Review of Babbo Italian restaurant in St John’s Wood

With its immaculate service and low-lit contemporary elegance, Babbo – an affectionate term for ‘dad’ – makes dining out feel like an occasion.

It’s a swishy velvet curtain, whisk away your coats, and bring your drinks to the table on a silver tray kind of place.

The interior is decorated in warm tones with low lighting and greenery. (Image: Babbo)

But it also has a menu packed with pleasing comfort dishes as well as more intricate fare.

You can enjoy a beer and thin crispy ‘Pizzette,’ a lasagne with eight-hour slow cooked beef ragu and fresh spinach pasta, and a creamy, pillowy tiramisu uplifted with chocolate crumble.

Or the more adventurous can push the boat out with the likes of seared octopus and wild chicory, or veal carpaccio with tuna and caper mayo.

The menu ranges from fresh pasta and ‘pizzette’ to more intricate fine dining dishes. (Image: Babbo)

We threaded a line between the two – starting with a basket of bread, sourdough, focaccia and rye rolls, alongside an Amalfi Froze, a fun frozen cocktail that’s basically an elevated slushie of rose, pink grapefruit gin, strawberries, lemon and just the right amount of sugar syrup to avoid stickiness.

For me, a classic parmigiana, meltingly soft layers of cheese and aubergine beneath crispy topping. For him, sweet juicy seared king prawns in a garlicky white wine, and butter sauce which had soaked into the polenta.

We mopped it up with the bread and progressed to mains. The 12-hour slow cooked ox cheek fell apart beneath the knife, with chard and squash offering earthy notes and an unctuous beef and red wine reduction which went brilliantly with a side of rosemary roast potatoes.

Babbo is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Image: Babbo)

Accompanied by a glass of crisp house white, my grilled roasted spatchcock chicken had slightly underpowered spicing and seasoning, but was nevertheless expertly cooked with a roasted pepper sauce on a bed of vegetables.

We couldn’t resist ordering the French fries-esque Zucchini Fritte, although the accompanying yoghurt dip didn’t bring much to the party.

Best of all were the desserts, the aforementioned Tiramisu had the subtlest blend of coffee, chocolate and mascarpone mousse.

And my chocolate fondant – rich, deep, warm filling contained by the thinnest pastry shell, topped with melting vanilla ice-cream.

It’s my dessert of 2025 so far and is going to take some beating.

Pop in to the elegant Lounge to try one of Babbo’s signature cocktails. (Image: Babbo) Babbo also takes its drink offer seriously and has an atmospheric rear lounge where you can order snacks and drinks.

Do pop in for a classic Negroni, Bellini or signature cocktail like the Pompelmo Spritz, Cherry Negroni or Pesco Punch.

Babbo serves Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner at 29-31 St John’s Wood High Street.