Campania — Restaurant in London

Campania is truly one of the best restaurants in East London and is defined by its wholesome ambiance and outstanding menu. Tucked away in a side street off Columbia Road, the restaurant is located in an old workshop of which the original features, including a wood-fired heater, are preserved. Campania sticks to a classical Italian menu with charcuterie and antipasti for starters, a selection of primi and secondi dishes, and desserts classics such as Tiramisu and Panna Cotta. Seafood occupies a considerable portion of the menu, which was a positive surprise among the menus dominated by ‘nduja and seared meats so often found in other small-plates restaurants. What defines the restaurant in this case is perhaps not the inventiveness of its menu, but its execution. I have seldom tasted a ragù in which the flavours were so expertly balanced and the pasta was so perfectly cooked. The sea bream all’acqua had an unbelievable depth of flavour that made it hard to believe that this was indeed a white fish. The tuna steak, too, was excellent. In keeping with the quality of the mains, the Tiramisu was everything one could have hoped for from such a classic dish. Portion sizes are more than generous, such that I was left with the nowadays rare feeling of being slightly too full upon leaving the restaurant. The wine menu, not to be overlooked, is a delight, and shows that the wines selected for presentation were chosen with care and an attention to detail for particular tasting notes that match the flavour profile of the food. Sticking to individual glasses here proved of better value than ordering a whole bottle, and had the added benefit of being able to try more of the wines. If there is room for improvement, it is in the service, which was friendly but perhaps slightly too casual, requiring explicitly calling for attention rather than being checked on every now and then as one would expect from a restaurant at this price point. The timing of the courses was handled better than at most other London restaurants, but the courses were still brought in slightly too quick succession. This is undoubtedly a symptom of a larger issue among London restaurants. At most, however, these are minor issues that do not distract from the overwhelmingly positive experience that dining at...

Really wanted to love this place. Booked a table months in advance for a special occasion to ensure we got a table and NOT stools at the bar. Instead, we were put at the bar facing the workstation. My partner is very tall and his knees were crammed in. I told the staff we had requested a table and booked months ago, showing her my email confirmation. She said it’s an automatic system so not possible to specify where you sit. (So why does it give you specific table/bar/outdoor etc time slots to choose from when you book?! Makes no sense.) Then a table freed up, so I asked to move there. Nope, that table was specifically reserved. But I specifically reserved a table?!?! And you told me it wasn’t possible to even do that?! At this point I was annoyed and the issue was not being handled well by the staff, who got defensive saying immediately ‘It’s not my fault.’ I worked in hospitality for 11 years, I know that these things happen. A simple ‘I’m sorry, if anything comes available I will move you. In the meantime, here’s a drink’ would have done the trick, but instead we felt so unwelcome and it was an hour before we even ordered. We had to ask for everything from then on - another drink, salt and pepper, the drink we ordered 15 mins ago, the bill, the card machine. The staff need basic training! They walk around with their heads down so no one can get their attention and my god they need to sort out their booking system. The food was nice and fresh at least, but our evening was rubbish. Though maybe not as rubbish as the people next to us who were shockingly given a bowl of plain pasta (?!) because the kitchen ran out of seafood but didn’t think...

Unfortunately, this restaurant wasn’t my pick, and I won’t be returning. While the ambience is undeniably stylish — all polished wood, dim lighting, and hipster aesthetics — the experience is completely undermined by poor service and underwhelming food.

We were greeted by a server whose attitude teetered between condescending and passive-aggressive. It didn’t improve from there. The menu felt uninspired — more like a high-end supermarket haul than a chef’s creation. Case in point: a £12 beef tomato dish, served sliced with a few anchovies. The tomato was straight from its Natoora packaging and completely devoid of flavour. Embarrassing, really.

Our host ordered a few sharing plates, but none displayed any spark of creativity or care. When we asked for serving spoons, the waitress looked baffled — as if sharing was some novel concept. Later, she physically jabbed me in the back with her knee while passing. She muttered a quick “sorry,” but it felt on purpose. She was that mean

My main course, a zucchini and pecorino risotto, was a mess: cloyingly buttery, over-salted, and overcooked. No detectable zucchini or pecorino. Maybe they ran out of Natoora courgettes at Waitrose?

Dessert was the final insult. Their “best tiramisu in the world” was, in fact, the worst I’ve ever had — dry, bland, and drowning in cream. A supermarket budget version would’ve been far superior.

The final bill? £400 (excluding tip) for three adults and three teens. For what we were served, it felt like daylight robbery.

Do not eat here. Style over substance — and not even much style...