Nina is tucked behind an unassuming front – you have to actually be paying attention to catch the logo on the door. But head downstairs and you’re met with what might be one of the coolest basements in London.
Open since the 15th of March 2025, this Italian restaurant is owned by Pachamama Group, who’s also home to fashionable siblings Laganas and Bottarga. It quickly became a social media sensation back then, and we understood why from the moment we walked in.
London isn’t short on Italian restaurants. But just when you think you’ve worked your way through every possible iteration of carbonara and cacio e pepe – when even an Aperol starts to feel faintly uninspiring – Nina comes along and knocks the complacency straight out of you (and, frankly, out of its competitors too).
We popped in for what turned into an almost three-hour stay – here’s our honest take.
The vibes
This is a restaurant with a real (likeable) personality and an actual presence. To the point that if Nina was a person, we’d actually want to hang out with her.
As it often goes, the devil is in the details. There’s artwork hanging up on unfinished walls, uneven paintwork, and the occasional open wall of leopard print curtains. Chairs are mismatched, and the crisp white tablecloths contrast with the unfinished, rough-chic look of the place.
Even the clientele makes the vibe. You can tell these are people with a minimum of two iPhones (one for business, one for pleasure) who have clearly put the work in on themselves. This is a restaurant for people who wear head-to-toe Rixo and know how to have a good time. The ambience is chic, relaxed, and somehow unpretentious.
If any restaurant could thrive on atmosphere alone, Nina would be the one. But thankfully, that’s just the opening act. The food here is bold and indulgent, and portions are gloriously substantial.
Dress well if you’re planning to snap a picture in the famously bougie toilets, but make sure your trousers have some forgiveness – there may come a point where discreetly unbuttoning them feels like the only sensible option.
You’ll want to order everything, though for the sake of your stomach (and dignity), a second visit may be required.
What we drank and eat on our visit
We had some cocktails for starters – the names are suggestive but I’m partial to a negroni so I tend to immediately jump at anything that has Campari in it. I had a muratti, with tomato, vermouth, campari, gin, olive (£13) and my companion a marlboro spritz (aperitivo, prosecco, cherry – £12).
Onto the food, start with the taleggio arancini with truffle and confit garlic mayo (£16). These are genuinely otherworldly. We’ve eaten many an arancini over the years, and these sit in a different league altogether. The outer crunch gives way to molten, stretchy taleggio cheese inside – almost like warm cheese puffs – and the truffle just gives a lovely, soft hit of earthiness. Confidently one of the best bites you’ll have.
We also had the house focaccia with parmesan butter (£7), which was ingenious. Could very easily double as a body lotion and Space NK would stock it.
For mains, we went for the rigatoni cacio e pepe (£19), finished with a beautifully glossy confit egg yolk sitting right at the centre. It was well seasoned, and the cheese was properly punchy. It could have taken even more pepper, though that might have tipped the average Joe into a coughing fit, so we’ll allow the restraint.
We also ordered the spaghetti with Nina’s tomato sauce and a generous dollop of soft stracciatella (£16). Some online reviews have given this dish a hard time, calling it too heavy, but we didn’t find that to be the case at all. No, it won’t change your life – it’s a tomato pasta, after all – but it’s a solid, satisfying plate of food. Both pastas were cooked al dente, generously sauced, and full of flavour, which is really all you want here.
That was more than enough for us, but meat and fish eaters should come prepared. The mains section doesn’t hold back, with chicken Milanese (£33), lamb chops alla scottadito (£38), and a rib-eye steak on the bone (£79) for those feeling particularly committed.
Desserts
And then there’s the boozy tiramisu. The pièce de résistance. The Queen Elizabeth II of desserts. The one you must acknowledge and bow to, no matter how full you are or how many plates you’ve already paid your respects to over the past two hours.
Size aside – and yes, it’s enormous – this tiramisu is finished with a soothing, glossy, bright yellow layer of custard. Is it the most traditional version? Almost certainly not, but we’re not the Italian police. It’s beautifully creamy and the sponges are thoroughly soaked in liqueur (talk about boozy). You’ll leave on a high, especially because there’s a strong chance you won’t finish it and will end up taking the rest home for later.
One warning: it sells out fast. If you want to try it, come for lunch or order it early, alongside your starters and mains.
We went for lunch and stayed just over two hours. We really didn’t want to leave and face the outside world – partly because we wanted to grant our stomachs enough time to recover, but mostly because it was one of those rare dining experiences you want to stretch out for as long as possible. Thankfully, we can always come back. Now, where do we sign for the Nina members club?
Key details
- Address: 18 Thayer Street, Marylebone
- Opening times: Mon-Sun from 12 PM to 3:30 PM and 6 PM to 10:30 PM (9:30 PM closing on Sunday)
- Website: nina.london
- Socials: @ninamarylebone