Informal, lively setting with communal tables for inventive Italian pastas and playful cocktails.
"Heroes come in many forms. Doctors. Teachers. Nurses. For you, cornstarch. And when you’re looking for a hero at a perilous time of crisis—getting a serious pasta craving on a Wednesday night—Pastaio has got your back. This bright and easy handmade pasta spot in Soho has gluten-free penne that you can swap in for most of the other pastas. So it’s perfect whether you’re after eight-hour beef bolognese, or a chilli, clam, and caper moment. " - heidi lauth beasley, sinead cranna
"If you’ve been dreaming of bottomless pasta, you should head to Westfield’s Pastaio on a Thursday. For £25 you can get unlimited plates of pasta plus an aperol spritz." - rianne shlebak
"After a tourist stopped directly in front of you to take a picture of a pigeon, and you encountered your fourth set of street dancers in under a mile, a vein you never knew you had is trying to break out of your temple. Before you physically implode, head to Pastaio near Carnaby Street. This place does great handmade pasta, and they’re open from 12pm until late. It can get a little busy around dinner time, but it’s a great spot to swing by mid-afternoon." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver, Rianne Shlebak
"We’re of the opinion that affordable pasta spots make for great mid-week dinner spots, so here’s another one, located in Soho. Although the lines can get long, they go fast as the canteen setting doesn’t invite you to hang around too long. The pastas are good, but the tiramisu is even better, so save some room for that." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, eileen twum
"Your order: Any pasta under a tenner - £6.50+ Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. At least, that’s what they say. We certainly don’t think it when someone buys the same trainers as us. In this case, Pastaio is a Padella-style imitation that, mostly, does the right things. This isn’t a restaurant to spend a couple of hours in. It’s a canteen-style place you swing by, have a couple of pastas and a salad, and go on your merry way. The food is both tasty and well priced. And it is what you want most of the time, because who doesn’t like pasta?" - jake missing