Locatelli at the National Gallery

The story

Locatelli at the National Gallery – Italian Restaurant in London's Trafalgar Square

Where Italian Cooking Meets One of London's Great Cultural Landmarks

Locatelli at the National Gallery sits on the mezzanine level of the Sainsbury Wing, steps from Trafalgar Square, inside one of the world's most significant collections of European art. The restaurant is a collaboration between Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli and Searcys, and it brings a particular kind of Italian seriousness to a setting that demands it. Gambero Rosso awarded it 2 forks in 2025 — a mark of recognition that reflects the kitchen's commitment to authenticity rather than spectacle.

The People Behind the Kitchen

Giorgio Locatelli — one of the UK's most respected Italian chefs, recently announced as a judge on Celebrity MasterChef UK — has described cooking beneath the gaze of Caravaggio's work as a personal dream. The day-to-day kitchen is led by Executive Chef Imma Savinelli, who has worked closely with Giorgio since 2018 and grew up in Southern Italy, where cooking is bound up with family and place. She helped design a menu that reflects both the restaurant's surroundings and a collective dedication to Italian produce. General Manager Costanzo Cappella oversees a front-of-house shaped by deep knowledge of Italian hospitality.

The Food: Seasonal, Regional, Made by Hand

The menu moves through Italy's regions with a light touch. Pasta is made fresh daily — pappardelle with broad beans, pecorino and rocket; spinach and ricotta tortelloni with butter and sage; a barley risotto with black ink cuttlefish ragout. Among the secondi, lamb chops arrive with caponata and pine kernels, and a fillet of cod is cooked all'acqua pazza with olives, potatoes and cherry tomatoes. Dolci include the restaurant's own tiramisu — espresso-soaked Savoiardi, whipped mascarpone, bittersweet cocoa — and a cassata siciliana of sweet ricotta mousse, chocolate chips, pistachio and candied fruits.

The wine list, curated with a focus on family-run Italian vineyards, runs from a Gavi di Gavi Broglia and Ca' del Bosco Franciacorta to aged Barolo and Tignanello.

The Space and Bar Giorgio

Designed by LXA with sensitivity to its surroundings, the dining room seats 80, finished in warm wood, Italian marble and an earthy palette. A mural by Paula Rego, Crivelli's Garden, anchors the room. The atmosphere is casually sophisticated — a place to linger, as Giorgio puts it, where food is savoured and moments shared.

Downstairs, Bar Giorgio brings Roman energy to the building: proper Italian espresso roasted by Kofee and selected by Marco Arrigo of Bar Termini, alongside maritozzi — soft Roman brioche buns — filled with Chantilly cream, burrata and mortadella, or pistachio custard. On Friday evenings, aperitivo is served with cicchetti and a choice of Aperol or Campari Spritz.

The Italian cuisine here is rooted in tradition and shaped by the seasons, in a setting that makes the meal itself feel like part of a broader cultural afternoon.