Take a culinary trip to Italy in London’s Como Garden

Picturesque

Situated on Kensington High Street, next door to its acclaimed sister restaurant, Zuaya, Como Garden takes its inspiration from the picturesque scenery of Italy’s Lake Como and the surrounding areas. The restaurant has become a West End hotspot, with weekend bookings having to be made two to three weeks in advance! 

The glamorous dining area features classic Italian green and cream hues, marked with eye-catching foliage displays and hanging plants, intended to mirror the botanical gardens of the Lombardy region. This impressive dining room has been evolved to offer an indoor Italian garden experience, so no matter the weather in the UK, you’ll feel you have been transported somewhere else. Take your pick from an array of plush seating set underneath the beautiful green canopies.

Dining at Como Garden

The menu is an Italian feast of deliciousness, featuring classic antipasti tapas like pesto beef carpaccio and parmesan; arancini with fontina cheese; and peppers from Livio’s mum (oven-baked beef stuffed red pepper and olive oil). We, personally, would highly recommend the classic Bruschetta with gorgeous fresh tomatoes and basil. 

The dishes here are designed to be a tapas concept from small to medium bites, with a recommendation of three to four dishes per person. Expect fresh homemade pasta including tagliolini arrabbiata and gamberi; gorgeous wild mushroom semolina risotto; and the showstopper pecorino, taleggio cheese and truffle filled ravioli.  

We couldn’t get enough of the Mafaldine with Veal Ragu, devouring the whole bowl with enormous satisfaction. We’d drop everything in a heartbeat to go back for seconds!

If you want to do it the Italian way and move onto a further course of grilled meats and seafood, then signatures include octopus with gremolata and roasted potatoes, and marinated lemon chicken with sage butter. For something lighter, try the Sicilian orange salad with olives and cashew nuts or puy lentil and apple with sweet vinaigrette. 

Como Garden also has an impressive array of desserts on its dolci menu. Como Garden’s Tiramisu is a customer favourite and the Italian cheese board features carefully curated regional specialties. If we could recommend you anything though, it would be the Como Ferrero Roché – it’s to die for. 

Drinks at Como Garden 

The Como Garden wine cellar is full to the brim with exquisite Italian wines, ranging from full bodied reds to fruity whites, alongside a list of prosecco straight from the rolling hills of Veneto.

In addition, a menu of Italian classic cocktails and Como specials created by Como’s expert mixologist includes limoncello based Lago Ameranto (gin, limoncello, blackberries, egg white, sugar) and a delicious amaretto inspired Lecca-Lecca (vodka, amaretto, lemon juice, sugar).

Not drinking? There are two cracking mocktails to choose from, including the Prima dell’ Alba which is a very refreshing blend of blackberry, apple juice, cranberry juice, lime juice, and Grenadine.