Best Italian Restaurants near Piccadilly Circus: Cicchetti for Small Plates, Seafood Pasta and Pre-Theatre Dining
Cicchetti Piccadilly sits at 172–173 Piccadilly, opposite Burlington Arcade and right on the edge of Mayfair. The concept takes its cue from Venetian sharing culture, but the food roams much further across Italy: arancini, Norma, carbonara, scallops, seafood pasta, pizza, Milanese, burrata and seasonal southern-Italian dishes all arrive in medium-sized plates designed to be shared rather than eaten as rigid starter-main-dessert courses.
That format suits this part of London unusually well. Piccadilly can punish indecision with expensive, overlong meals; Cicchetti lets the table move quickly, order in waves and stop when enough is enough. The dishes come as they are ready, so dinner feels less formal and more conversational than a traditional three-course Italian restaurant.
Our 2026 meal had far more energy than ceremony, and that was exactly the point. We ate broadly without ever feeling trapped by one enormous main course, and the strongest dishes were the ones that kept Italian ingredients clear rather than burying them beneath luxury for its own sake. Cicchetti is not a hidden neighbourhood trattoria, but it is considerably more enjoyable than the address might make a cynic expect.
Sicilian Arancini Are the Right First Move
The Sicilian arancini are filled with beef ragù and set the tone quickly.
Crisp rice outside, soft centre, meat and tomato within: this is one of those foods that succeeds through texture before anything else. The rice needs to remain distinct enough that the ball does not collapse into paste, while the ragù should bring depth rather than excess moisture.
They make far more sense as one plate among several than as a substantial starter on their own.
That is the advantage of the cicchetti format.
Calamari Fritti Keep Things Direct
The calamari fritti need very little explanation.
Thin coating, hot oil, tender squid and enough salt.
This is exactly the sort of plate that can go wrong through overthinking, and Cicchetti is better when it avoids that temptation. Lemon at the table is enough.
Shared with arancini and something fresh, it gives the opening of the meal a useful change of texture.
Baked Norma Is One of the Smartest Vegetarian Orders
The Baked Norma combines aubergine, tomato, basil, garlic and ricotta salata.
It is one of the dishes that most clearly proves the restaurant does not need meat or seafood on every plate to keep the table interesting.
Aubergine supplies sweetness and softness, tomato gives acidity and ricotta salata brings the dry, salty finish that makes Norma feel complete rather than merely comforting.
This is Sicily translated neatly into the sharing format.
Mafaldine with Beef Ragù Bring More Weight
The mafaldine con ragù di manzo move into richer territory.
Short, wavy pasta is a good match for slow-cooked beef because the folds catch sauce naturally without requiring a heavy cream base. The ragù needs time rather than embellishment.
This is the sort of pasta that becomes especially useful in a small-plates restaurant: enough depth to anchor the meal, but not such a large portion that everything after it becomes theoretical.
Carbonara Works Better Small
The spaghetti carbonara are made with egg yolk and pancetta.
That puts them firmly in the familiar camp, but the smaller format is actually an advantage. Carbonara is rich enough that a half-sized portion can feel more persuasive than an oversized bowl.
Egg should coat rather than scramble, while pancetta supplies fat and salt without turning the whole plate greasy.
It is not the dish we would cross London specifically to eat, but it fits the menu structure extremely well.
Scallops Gratin Are a Better Seafood Order Than Fried Everything
The capesante al forno are gratinated with garlic, olive oil and breadcrumbs.
Scallops naturally bring sweetness, and the breadcrumb topping gives them enough texture to stand up beside richer pasta dishes. Garlic needs restraint; too much would erase the shellfish entirely.
This is one of the sharper seafood choices because it changes both flavour and temperature without returning to the fryer.
The Seasonal Tagliolini with Lemon and Caviar Show the Polished Side
The current seasonal menu includes Tagliolini Limone e Caviale, with lemon-butter sauce and Italian sturgeon caviar.
This is Cicchetti at its more refined.
Lemon cuts through the butter, while caviar adds salinity rather than simple luxury. The pasta itself needs to stay delicate enough that neither ingredient becomes decorative.
It is a very different proposition from carbonara or beef ragù and gives the menu the contrast it needs.
Foglie d’Ulivo with Clams Bring the Amalfi Mood
Another seasonal dish, Foglie d’Ulivo con Vongole, pairs olive-leaf-shaped pasta with clams, chilli and yellow tomato.
This is one of the combinations we would return for first.
Clams provide salinity, yellow tomato brings sweeter acidity than standard red tomato and chilli sharpens the finish. The pasta shape gives the dish just enough bite to keep it from feeling delicate to the point of fragility.
It tastes coastal without trying too hard to announce it.
Ravioloni Scampi Are the Richer Shellfish Route
The Ravioloni Scampi move towards a more indulgent register, with a light shellfish bisque around the filled pasta.
The key word is light.
Scampi are naturally sweet and can disappear quickly if the bisque becomes too concentrated or creamy. A restrained sauce lets the filling remain the focal point.
This is a dish that suits sharing particularly well: rich enough to feel special, small enough not to take over dinner.
Pizza Calabrese Keeps the Heat in Check
The Pizza Calabrese uses ’nduja, tomato and fior di latte.
The logic is simple and strong. ’Nduja brings spice and pork fat, tomato supplies acidity and mozzarella softens the heat.
This is not a pizza restaurant first, but one small pizza in the middle of the table can be a very good bridge between antipasti and pasta.
The important thing is not to order three.
Pollo Limone e Capperi Is the Cleaner Meat Choice
The Pollo Limone e Capperi uses boneless chicken with lemon and caper sauce.
That combination is sharper and lighter than the breaded Milanese options, especially once the table already has arancini, pasta and pizza in play.
Lemon brings lift, capers add salinity and the chicken stays relatively neutral beneath them.
It is not flashy, but it gives the meal balance.
Wine Pairings
Baked Norma: COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico — bright red fruit and acidity suit aubergine and tomato.
Tagliolini Limone e Caviale: Jermann Vintage Tunina — textured, aromatic and fresh enough for butter, citrus and caviar.
Foglie d’Ulivo con Vongole: Cantine Lunae Vermentino Etichetta Grigia — saline and citrus-driven beside clams and yellow tomato.
The Lunch and Pre-Theatre Menu Is the Sharpest Deal
The Menu Fisso offers three dishes for £23.95 per person, Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 19:00.
That is where Cicchetti becomes especially competitive for central London.
The choice spans arancini, calamari, salads, pasta, pizza, scallops, parmigiana and chicken, so the menu does not feel like a stripped-down concession to price. A glass of Remigio Rosso or Bianco is £7.50 alongside it.
For Piccadilly, this is a very sensible way to eat before a show without turning dinner into a rushed compromise.
The Room Understands Its Address
The dining room is polished, contemporary and unmistakably central London, with a more design-conscious feel than a traditional bacaro.
That could have made the sharing concept feel artificial, but the food service keeps things relaxed enough. Plates arrive in sequence rather than ceremony, and the room feels busier and more social once several dishes start circulating across the table.
During our 2026 visit, that rhythm was one of the best parts of the experience. The service remained attentive without trying to choreograph every moment, and the table felt alive rather than managed.
Service, Atmosphere and Value
Cicchetti Piccadilly opens daily from 12:00 to 23:00 and sits within easy walking distance of Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, Regent Street and several West End theatres.
The restaurant itself suggests beginning with roughly four to five dishes for two people, which is also about where we would start before deciding whether the table needs more.
A 13.5% discretionary service charge is added to the bill.
The strongest value is clearly the weekday fixed menu, but the broader appeal is flexibility: you can eat lightly, build a long dinner, or stop after a few plates and a glass of wine without the meal feeling incomplete.
Useful Information
- Address: 172–173 Piccadilly, St James’s, London W1J 9EJ
- Area: Piccadilly / St James’s / edge of Mayfair
- Cuisine: Italian small plates inspired by Venetian cicchetti
- Dining style: Sharing plates served as they are ready
- Recommended starting point: Around 4–5 dishes for two
- Dishes to look for: Sicilian arancini, Baked Norma, mafaldine with beef ragù, scallops gratin, Tagliolini Limone e Caviale and Foglie d’Ulivo con Vongole
- Lunch & Pre-Theatre Menu: 3 dishes for £23.95
- Fixed-menu availability: Monday–Friday, 12:00–19:00
- Remigio Rosso/Bianco with fixed menu: £7.50
- Aperol Spritz: £12.50
- Limoncello Spritz: £12.50
- Service charge: 13.5% discretionary
- Opening hours: Daily 12:00–23:00
- Private dining: Available for up to 24 guests
- Telephone: +44 20 7362 0999
- Best for: Pre-theatre dining, Italian sharing plates and flexible central-London lunches
Our Rating of Cicchetti Piccadilly
Food: 8.9/10
A broad menu, but the sharing format rewards contrast and keeps the stronger dishes lively.
Antipasti: 8.9/10
Arancini, calamari and vegetable dishes give the meal an easy, varied start.
Pasta: 9.1/10
The seasonal seafood pastas bring more interest than the familiar classics.
Seafood: 9/10
Scallops, clams and scampi give the menu a polished coastal thread.
Pizza: 8.7/10
Best used as one shared component rather than the centre of dinner.
Wine Pairing Potential: 9/10
The Italian small-plate format makes it easy to move between lighter whites and fresher reds.
Service: 9/10
Well paced for dishes arriving independently and especially efficient for pre-theatre dining.
Atmosphere: 9.1/10
Stylish and energetic without becoming oppressively formal.
Value for Money: 9.2/10
The £23.95 three-dish weekday menu is particularly strong for this part of London.
Overall Rating: 9/10
