Caffe Caldesi: Classic Tuscan food in a casual Italian Cafe

Caldesi Linguine

This is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in London – perfectly cooked al dente linguine with simple, wholesome flavours of tomato and garlic, a touch of cream and dusting of Parmesan, which come together perfectly to become a highly satisfying plate of food.

From the outside, you would never guess that Caffe Caldesi is the origin of such an amazing meal. Overshadowed by its more famous neighbour Entrecôte, Caffe Caldesi stays out of the limelight and certainly its atmosphere is quite the opposite of the bustling French steakhouse next door. Completely unpretentious, the ground floor has a cafe setting that’s open pretty much the whole day and the upstairs has more formal dining space which needs reservations. What a lot of people don’t know is that there is cooking school ‘La Cucina Caldesi' attached at the back where you can attend classes to learn Tuscan cooking - which I've been quite keen to try out.

My friend A. who discovered the restaurant and introduced me to it, has tried out many dishes on the menu and Caldesi is one her regular haunts. I, however, almost always end ordering the Caldesi linguine. I usually end up paying 15£ to 20£ for a meal.

The staff and service is lovely. I took my mother there for dinner a while ago. She is vegetarian and has a severe allergy to eggs. They went out of their way to ensure she could have a good meal and took all her dietary restrictions into account and served her pasta dish that was off the menu.  

So if you’re looking for good Italian food in Marylebone at pretty decent prices in an unpretentious setting with warm, friendly staff and no queues or reservations needed - I suggest you try Caffe Caldesi. Even my Italian friend who very particular about his food, enjoyed his meal and says it quite authentic. So it doesn’t get much better than that J

Caffe Caldesi

118 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QF

Tel: 020 7487 0753

Tube: Baker St/ Bond Street