants.

The food and service were very good, good choice of fresh food and very friendly service.

The only downside for me was the seating arrangements, table for four was bench on side, chairs the other side and very close the the next tables meaning those on the benches feel quite trapped.

We were lookin for a quiet place to have lunch. This restaurant is very full in the evenings but not so much at lunch so it was perfect. Waiter couldn’t have been nicer and even suggested we had a starter size order of risotto, he was right, it was more than enough. Very good value for neighbourhood Italian.

Ate here as we were exhibiting at a show close by at Olympia. Very nice "local" Italian - obviously very popular with local residents who all seem to know the staff and visa versa. Would happily visit again.

This is one of the finest Italian restaurants ! The entire experince - welcome greeting and staff, an amazing food, wine and Service. It is must when in London!

We decided to venture here after visiting the design museum across the street. Lovely restaurant and the food was delish! The waiter was so friendly and engaging ( worked in the USA and his son was born there), very attentive. Best tiramisu!!
Would definitely recommend eating here.

We enjoyed a superb lunch here in October. Our waiter was really knowledgable, was able to make recommendations for us and the food was divine. Obviously we had the prawn starter in a zingy sauce then plumped for meat mains. You can’t go wrong with the lamb. Highly recommended.

One of the best restaurants I’ve been to. Everything tasted amazing!! Great service and happy vibes!

What a terrific evening! The dinner was delicious and the setting was perfect. The staff helped us choose among the outstanding offerings. Don't miss this hidden secret!

Authentic, upscale, locally sourced Italian. A happy random restaurant pick that way over-performed expectations Food, service, hospitality were out of this world. If London wasn't an 8 hour flight, I'd eat there weekly.

The food is excellent.

As always we had a most enjoyable meal at Il Portico. James and his staff were as usual very pleasant and efficient and ensured our evening was most enjoyable. The food was superb, as was the wine we had chosen and we could not have had a better time. We look forward to returning again soon. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough.

Great place with excellent service and good food. The only issue was not much choice on the menu - we could only have pasta as grouse and game were unavailable which was a shame, so would recommend calling in advance.

An enjoyable dinner with good food and service. One minor grouse - customers seated facing the walls are subject to a draught when the door is open.

Very friendly, excellent local restaurant. Staff know many of their diners very well.

We were in London for five days, and it was so good the first time we dine there that we returned there and it was even better. This is a local family-run place that we would be eating at regularly if we lived in London. Everything about the eating experience - the tastes, the quality, the presentation, the service, the ambiance was excellent! Their daily specials, which vary, really are SPECIAL. We look forward to eating there in 2019 when we return to London, and each time we go back, thereafter.

Food was delicious and the service was good. Enough said !!

I’ll Portico is a special dining spot in Kensington. They serve creative Italian dishes and the atmosphere is sophisticated and relaxing. Great for conversation.

We've been coming to this restaurant since 1975, and it's always been great.
I had the Saltimbocca alla Romana, and my wife had the Spaghetti alla Vongole. Very authentic Italian food!

Had to ask the waiters for the same thing 2023283 times. No one was bringing us bread, they kept on asking us if we wanted to order drinks and we already had. It was just a full on mess. They brought us water and then got angry at us because we had poured it in the wine glasses - they were the only glasses on the table... how were we supposed to drink? The other glasses came over to the table later on.

Il portico proved to be a good choice for Italian cuisine in a city where there are almost too many choices for restaurants. We shared a calamari mari & monti (grilled squid salad), and I had the spaghetti alle vongole, while my husband dined on veal saltimbocca alle romana for entrees. The best part of our experience was provided by the staff, who welcomed us like family into their eatery.