It’s all happening in St John’s Wood. In November, Belgravia classic Motcombs opened a second restaurant on Circus Road, a first in its 42-year history. Now Babbo, the Mayfair Italian beloved of Premier League footballers, has re-located to St John’s Wood High Street. Is NW8 the new West End?
The Mood: All-day drinking and dining with different spaces to match
Cricket, not football, is what St John’s Wood is famous for, though the interiors here are swish enough to tempt any off-duty centre forwards, whether in the dining room, bar or semi-private lounge; there’s a covered and heated terrace, too. Ceilings are covered with a custom-made illuminated mirror, floors with resin and walls with bottles of wine: inspiration, perhaps, to order a glass of something Italian if the likes of a sage and cherry Negroni do not appeal.
The Food: Classics Italian suppers, breakfasts and bar snacks
Executive chef Nicola Cariglia has made the journey from Mayfair, where the tastes of the well-heeled clientele weren’t a million miles away from what St John’s Wood locals also like to eat, though unlike Mayfair, this Babbo (the Italian word for ‘daddy’) is open all day. Expect crispy sfogliatelle pastry shells filled with vanilla Chantilly cream for breakfast; lunch and dinner might begin with beef carpaccio with mustard dressing, aged parmesan and rocket ahead of grilled spatchcock baby chicken marinated in spices with charred lemon, with perhaps a pasta course in-between of spaghettoni cooked in fish broth, clams and datterini tomatoes. Who’s your daddy?
Babbo opened on December 9 and is available to book now. It is located at 29-31 St John's Wood High Street, NW8 7NH
See more of our favourite Italian restaurants in London
-
The Lighthouse draws on Bauhaus principles to create a new-era workspace campusThe Lighthouse, a Los Angeles office space by Warkentin Associates, brings together Bauhaus, brutalism and contemporary workspace design trends
-
Extreme Cashmere reimagines retail with its new Amsterdam store: ‘You want to take your shoes off and stay’Wallpaper* takes a tour of Extreme Cashmere’s new Amsterdam store, a space which reflects the label’s famed hospitality and unconventional approach to knitwear
-
Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the bestBrands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East SideLocated at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian diningAt Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centreFamily recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yetThe newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s ChelseaPachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East LondonChef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
-
New London restaurant Alba is a sun-soaked affairIts name meaning ‘sunrise’ in Italian, Alba is a new Amalfi-inspired restaurant set to shine in Knightsbridge
