Daphne's — Restaurant in London

Daphne’s – A Slice of Italian Excellence in the Heart of London

Dining at Daphne’s Italian Restaurant on Draycott Avenue is nothing short of a luxurious delight. Nestled in the stylish neighborhood of Chelsea, this restaurant exudes classic Italian charm with its chic decor, warm atmosphere, and an incredible focus on both food and service. From the very first moment I stepped through the door, I felt transported to an elegant yet welcoming trattoria in Italy, with every detail carefully considered.

Let me start with the service, which was absolutely impeccable from start to finish. The staff at Daphne’s are the epitome of hospitality—attentive without being intrusive, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in making every guest feel comfortable and taken care of. Every request was met with a smile, and the team’s professionalism immediately stood out. It’s rare to experience service this polished and thoughtful; it truly elevated the experience.

Now, on to the food, which was nothing short of perfection. I started with the beef carpaccio, and it was easily one of the best I’ve ever had. The quality of the beef was outstanding—perfectly tender, fresh, and full of flavor, just as it should be. The seasoning was delicate yet balanced, enhancing the natural flavors of the dish without overpowering them. It was beautifully presented and truly felt like the work of a chef with a deep passion for Italian cuisine.

For my main, I opted for the risotto, and I could not have been happier with my choice. The risotto was perfectly cooked, with that creamy texture that is so hard to achieve yet so essential. Each bite was rich and indulgent, with flavors that were both comforting and sophisticated. You can tell that the kitchen team at Daphne’s take immense pride in the quality of their ingredients and their ability to execute traditional recipes with precise, thoughtful attention to detail.

The restaurant’s atmosphere also deserves to be highlighted. Whether you’re visiting for a romantic night out, a special celebration, or simply a meal to savor good food, Daphne’s strikes the perfect balance between elegance and warmth. The softly lit interior, adorned with Italian-style artwork, creates an ambiance that invites you to relax and immerse yourself in the experience. The vibe is upscale but not pretentious, making it feel like a truly special destination without losing its sense of comfort.

While I only had the chance to enjoy the two dishes on this visit, the rest of the menu looks equally incredible. Classic Italian dishes combined with seasonal ingredients show the kitchen’s mastery of blending tradition with contemporary flair. It has left me excited to return and explore more of their offering.

Final Thoughts? Daphne’s is a masterclass in Italian fine dining that hits all the right notes: delicious food crafted with passion, flawless service, and an ambiance that makes you want to linger for hours. Whether you’re in the mood for a perfectly executed risotto, fresh beef carpaccio, or anything else from their tempting menu, you’ll leave feeling completely satisfied and eager to return.

It’s the kind of restaurant that stays with you long after the meal ends. I’ll absolutely be coming back—this is Italian hospitality and cuisine at its very finest. Highly, highly...

A deeply disappointing and unsafe experience—especially for women.

I visited this restaurant while traveling, hoping to enjoy a special dinner with my cousin whom I hadn’t seen in a while. Instead, we endured a distressing and frankly dangerous evening due to the staff’s gross negligence and failure to protect us from an aggressive, clearly inebriated man.

From the moment we were seated on the patio, the man—also seated outside—began harassing us. He repeatedly ignored our verbal boundaries, attempting to pet my cousin’s small dog despite being told “no,” and proceeded to interrupt us at least ten times. Staff witnessed multiple instances of his behavior, including when he shoved his face into our dog’s space and grabbed at him while my cousin was holding the dog in her arms. He called us “annoying,” tried to provoke the dog to bark, and refused to leave us alone.

When we told the manager that the man was becoming aggressive, he assured us that he would “kick him out,” - we all heard him say this. But instead of following through, the staff allowed the man to continue drinking on the patio—despite being overtly inebriated. He returned again, increasingly hostile, and even grabbed my cousin’s arm while trying to lunge for her dog. He then threatened my partner while we loudly pleaded for him to stop. I and another woman (the hostess) had to physically put our arms between him and my cousin to keep him away. His wife eventually came over—also seemingly inebriated—and meekly pleaded with him to stop. At this point my cousin screamed at him which finally got him to leave.

At that point, I went inside to speak with the manager, who immediately defended the man by saying, “Well, he’s a regular,” as if that justified his behavior. When I reminded him of his promise to remove the man, he denied ever saying it. Only after THREE other patrons at the bar stepped in to support us and confirmed that this man had been bothering multiple guests did a second manager come out. We explained that they failed to intervene, failed to protect their guests, and essentially enabled an unsafe environment—particularly for women. We felt gaslit and victim-blamed.

I want to note: I paid my bill in full. I didn’t demand compensation. As we walked out they offered us a paltry round of drinks. That tracks with their overall approach: excuse the aggressor, ignore the women asking for help, and only apologize when publicly confronted with the facts. Additionally drunken, aggressive behavior is par for the course at a pub — I would have expected better at a restaurant like this.

On top of all this, the dining experience itself was mediocre at best. Our courses came out in the wrong order, there were long delays between them, the chicken was dry, and the staff lost track of our drink order twice.

This wasn’t just bad service. It was a failure in basic decency, safety, and respect. If a man harasses women and your team watches it happen—and does nothing—you are not just running a bad restaurant. You are...

First of all i’m never one to write reviews ever however, My boyfriend and I went to Daphne’s for Valentine’s Day, having booked weeks in advance and specifically requested a nice table for the occasion. While we understand Valentine’s is a busy night, it was disappointing to see plenty of available tables for two while we were placed in what was clearly the worst seat in the restaurant. The hostess scrambled to find a spot for us, that was not even set up making it obvious that we were an afterthought compared to other guests.

We were seated at the very end of the bar, right next to where food orders were taken and large trays were constantly coming in and out from the kitchen. The table was cramped, not set up, and it felt as though we had just walked in without a booking. The noise from the kitchen and bar staff made it impossible to have a proper conversation, and we kept having to move to make way for food to come by.

When we politely requested a different seat, we were moved to another poor table—slightly better, but still tucked away near a busy walkway where we couldn’t even move our seats, despite multiple nicer tables being available. To make matters worse, other guests from the main section made patronizing comments about our setup, further highlighting the lack of care in seating us.

Service was also subpar. At one point, a waitress walked away mid-conversation, simply saying “one minute,” leaving us both shocked. Our plates were taken while we were still eating, and overall, the experience felt rushed and inattentive.

The food itself was good, but certainly not worth the price given the poor service and poor treatment. We left feeling as though there was some kind of bias in how guests were seated perhaps based on age, status or perceived importance.

Having since looked at other negative reviews, I’ve noticed a pattern, stating to give them another chance, quite frankly, they don’t deserve one. Instead of addressing the real issues with seating and service, they seem content to brush complaints aside. As visitors from Dublin, we had heard good things about Daphne’s, but unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. We...