O Sole Mio

This restaurant was across the way from our hotel. the decor is… odd, but the food was lovely. the staff were a little hard to understand (I’m from Wales and I’m not used to italian accents – made ordering a little difficult!) but it was well priced and food was delivered quite timely despite their being a rush of people. It technically was lovely but the atmosphere personally made me uncomfortable. that may just be me though. It’s definitely worth a try, but maybe not for anything romantic or personal.

The staff very friendly and accommodating and that was the highlight of our visit.

The pizzas were very ordinary to be quite honest.

I saw from previous comments that the decor was less than good and it was a little tires and using plastic handled cutlery raised eyebrows.

Suitable for a quick meal but not for a significant occasion.

It doesn’t look like anything special and it hasn’t been decorated in a while!

But the staff are all genuinely lovely you really feel like a welcome and treasured guest in a Italian families home once inside.

And the food is delicious some of the very best Italian food I have ever had, ever, so who cares what the place looks like.

Having lived in Pimlico for coming on to 2 yrs, I thought I would pay O Sole Mio a visit, seeing as it is literally at the bottom of my road.

So I decided to take my mother for lunch on her 62nd Birthday (she had evening plans with her toyboy)
When I made the booking, I advised them of the occasion, and they suggested I bring a cake and the staff would sing Happy Birthday (I think it would have been a nicer touch to give some free cake, free cake is always a winner, especially on your mum's birthday)

We were duly seated at the front of the restaurant, which is really much like a small cafe/bistro, there was a private function going on in the more comfortable area.

We started with Bruschetta, a simple dish, hard to mess up. The dish was fresh and nicely balanced with just the right amount of olive oil and fresh tomatoes. I ordered a Guinness and mum opted for a shandy (ok she was pacing herself)

Main course was a bacon pasta dish, which was adequate, but didn't really set the tastebuds alive.
Service was a little rushed, we nipped outside for a ciggie and were told to come back quickly as our mains were nearly ready.

My only complaint was the way a second drink was served. The Guinness was poured literally like a glass of coke and quickly brimmed over onto the table as the waitress ran off to more pressing issues. Another waitress promptly wiped it up clean.

My mum was treated to several waiters and the owner singing happy birthday, which I guess is a regular occurrence as it was delivered in a jocular manner.

The owner of the venue is very charming and made my mum feel very welcome. I will certainly visit again one evening soon, as I don't want to base my opinion on one rushed lunch time service. The menu is competitively priced, and the restaurant is always busy.

Based on this visit 7/10

Busy but downmarket Italian. Nothing special.