Ave Mario

"Stripy, humbug walls and bright red seats—Ave Mario in Covent Garden teeters over into eyesore territory. And it’s not even a fun eyesore—like the kind that gets you a day off work. It doesn’t have the romantic overload of plants that some of the other spots have, and the two-person armchairs on the ground floor level can feel a little squished. Plus, we once ate a courgette cream pizza here that made us feel sad in a way that no cheesy carb should. Things do get much better on the middle floor (before taking a steep decline in the poor man’s Studio 54 basement). So beg, steal, or barter for one of the rattan seats in the Amalfi Coast-like room." - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"For anyone who is physically unable to stick to one theme. Three floors. Three themes. Ave Mario in Covent Garden is what you’d find if you looked inside our minds. A beautiful, chaotic mess, filled with a ginormous chocolate gelato cake being paraded around and the truffle pasta of dreams. The first space is all back-to-back red velvet booths, crisp white tablecloths, and a floor-to-ceiling mirrored bar. Go down a set of stairs and you’re on the Amalfi coastline. Rattan chairs not your thing? Keep walking. The basement is the Studio 54 x parmesan collaboration our sad little London hearts deserve. Pick your destination, no passport necessary. " - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak

"The first thing you need to know about this XXL trattoria is that it is a Silly Restaurant. It’s loud, it’s proud, and as soon as you enter the double doors on Henrietta Street, you’re at the mercy of a 300-seat restaurant that operates as a x_LIMONCELLO GLOW_x Instagram filter. But beneath the truffle, big boozy cocktails, and pun-tastic dish names, this place serves truffle mafaldine and huge hand-stretched pizzas, topped with quality parmigiano fondue. At times it’s a little bit daft, but for feelgood glamour and a tower of stracciatella gelato, it can’t be beaten. " - Team Infatuation

"The best way to do London is to go OTT. And the best place to go OTT is this masterclass in daft glamour, party potential, and Italian food that has been given a truffle sidekick for no apparent reason. Ave Mario is undeniably fun. This limoncello-soaked looker is from the people behind Gloria, Circolo Popolare, and other XXL trattorias dotted around Europe where you’ve probably queued, and definitely cursed. But all is forgiven because Ave Mario is bigger, better, and importantly, you can book. Carbohydrates, cheese, and celebration—this Covent Garden trattoria has got all the important boxes ticked." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley

"If we were to guess Ave Mario’s star sign, we’d say Sagittarius, because if any of the zodiac signs were going to open a restaurant that encourages downing Aperol spritzes and huge portions of truffle mafaldine, it would be a raging fire sign. This huge, glitzy, and somewhat silly, trattoria in Covent Garden is always a good time and they have the ultimate three Cs covered—carbohydrates, cheese, cocktails. There’s also a giant stracciatella gelato cake that gets wheeled around like a sugary VIP and, yes, you absolutely do want a slice. " - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver, Sinead Cranna