Simon Wittenberg dines at the latest iteration of Babbo, an independent and authentic high-end Italian neighbourhood restaurant in the capital’s NW8 postcode.
We last visited Babbo Restaurant in Mayfair back in 2013, and over a decade later, its presence has shifted a couple of miles north to the leafy and affluent suburb of St John’s Wood.
This part of town is where you’ll find the famed Lord’s Cricket Ground and the long-established Clive Sutton luxury car dealership, whilst many celebrities, such as Sir Paul McCartney and Ewan McGregor, also call it home, meaning Babbo certainly finds itself in esteemed company.
The word “Babbo” means “Daddy”, with the expression hailing from the scenic Italian region of Tuscany, so this is exactly who I took as my dining companion for dinner on a Saturday night.
Babbo Restaurant, an all-day venue, from breakfast through to the late hours of the evening, was reborn at the beginning of December 2024 and took the place of the former Harry Morgan Restaurant & Delicatessen in a prime location on the upmarket St John’s Wood High Street.
With the help of Studio Du Feu, this venue was completely refurbished to create an 84-seater eatery and small private lounge (below) and features an elegant crimson theme, which carries through the décor and the large team of smartly dressed staff.
The restaurant area itself has been furnished with an open kitchen, wooden tables of varying sizes, shining wall lights, and small battery-operated lamps, creating a cosy and inviting atmosphere.
When we arrived at 6.30 pm on a Saturday evening, this eatery was already busy with families, which morphed into larger groups of friends as the evening progressed.
Although not extensive, Babbo’s à la carte menu, crafted by Executive Chef Nicola Cariglia, who leads a small team of around six in the kitchen, offers a good range of dishes at reasonable prices, including vegetarian, fish, and carnivorous options.
The wine list is more comprehensive in contrast, plus there’s a good line-up of cocktails and spirits for those who fancy a small tipple.
To kick things off, and from the “Aperitivi” section at the very top of the menu, we nibbled on chunks of flavoursome Parmesan cheese with a helping of large green olives (£8), and sipped on a couple of beverages from Babbo’s line-up of ice-cold Signature cocktails.
These were namely a “Pompelmo Spritz” (£12), concocted from grapefruit liqueur, Rosa gin, Campari, and a splash of rose water, Prosecco, and soda, delivering a pleasant, but contrasting sweet-bitter finish.
My father opted for the equally impressive interpretation of a Negroni (£16), which had a cherry twist, and used Martini Rubino and gin as a base for this nicely balanced beverage.
For our starters, also known as “Antipasti”, we tried Babbo’s interpretation of an aubergine parmigiana (£16), which was more akin to a portion of stacked lasagne in the way that it was presented, with layers of pasta and Burrata dressed in a tomato sauce, rather than being crafted from large slices of aubergine and thick strands of cheese in a piping ceramic hot dish. Nevertheless, it was an adequately filling and well-balanced recipe for a starter.
We equally had the opportunity to sample the sumptuous tuna tartare (£16), where the finely chopped cubes of cucumber and marinated fish oozed freshness. This dish was complemented by a thin bread crisp and a lovely green apple dressing, which finished off this hors d’oeuvre beautifully. Other options at this stage of the meal to tempt diners’ taste buds include meatballs and veal carpaccio.
With just enough time to digest what had been an excellent opening course, we were then drawn towards the mains, which count the likes of salads, pizzas, pasta in various shapes, and different varieties of meat, spanning chicken to lamb.
We continued a marine theme and headed for the roasted Faroe Islands salmon fillet (£27), which sported a crispy skin layer and sat on a bed of fresh spinach leaves, barley, lentils and a leak sauce. This all married together perfectly with the fish to deliver a very enjoyable course with a hint of spice.
Similarly, we also tucked into the sea bass and grilled vegetables (£34), which was just as impressive and moist on the palate. There are a few sides to choose from, and we tried the creamed mash potato (£8), which was served with a touch of jus for some added zing.
Dessert is always a temptation, and the Babbo line-up for the closing chapter counts the familiar Italian treats of tiramisu and scoops of ice cream. For a spot of sharing, we decided on the very generous slice of baked vanilla cheesecake (£9), which arrived with a raspberry compote and hazelnut ice cream with chopped pieces of nut for some added crunch.
The warm chocolate fondant (£9) was also exquisite with its molten centre, and it was a race against time to enjoy the fast-melting vanilla ice cream before it started cascading down the cake’s crust. All in all, superb.
In summary…
Whilst the food and service both create a memorable, authentic Italian experience at Babbo Restaurant, the only very minor critique would be that, once this eatery reaches capacity (from about 7.30 pm onwards), it does get a little noisy once everyone’s conversations are in full flow.
However, on the flip side, this hive of activity is a perfect indication that this eatery has got great appeal in the neighbourhood and beyond, and has clearly got it right in terms of the formula that it offers. Plus, with a heated outdoor terrace set to formally open in the spring, Babbo Restaurant is a worthy addition to St John’s Wood High Street, and has all the right ingredients to be a long-term success.
Babbo Restaurant – Where and How?
Babbo Restaurant is located at 29 – 31 St John’s Wood High Street, London NW8 7NH, United Kingdom. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.babborestaurant.co.uk.
See highlights of our visit on the Luxurious Magazine Instagram page.
Photo credit: Lateef Photography / Babbo Restaurant.