Byron Strand in City of London, Westminster

Food was very tasty, service was excellent and very quick which is handy if you're looking for pre-show dinner. Decor is nice but the restaurant because really loud... not their fault, just a consequence of a tall ceiling, a very cluttered space, and loud families! That's the only reason I gave it a 3/5.

Service was lame, food was average and dessert was horrible. It looks like a tourist like place

We had 20 people in our party for lunch and the food, service and courtesy was fabulous. The gentleman , I think it was Ivan, who took our orders was really good. Very grateful for them making our lunch so memorable. We came from overseas and far away and we would highly recommend this restaurant.

We ate well, when taking our order the waitress seemed disinterested as if we were disturbing her. The setting, however, is very simple but I advise you to go to L'ulivio in Charling Cross, a much more cheerful and attentive waiter and lower service levels.

Food and ambiance was good, however, surprise at the bill when we were charged 25% tip.. ridiculous

Really lovely meal however, was charged double on deserts and on coffee, called up was promised a return call and resolution. No call. Check your bill thoroughly- lesson learned

There is no trace of Italian, it smells of garlic and international cuisine, first courses to throw away, good service and good second courses of meat....

Tasteless and overpriced food. The pizza we got had almost no red sauce.

Lovely features within but staff seemed a bit under trained and inattentive. Food is OK. A bit expensive for the taste but will do.

Absolutely gem of a place. Lovely staff who go above and beyond and the food was amazing.

Had a pre show lunch in here, oh my God, food was amazing and the staff were so friendly. Loved this place, will be on our radar from now on.

Had a reservation and on booking it asked any special requests which asked for a seat not by the door, on arrival the waiter didn't acknowledge us properly told them I had booked, they didn't check anything or ask for my name just sat us down but the door, was told fully booked so couldn't move however 5 minutes later a walk in couple came in and got sat down over at a table away from the door, hadn't even finished my starter and was asked if I wanted my main so felt very rushed which made it less enjoyable and the door kept being left open so main went cold very quickly and had to keep my coat on. The only thing was the food was good but service lacking

Great restaurant opposite the Wilde Hotel Very pretty decor, we are transported to Italy Very good and well stocked pizza Very warm welcome, I will return with great pleasure

The food was okay and enjoyable but nothing to stand out. The starters were very poor, the calamari was chewy and the arancini balls were soggy and stodgy. The main dishes were much better. The portions were large so left you feeling full. Service by the manager (I assume) was very friendly and very good. Prices ok but are based on location on the strand and being aimed at tourists. Probably wouldn’t go back and would stick to well know chains instead close by.

Good food, not to expensive but wasn't amazed by pizza felt it needed more cheese

Today it was my birthday and the staff was sooo lovely. Thank you soo much for the amazing atmosphere. Definitely l will come back :)

The photos here looks better than it tastes... The Spaghetti Scoglio was one of their signature dishes but it was bland and I actually had to add salt. The seafood was good and there was a generous amount. I had low expectations of the tiramisu but maybe because of that, it turned out better than I thought... This is not somewhere I would usually dine at, as I chose it for the location. Overall, it was what I expected. There was also 50% off food when booking with @thefork_uk so that softened the blow. Wheelchair access ♿ - step-free entrance but toilets were downstairs

Wonderful food and service thank you so much Ivan!

A very welcoming restaurant with very nice staff and excellent food. The atmosphere is calming and beautiful. The staff are attentive and very nice. The food is amazing, full of flavour and good portion sizes. Overall a very positive experience

Had higher hopes for the food; Squid not prepped correctly and overcooked. Pasta was ok but high price and so not great value.

It's Okay... Atmosphere is cosy, staff is great but the food... disappointed! Well served, good portions but for the price... Was the 1st and the last time. Maybe overpriced. The starters was the most disappointed nothing special at all. 2 pieces of well toasted bread with chopped tomatoes on top, not must flavour in there. Trying to get something "extra" on my starter, I used a bit o olive oil but once again, the olive oil was another deception. The calamari.. Meh! Main dish, the rice was good with the good flavours, the pizza... THE PIZZA, not crisp at all, like bread. The burger.. Was a burger, what could go wrong with the simple hamburger. I was the only one who asked something "different" to drink (Aperol) tasted like water not must flavour of Aperol drink or prosecco or whatever. To finish, 2 espresso (Italian restaurant =Italian coffee =happiness) but not, once again.. Maybe I'm too picky with this but, I've been in others Italian restaurants here in UK, Italy or even in Lisbon. Family restaurant or big chains but these one, unfortunately was and it's a No. 3 people, 2 starters, 3 main dishes, 3 drinks (coke, pint and "Aperol", 2 singles espresso... 124£

Had a great dinner here with friends. Ideal situation pre theatre.

Food was very ordinary. Lasagne dish arrived with blipping sides, but the meal was just warm. Seemed like sauce and cheese, very little pasta sheets. The pollo (chicken) dish had a tasty sauce but the chicken was dry. Atmosphere was strange, we sat in a weird green light, from the out of place Halloween decorations. Unfriendly service.

Top service, smiling and friendly waitress. Hearty and very tasty meal. I recommend 👍

Impeccable everything, food service ambiance

Some of the best Italian I've had in a While! Service was warm and welcoming. All Food was cooked very well. I had Pollo melinase and it was crispy on the outside and tender juicy on the inside with a depth of flavor. Pizza was well cooked with a crisp crust all around. Wonderful decor and atmosphere

First stop in london and it was amazing defently would recommend. Ivan gave great service and help us pick out our food

My best friend and I just got off a red eye flight and couldn’t check into our hotel yet. We happened to walk past this cute little restaurant. The food was amazing and so was the staff!! Ivan made the already great experience even better than we could’ve asked for!

The food was good! Wine selection is nice and we enjoyed our meal. Bill was accurate at the end of the night.

All good, very friendly and helpful staff Price normal Advise

Ivan is fantastic, we had a lovely time & he made us feel at home

Ivan was absolutely amazing and the service was incredible. Definitely recommend this place to eat. Food was amazing

Fabulous food, wine and service from Ivan. Highly recommend!

Here you are in Italy, under the olive tree to dine in a cozy atmosphere, with friendly waiters and waitresses, very beautiful and good dishes. After a musical, Italian tunes in the background, it was great!

Wonderful Mariam from L’ulivo Strand brunch was fabulous. The food was exceptionally delicious and the ambiance made me feel like I was in Tuscany eating under an olive tree. Dreamy restaurant! Compliments to the chef! I would highly recommend this amazing restaurant. AMORE ❤️🌺💐💋 AMORE

Went there for a business lunch. Service and atmosphere were great but was underwhelmed with the food for the price.

I was with family dinner after an amazing show at Adelphie. Taste wise , service wise I won't rate them anything better than a star. Firstly wrong bill with double the amount and secondly my son got stomachache with penne.Staff attitude surely "don't care". We went coz lunch time service looked good . Not the same floor manager at lunch time. Additionally charging 12.5% service charge which is included in all the bills and is charged after Vat so you pay extra for a crappie service. I won't have given a penny especially after the service. Service should be at clients discreation based on their experience.

Amazing food and very good customer service. Really nice atmosphere! Weitress Mariam was very nice and pleasant 🥰highly recommended!

Unfortunately evening a bit wasted because of poor performance of front of the house. missing main orders , is not a rocket science to make the note and count. Waiting staff without knowledge of menu, smiling but inadequate . On the positive note food not bad nice decor. Overall slightly disappointing

Horrible experience : the food has no taste and is expensive, the servers are smothering you, they can’t split a bill … And the best part, an added 12,5% fees of service on the bill as a gift !

Totally recommended. Very delicious food and excellent service.

Not too busy inside and food was tasty!

Beautiful coffee on a sweet street,

The seafood risotto was simply divine and chicken with white vine sauce was delicious!!

Over-priced, mediocre food. Tourist trap. There are better, cheaper more authentic Italian restaurants nearby

A solid place for a meal near the theatre. Staff were friendly, setting was nice and the food was served quickly and cooked well.

Always great food. Seafood risotto was amazing.

Just a really nice place to eat and a great location ,food great and not overpriced, given where it is. Gluten free options.

Food was not good but service and atmosphere were really nice

We asked for the Soup of the day - they said it was a vegetable soup but it wasn’t anything closer to a vegetable soup. Pathetic taste. We ordered for a Penne Arrabbiata, pasta was uncooked, tasteless and absolutely not worth the money. Servers did not care to attend the guests seated - they were busy bringing in more people passing by the restaurant.

The food was undercooked, both pasta and pizza. The service was ok with the exception of one member who was rude on several occasions taking our order. The venue is great and stylish which was nice, but the music is loud and the atmosphere doesn´t transmit any true Italian character. Seems more like a tourist trap. On the plus side, their service charge seems to be 12.5% instead of 25% reported from other reviews.

I asked for tap water, and for two days, I had a urine infection.

My partner and I came here for a birthday meal and everything looked great in terms of the look. Our starters were also great but this is about it. The server just had an air of 'I don't Care' and made absolutely no effort to provide any kind of meaningful service. I ordered the steak rare but this came out well done (ironically the chips were undercooked) and the peppercorn sauce tasted and had the consistency of hot water with some peppercorns thrown in. I will say my partners pasta dish was very good so I may have just got a bad dish? They also continued to bring full bags of rubbish through the restaurant whilst we and others were still eating which I didn't particularly like. Overall, it wasn't that the place was awful because it wasn't but we definitely won't be coming back again.

Very lovely Italian place. Eva was a great host

Italian restaurant on Strand Street in London, with a very well decorated premises that attracts attention when entering. Exquisitely treated ceilings and an olive tree in the center of the premises make a cozy and pleasant space. Helpful and friendly staff. Italian food well served and well presented. Recommended place. It closes late, making it ideal for dinner after the theater.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing food with good price, service was incredible especially with Ivan. Had an amazing time looking forward to coming back!

Scammers offer you a price, and after ordering, you get a bill for double the price. Be careful

As Italians, it's not our pizza

Lovely evening meal. Food great, wine fab and atmosphere brilliant. We had a really nice time.

We went there because it was near the hotel and we were tired. It was amazing! The staff is super nice! The food is delicious. We loved it so much we ate there 3 times during our stay. 100% recommend

So sad that the beautiful interior was no reflection of the food and service. From a wrong dish to cold sauce and tepid pasta to the disinterested waitstaff. Overpriced and underwhelming.

Unwelcoming staff, not attentive to their customers. And expensive for what's on the plate, especially when there's salad and it's not fresh, probably bought ready in a bag. Disappointing. Go on your way.

We had such a great time in this place and of course the food was great but the service provided by IVAN was amazing and we couldn’t have left happier. I hope that message gets to him, THANK YOU Ivan! Felipe da silva

Nice atmosphere in an excellent location for the theater area. Excellent food and very fast. Friendly staff and they also speak Italian. We will definitely return

Absolutely FAB.!! special menu is just incredible .!!! and Staff friendly & professionals they know what they do.!

We had a great experience here and even visited a second time in a fairly short trip to London. The waiter even took a picture with us the last time we were there. They were so nice and the food was incredible!

Lovely food and excellent staff. Ivan served us this evening, very friendly and helpful.

The food is delicious and the prices are affordable. The ambience is nice, the staff is friendly and kind.

Friendly welcome and good service. The food is delicious and reasonably priced, the ambience is quite nice

Very good food and very friendly staff! Pleasant atmosphere

Lovely meal here, great service, very reasonable prices, spotlessly clean, will 100% return on our next trip to London

Ordered bruschetta and chicken Milanese, both tasted good. Not finger-licking good, but pretty good. Service was good too.

Best little gem by far! The food, wine and cocktails were delicious, and the staff were superb! Cocktails were a dream and only around £11! Not bad for the strand prices! Shout out to Lulu and the gentleman at the end of the night, who we got talking to and both gave us hugs. So good we went back twice in 1 day! You definitely need to go if you're close by

Fantastic restaurant on the strand perfectly placed by a number of theatres. The food was delicious and the service was quick and friendly. We shared a margherita pizza, mixed salad and the calamari. All tasted amazing and the chilli olive oil was very good.

I had dinner there with my work team. Nice atmosphere and good food. Many thanks to our waitress, Larisa!

0 in all, there is nothing Italian about it, except the sign. We booked with the fork and we immediately told the waiter before assigning the table but they didn't give us the discount on the final bill. They told us that after 9pm there is no discount, but this information is not written on the fork. In short, if you want to waste your money and your stomach, L'Ulivo restaurant is the one for you.

Very bad experience. There is nothing Italian about it. Booked with the fork they even denied us the discount. Keep away

Super staff, beautiful interiors with a stunning mezzanine layer perfect for groups. Service was great but food was simple bland / basic but they were super accommodating with our different requirements and a last minute booking for a large group. Lovely evening had by all. Very good value 2 course menu available for 24.95

What a lovely Italian restaurant. We went after the London Winter Run event and it was a treat, delicious food and good service. Our waiter was so friendly and helpful with recommendations, highly recommend…

Went by last night after a show. We were poorly received, the waiters were in a bad mood, they went out to smoke cigarettes in front of the door, no smile, came to clear the plates as soon as they had finished eating... they wanted to leave... frankly, bad mood, bad mood, It can happen, but a little respect would have been good came….

My first time in this restaurant and I wasn't disappointed. Food was excellent and staff friendly. Wouldn't hesitate to return.

Overall bad. Basics service standards were missed and subpar food quality. Raw pizza dough. Definitely not an authentic Italian restaurant. Can’t recommend nor I’ll be going back

we were at a table of 4 and honestly, even though we had a 20% discount, I would never have paid that much for the service and food never again

Unfortunately not worth the money.

We're tourists (three of us), experiencing London for the first time. Our visit to L'ulivo was one of the most disappointing dining experiences ever. Honestly, it was the worst, and I wouldn't suggest anyone dine here. While I typically keep my experiences to myself, it's crucial to highlight the dishonesty of this establishment to protect both tourists and locals. Due to jetlag, we had a late meal and decided to try this restaurant, one of the few open late at night. We ordered mussels, spaghetti bolognese, chicken penne, and lamb shank. The mussels lacked flavor, the spaghetti was too watery, and the lamb shank and penne were just okay. Upon paying, we noticed a hefty 25% service charge already added to our bill. Given the service quality, we felt this charge was excessive. We politely asked our waiter to adjust it to 15%, understanding that London often includes service charges automatically. Shortly after, the "Manager" introduced himself and asked, "What's the problem?" We explained that the applied service charge exceeded our satisfaction with the service. He responded with “Reason?” in a tone that did not belong in any aspect of customer service. The manager insisted it was standard in London, responding, "You can go anywhere, and they will charge you this." We insisted on changing the service charge, and the manager reluctantly complied. There is no reason for a 25% service charge for three people with no children or disabilities. In any country, tipping is considered an additional gesture of appreciation. The manager's condescending response was unwarranted and not appreciated. On our way out, we asked our server about L'ulivo's average service charge, and he informed us it was 12%. We knew then that it was an attempt to take advantage of tourists. I would even go as far as to argue that there might have been an element of racism involved in this situation. I strongly advise fellow tourists to avoid this place, especially if the male manager with long blond hair is still working there. His dishonesty and disrespectful attitude were completely unacceptable and made what was already a mediocre experience worse. This individual single-handedly tainted the entire dining experience.

Wir wollten zu italienisch Abendessen und fanden bei vorbeigehen dises Restaurant. Das Ambiente war traumhaft schön aber leider der Service grauenhaft. Wir hatten essen bestellt und die Servicekraft meinte, ob wir die Vorspeise und Hauptspeise zusammen haben wollen, weil es lange Wartezeiten dazwischen geben würde. Nach der Vorspeise folgete die Haupspeise. Die Teller wurden uns einfach dahin gelegt ohne zu sagen wem was oder was es ist. Ausserdem ist kartenzahlung unerwünscht :). Essen war auch nit das beste, Spaghetti Bolognese ist nicht empfehlenswert.

I don't generally give 1 star but this time, I felt it is necessary. I understand tipping culture has soared, but an automatically added 25% service charge for a party of 4 is quite the steep charge. Adding on a condescending attitude from a manager is what I believe prompts this review. Albeit the food and general staff deserves higher than a 1 star, the overall experience was severely impacted by the exchange with the manager. Felt unwelcoming and taken advantage of as a tourist especially after seeing a receipt from previous reviews showing only 12.5% as a service charge a year ago. Inflation goes hard, but double it and pass it to someone else.

Sub par food on a late pit stop when other restaurants were closed.... absurd 25% service charge, not sure if i was targeted. Would rather just get fast food if we're expecting similar quality and service

Huge service charge of 25%, average meals.

If you can avoid a disappointment please choose elsewhere, by an Italian 😔

Very well located for a quick theatre meal. This restaurant does get quite busy, they have a lovely hostess at the door who does a great job of getting the crowds in. The service is reasonably fast and the food is ok. It is slightly on the pricy side for the menu that they offer but the atmosphere and space is the restaurant is quite nice. The cocktails were not the best in comparison to what is on offer within close proximity. I came here as the restaurant I was planning to was fully booked and had a long waiting time. I find at this restaurant they always seem to have availability despite how busy they can get. I probably would not visit this restaurant again but saying that it can be a good last minute option when places are booked up and you don’t have a reservation for a pre theatre meal in that area.

Lovely Italian place off the strand, food was very tasty, I had spaghetti and tiramisu with some wine.

Very nice place and tasty pizza. Love it and recommend it for quick and good meal.

Anugraha I hope I spelled her name right is a great rendition to the restaurant I love the branch In Covent garden I love the place here I was coming in for a meal and anugraha took care of me please give her a Christmas bonus

Super delicious food. Amazing staff & vibes

Accueil vraiment sympa, les serveurs sont au petits soins, un peu d'attente pour se faire servir une grande assiette moitier vide avec des pâtes au saumon fâdes et crême fraiche invisible, pour un plat signature c'est dommage surtout au vu du prix, une mauvaise experience ne veut pas dire un mauvais restaurant, essayez rien que pour voir des serveurs attentionnés !

Wir haben dort durch Zufall zu Abend gegessen. Wir bekamen relativ zügig einen Tisch und das Essen war gut. Nachdem wir im Anschluss nicht gleich ein Dessert bestellen wollten, bekamen wir direkt die Rechnung zum Tisch gebracht - nicht sonderlich nett aber okay - sie wollten uns schnell wieder loswerden. Wir bezahlten Bar - hatten jedoch den Betrag nicht genau - haben demnach mehr auf das Tablet gelegt .. die Kellnerin kam und hat alles mitgenommen. Auch Minuten später kam niemand mit unserem Retourgeld. Dann kam ein anderer Kellner und sah uns komisch an warum wir denn noch immer da sitzen, daraufhin haben wir geantwortet das wir noch immer auf unser Retourgeld warten. Unverschämt..!! Die Kellnerin hätte sich einfach so den Restbetrag eingestrichen!! Sie kam dann unfreundlich und ohne Entschuldigung und hat uns das Geld einfach hingelegt .. Daher würden wir hier nicht mehr hingehen…

Don’t. We made a reservation for 11 and they took 20 minutes to seat us despite the reservation. Within an hour we had only received drinks of which they got the order wrong TWICE, and when the food finally came the chicken and pizza was undercooked. the staff were unhelpful and aggressive.

Very nice entrance and service all was good

Found this little gem as we were wanting something light. We were not disappointed, greeted by a very friendly Lady who gave us time to look over the outside menu. Once inside it was lovely, a few other patrons but not crowded. We were given plenty of time to look at the menus. The soup was divine, our 2nd starter was the goats cheese and bruschetta absolutely delicious. We picked a pizza to share, it was a good size, looked pleasing to the eye, hot and very well presented.We were left with our food, but the staff were never far-away if we needed. The atmosphere was inviting the staff very friendly. Cost wise it was very agreeable for the quality and quantity of the food. So very happy we found this lovely restaurant among the big names. Thanks to the whole team for a lovely visit.