The story
On St John Street in Clerkenwell, Luca occupies a particular kind of space — one with what the restaurant itself describes as "the easy, unhurried luxury of a place to feel at home in." That atmosphere is the foundation of everything here: food that is refined and indulgent, service that is calm and confident, and a room that earns its reputation through quiet consistency rather than spectacle.
Luca's cooking draws from the heart of Italian cuisine while shaping its ingredients through a distinctly contemporary lens. The kitchen honours tradition without being bound by it — playful and light of touch, yet precise in its craft. It's an approach that has earned the restaurant Michelin recognition, and a place in Gambero Rosso's 2025 guide with two forks, affirming its standing as one of London's most accomplished modern Italian destinations.
The purest expression of what Luca does is the Chef's Menu — a five-course experience that changes daily, with each dish personally chosen by the kitchen team. Rooted in the seasonality of the finest British-Italian ingredients, it offers Michelin-starred craft in a format that feels personal rather than ceremonial.
For those who prefer to explore at their own pace, the à la carte runs alongside, together with a bar lunch menu available at midday. The bar itself opens from noon for drinks, making Luca as comfortable for a leisurely lunch as for a longer evening.
Beyond the plate, Luca has built something that feels more like a living project than a static dining room. The restaurant publishes a journal of sorts — Tales from Little Italy — a collection of short films, written pieces and photo essays that explore culture, heritage and the things the team loves: rhubarb, white truffle on the terrace, collaborations with designers during Clerkenwell Design Week, and a tenth anniversary celebration aboard the British Pullman. It speaks to a place that takes its identity seriously without taking itself too seriously.
Hospitality here is understood as an art in itself — the team describes it simply as orienting people towards enjoyment. That ethos runs from the kitchen to the front of house, and it's what makes Luca worth seeking out on any visit to London.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
Originally conceived by the owners of the Clove Club, this ‘Britalian’ restaurant is almost as well-known for its bar as its restaurant –so it was with some reluctance that we bypassed the Negroni-based fun in favour of the dining room. Until we clapped eyes on the space itself, that is: a stunning covered garden worthy of a Roman palazzo. Seating is divided between an attractive cosmopolitan room and a terrace complete with a fireplace, cobbles and foliage (you can specify where you sit when you reserve). For the Luca-on-a-budget experience, try the bar, where lunch is currently £32 for two courses. Otherwise, those with cash to splash can knock themselves out with four courses, Italian-style, and a bottle or two from the impressive Italian list – specialist subject Barolo (sub-£50 bottles are few). Vitello tonnato may now be ubiquitous in London but we’ll never tire of it when it's as satisfying as this. The veal is more well done than is fashionable – a good thing – but is tender and flavoursome beneath a generous spoon of tonnato mayonnaise and a frisky celery, artichoke and lemon salad. Terrific stuff. Fresh pasta is a standout: mezzi paccheri with a pork sausage ragù gains depth from anchovy and freshness from mint, while green and yellow variegated ribbons of tagliatelle with rabbit, lardo and green olives are comforting and luxurious in equal measure. Secondi at inspection include Hebridean lamb with caponata, Hereford beef fillet and short rib, and a dish of John Dory with mussels, mousserons, Jersey Royals and a frothy lemon verbena sauce. Tiramisu, like your nonna might make, is a bravely unfancy finish; vanilla panna cotta with Yorkshire rhubarb is a nicely executed pairing, if lacking the ‘Luca’ signature that characterises the restaurant's best dishes. Overall, a confident operation. Credit, in particular, for setting a tone as conducive to business as it is to pleasure.
Serving modern Italian food, Luca is a restaurant that follows in the footsteps of The River Café and Theo Randall at the InterContinental of British chefs cooking great Italian food. Launched in Clerkenwell back in 2016 by business partners Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis, Luca is led in the kitchen by former RAC and The Ledbury chef Robert Chambers. The restaurant specialises in serving high-quality ingredients from around the British Isles that are interpreted through an Italian lens. Pasta and antipasti options are both present and correct, with the menu also featuring a variety of meat and seasonal seafood dishes such as scallops from Orkney, Hebridean lamb, and turbot from Cornwall. The cooking, as you would expect from a restaurant of such pedigree, is skilful, combining both traditional and contemporary elements to great effect. The restaurant’s design supplements the food neatly, too. Its cavernous interior – the restaurant holds more than 125 covers – is smart and sophisticated. Split between multiple sections, it’s brought together with a visual identity inspired by 1950s art deco Italian graphic design and typography, which underpins the ‘Britalian’ approach. Luca is a commanding, confidently run restaurant, and one that, as its recent accreditation from Michelin proves, is still going from strength to strength.
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