Popular Italian Circolo Popolare
Taste of Sicily at Circolo Popolare
Circolo Popolare is a 9,000 sq ft Italian trattoria in Central London’s Fitzrovia.
Currently the most popular Italian restaurant in London and that reason alone warrants a visit from me. If only to see what all the fuss is about.
How do I know Circolo Popolare is the most popular Italian restaurant in all of London at the time of writing this article I hear you ask?
Well as a food and travel blogger. It's my job to know these things! On a serious note. It has remained one of the most searched restaurants in London according to google.
Continue reading and I promise you'll discover why Circolo Popolare is one of the most popular restaurants in the whole of London right now.
The stunning Italian restaurant Circolo Popolare is situated on Rathbone Place. A quiet road. Just off the busy Central London shopping strip.
Circolo Popolare is like a large beautiful dining room. With an equally beautiful summer terrace. That will have you feeling like you've been transported to a stunning village town in Southern Italy.
Circolo Popolare is open seven days a week. With brunch on the weekends. Plus tables seating up to twelve hungry guests. However check times for seasonal opening hour changes.
As part of the big mama group of restaurants. Circolo Popolare is visually unique. And easily one of the prettiest restaurants in London. Or even in the world!
This large restaurant is made all snug and cosy by the warm lighting choice. Abundance of beautiful faux plants and flowers hanging overhead on tall ceilings.
It is mostly luscious green. With touches of purple wisteria and on some walls a tree of roses climbs the ceiling.
If you're a regular reader of www.gonesunwhere.com you'll know that I've been to many a cafe and restaurant with stunning faux floral displays.
However. Not many manage to look and feel authentically real up close. The arrangement at Circolo Poplare manages to do just that. Bringing the outdoors indoors.
As if their stunning. Leafy overhead display wasn't gorgeous enough. The team at big mama also included some festoon lights. Which resemble stars, for even more romance.
 |
| Cacio e Pepe main course |
Now we can discuss the walls. Floor to ceiling arches are lined with a record breaking number of bottles of booze. Twenty thousand bottles to be precise. Yes 20,000!
It's a unique and beautiful concept and it works. One can tell that all details were thoroughly considered at Circolo Popolare.
With no corner of the restaurant left bare. Books line the entrance along with pretty. Mismatch plates and mini framed pictures filling up every spare inch of wall space around the restaurant.
Arriving for our 3pm booking. We were met with warmth from the staff and seated in the main restaurant space.
 |
| Lemon meringue pie at CircoloPopolare |
Circolo Popolare was completely full. With background music at the perfect volume and tempo. Mingled with the energetic buzz from staff members and guests.
Even the cutlery at Circolo Popolare is pretty. With vibrant. Mismatched plates. Although mine was chipped. So it should have been discarded if I'm completely honest.
Complimentary water - probably tap. Is served from fish shaped glass bottles. And dainty lamps are placed on outer tables.
There's a very warm. Yellow tone to this restaurant which gives a cosy. Romantic feel.
For starters, I tried the everyday I'm trufflin and I'm glad I did. Three balls of delicious. Deep-fried crocchettes. Arrive warm. Stuffed full of bechamel, caciocavallo cheese and parmigiano.
With a melting truffle cream centre and a creamy provola dip on the side.
 |
| Bomba Rosa main course |
Mains were Cacio e Pepe. A creamy. Truffle pasta dream. With the softest. Freshest Al dente pasta.
Loads of creamy white pecorino sauce. Nutty, earthy truffle and cheese flavours marry perfectly together to create this dish.
The Bomba rosa main was not so impressive. And I have to make mention of the off putting hair that arrived in this dish!
It was a plain Jane tomato spaghetti. Topped with a fresh basil leaf. Minus mincemeat.
To drink. I took a chance on a cocktail. My choice was the Bora Bora spritz. An aperol spritz of sorts. Which I regret choosing as it wasn't pleasant.
An overall bitter. Overall bland taste experience. Perhaps a different cocktail would have blown my mind.
My Bora bora spritz contained pineapple and mango. Whist the virgin mosco mule dubbed 'Dancing with the tsars' is a mocktail containing passion fruit. Lime and mint.
Yet the flavours in our drinks didn't really shine through. So expectations are low on the cocktail front.
However. The basic b*tch cocktail at Circolo Popolare does looks impressive.
With a candyfloss topping. So that would be my suggestion. If you like your cocktails to look like art.
The wine list at Circolo Popolare consists of white. Sparkling. Rose and red. Most of which are available only by the bottle.
 |
| The 'everyday I'm trufflin' starter |
The delicious Cacio e Pepe main is available in the pecorino cheese wheel as a two person sharing dish.
However. Only at dinner time. Or at weekends for brunch. Which is annoying. As I really wanted to get my lady and the tramp on!
Birthday celebrators are entertained by waiters singing happy birthday in Italian. With some churros and a candle for the birthday girl or boy.
Our table for two was ours for an hour and a half. I had some of my main boxed away to leave space for dessert.
It would have been nice if the staff pack your doggy bag for you instead of having to do it yourself at your table.
These little things matter. When you come away having spent so much. If you're in for more than just a main course. The price does start to add up.
Circolo Popolare also have alfresco seating. Where the beautiful garden decor is continued.
My dessert of choice was the incomparable lemon pie. A huge 5'9 inch fluffy lemon meringue mountain sits on top a layer of lemon curd.
With a firm pastry tart base. It is so delicious and a very generous size.
Circolo Popolare is currently one of the most popular restaurants in London.
See my review of another of London's most popular restaurants here.
For this reason. Getting a table at Circolo Popolare can be hard to achieve.
I suggest booking into Ave Mario. Which is also pretty and also Italian. Ave Mario is a newer cousin restaurant of Circolo Popolare. Opened by the same people behind Circolo Popolare.
 |
| Enjoying some delicious lemon pie |
Despite a few annoyances. Circolo Popolare has successfully made it onto my list of favourite Italian restaurants in London.
I look forward to returning to Circolo Popolare and will update this review when I revisit. To try some delicious Italian food. Including pizza as well as some fresh pasta.
And what would a visit to Circolo Popolare be without ordering some more dessert and another cocktail - or two!
Important Disclaimer
This is a review of Circolo Poplare. Circolo Popolare is an Italian restaurant in West London.
Pizzas. Pasta dishes. Ice cream and cocktails are on the menu at Circolo Popolare.
The menu at Circolo Popolare in London during the time of visit and at the time of this post includes meat, and vegetarian options. All information was correct at the time of listing.
The photos in this blog post which were taken at Circolo Popolare. Along with any text and personal opinions about Circolo Popolare are copywritten by Danielle Miller. Owner and author of www.gonesunwhere.com
The photographs and text on this blog must not be copied. Distributed. Sold or printed without prior written consent of the blog owner. Contact the site owner for more details.