The story
Bancone is an Italian restaurant with a simple, honest philosophy: fresh pasta made by hand every day. Its Covent Garden location, at 39 William IV Street, sets the tone for a group of five London outposts that share the same DNA — buzzy, informal spaces where the food does the talking.
The cooking is inspired by Italy, London, and much of Europe. Bancone’s approach to Italian cuisine is grounded in technique and quality ingredients. The team takes pasta seriously, from the precise ratio of water to salt when boiling — 10g of coarse sea salt per litre of water — to the importance of saving a cup of cooking water to keep sauces silky. They define al dente as "to the tooth," a consistency that ensures better digestion and a lighter feel on the stomach.
This commitment to craft has not gone unnoticed. Bancone Covent Garden has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year from 2020 to 2026, a recognition of good quality, good value cooking. The award reflects what the restaurant does best: accessible, skilfully executed pasta dishes in a setting that is lively but never fussy.
Among the dishes that showcase this philosophy is the classic Silk hankies, a signature plate built on walnut butter and egg yolk — a study in rich, fatty textures balanced by white wine vinegar's acidity and sweetness. The wine list is curated with similar care, offering detailed tasting notes and thoughtful pairings. The team encourages diners to drink what they enjoy, but also to consider how a wine's acidity, tannin, or sweetness will interact with the plate in front of them.
The Covent Garden restaurant is part of a small family of Bancone locations that also includes Golden Square in Soho, Borough Yards, Kensington, and the City. Each shares the same dedication to freshly made pasta, but the Covent Garden address — just off Trafalgar Square — remains the original home of this consistently excellent Italian spot.
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