The story
Bancone Covent Garden produces fresh handmade Italian pasta at its William IV Street table, shaping every noodle by hand throughout the day. This Covent Garden outpost opened the chain's first door in 2018, building a track record that earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a Good Food Guide Local Gem recognition. The cooking philosophy centres on simple ingredients treated with care, blending Italian techniques with flavours from London and across Europe.
The silk handkerchiefs remain a defining dish, featuring soft rectangles of fazzoletti dressed in walnut butter, scattered with chopped nuts and crowned with a golden confit egg yolk. Other pastas highlight seasonal sourcing, such as pappardelle tossed with Herdwick hogget, soy, Thai basil and chilli, or cappellacci filled with Cornish crab, corn, chives and sea herbs. Meals often begin with a cauliflower salad paired with smoked almonds and pecorino sardo before finishing on fior di latte or a crème caramello with coffee and buckwheat.
The dining room maintains a buzzy, informal atmosphere suited to sharing plates and lively conversation. The beverage programme leans heavily on Prosecco and Italian regional wines, with staff offering detailed tasting notes to guide selections. The kitchen recommends crisp whites like a Gavi di Gavi to cut through the richness of the silk handkerchiefs, while heavier pasta dishes find matches among high-acid reds or off-dry styles that balance salt and spice.
Recognition
Ambience
Location
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