Lina Stores Shoreditch - Italian Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in London

PASTA & HIDDEN COCKTAILS 🇮🇹 📍 Shoreditch, London ⭐️ 5/5 💸 ££ 🍴Honestly… I’m in love! 😍 We visited the #Shoreditch branch of @linastores, set inside a beautifully restored former bank (yes, with all the charm and grandeur you’d imagine), and it instantly became one of my new favourite date night spots in London✨

We went a little wild with the #Antipasti and it was so worth it: 🫒 #Burrata e Olio d’Oliva – creamy heaven. 🐟 Vitello #Tonnato – MY FAV, so delicate yet packed with flavour. 🍞 #Focaccia al Rosmarino e Sale Marino – so fluffy and salty, a total must. 🦐 #Gamberi Grigliati – grilled prawns that were honestly some of the best I’ve had in London! 🔥

For mains, we went full #pasta mode: 🍅 #Ravioli con Burrata e Salsa di Datterini – huge, soft parcels of joy 🍝 #Pappardelle con Ragù di Salsiccia di Agnello – rich, spicy and comforting

Desserts? Of course! ☕️The #Tiramisù was dreamy 🍮 The #PannaCotta was my personal fave — silky and light!

But wait, there’s more! 👀 We then snuck downstairs into their secret #speakeasy aperitivo bar: @bar___lina 🍸 So mysterious, so chic, and honestly the perfect post-dinner vibe. We were overwhelmed with amazing #cocktail options but the bartender was super helpful and made incredible suggestions. My top picks: 🍊CONFORMISTA – Adriatico #Amaretto, Cadello 88, Grapefruit, Rooibos 💚BASILICO – Basil-infused #Gin, Mancino Secco, Milk… refreshing and smooth

Truly a 10/10 experience. Delicious food, elegant setting, hidden cocktail bar… the dream cute & sexy date...

Review Update:

I am quite at a loss to explain the dramatic downturn in quality during my recent visit, which was quite frankly, a complete debacle. I am unsure whether this was due to new staff, insufficient training, or poor management, but the experience was thoroughly disappointing.

There was a constant mix-up with our orders—from the starters to the pastas, and then the mains. The only time an order was correct was when we received our drinks.

Mistakes do occur, yet it was the lack of professionalism and forthrightness that left me utterly speechless. It appeared that the floor manager was surreptitiously peeking from behind a column to count the number of plates on our table, trying to ascertain what we had been served since they had no record of our order.

Even after we reminded them of our order, no one took the initiative to note it down, resulting in repeated checks. It was a total shambles.

We were not the only patrons affected; the table next to ours also received incorrect orders.

The staff’s demeanour was both rude and discourteous. We opted not to stay for dessert as it seemed entirely futile.

Regrettably, this visit to Lina will be my last. It was profoundly disappointing.

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We visited for a late-night dessert and enjoyed a delicious tiramisu, along with a generous slice of cake. We paired it with some coffee and a couple of cocktails, which made for a perfect evening. Overall, the experience was...

There was a smell of drains/toilets when we arrived which was very unpleasant and we all commented on. Food was good but very small plates which were plonked down, no offer of pepper or Parmesan. Do not come here if you are after a relaxed evening - plates were whipped away whilst others at table were still eating, we were not offered desert, coffee or even any more drinks. The sole purpose seemed to be to get the table back as quickly as possible to secure another cover. We were not aware table was only 90 mins (in small print on confirmation) - not exactly a relaxing evening out - especially when staff start harassing you after an hour. We were then out by 7.00 looking for somewhere else to spend our evening. Ended up at Baraka, who welcomed us and told us to stay as long as we wanted, and we were spending half of what we spent in Lina as we had already eaten. We work locally and very short sighted as the word spreads fast around the office when there are new eateries to try. Would not recommend - spend your money elsewhere plenty of choice in close vicinity who are appreciative of your custom. Manager was defensive that we should have known it was only a 90 mins table and couldn't see what the problem was. Did not exactly demonstrate the relaxed, chilled Italian vibe that this brand tries so hard to promote. Avoid unless you can eat, drink and catch up in...