Fine Foods - Locanda del Melo — Restaurant in London

This place (locanda in Italian means "place" after all) is famous for its sandwiches, particularly cold sandwiches. They are made with the finest products from all over Italy: several kinds of proscuitto, cheese of all ripenesses, olives, salad, and some good bread or focaccia. And they remain one of London's best food values known to me. But you can buy the cheeses and deli meats by weight. You can buy paglia e fieno pasta, truffle paste, and a hundred other delights. And if you like an espresso along the way, it's a good choice, too. This is a small grocery store that a Bolognese neighbourhood would treasure. But in normal times, it is also a restaurant. A very good restaurant. The kind of restaurant any neighbourhood in Italy would sustain. Good service. Excellent, unfussy food. I dearly miss it. They also cater under reasonable circumstances. They've catered two major events in my life. My guests could not stop talking about how good those...

I’m a local and have often walked past this restaurant, occasionally grabbing a coffee to go. So I was genuinely excited to finally sit down with a good friend one warm evening for some wine and small bites.

Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing. Despite half the outdoor tables being empty (on a 30°C day), the staff — who I believe may be the owner — was surprisingly rude and unwelcoming. When we tried to order just some bruschetta and a glass of wine, he made a scene about how he should start enforcing a “minimum spend” and “oh you want just some starters and wine but also sit outside”…

It was an uncomfortable and unnecessarily tense interaction that left a bad taste. Between the attitude, the overpriced menu, and the uninviting atmosphere, I won’t be returning. I don’t think hostility should be a...

Like others have said, what a great little spot, tucked away on a quiet street. Italians run the place so you know it’s genuine. Cozy, quick service, very amiable (and a quite attractive waiter from Palermo!) My friend and I split the crab pasta, cod with lentils and the chocolate fondant. The pasta was fresh and perfectly al dente, with a delicious buttery flavour. The cod was plump and juicy, expertly cooked, and I was delighted with the huge amount of lentils. A treat! The fondant could be plated differently- honestly it looks like a poop smear- but it was utterly delicious to end the night, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The wine carafe was a bit too expensive at £23 (!!) but the suggested dry white wine choice from Sardinia was delicious.

Overall a wonderful experience and I...