Spaghetti House Goodge Street London Review
Spaghetti House
Goodge Street, London
Reviewed by Sarah Banbury
Goodge Street is the original Spaghetti House set up by two Italians in 1955 to recreate the home cooking they loved and wanted to share. Now fully refurbished it spans four floors on the corner of Goodge Street and Whitfield Street just off Tottenham Court Road. Within a two minute walk of Goodge Street Tube Station on the Northern Line it’s handy for anyone shopping on Oxford Street or before a show at one of the West End Theatres.
As our table had been reserved we had one on the first floor dining room in the window with a great view over all the people on the street below and under a really elaborate funky fifties orange lampshade. The music was set at a low level and the décor clean, tidy and slightly retro as befits the large glass fronted building. Our server was Nuno, who was looking after all the tables on this floor with occasional help from his colleague who had greeted us downstairs in La Cucina, the open kitchen. He seemed a little distracted on our first encounter and gestured us to pick any one of the free tables in the middle of the restaurant but when informed by his colleague that we had a reservation he apologised profusely and moved us to the bigger table. During the meal he was polite and attentive, without being intrusive and gave us plenty of time to look at the wine list and menu before taking our orders. During the course of our meal, the manager came and spoke to all the tables, and Nuno too checked back on us to ensure everything was ok with our meals.
The menu is reasonably extensive; while we chose from the A la Carte, there is also a £9.95 two course set menu, daily chef’s specials and special offers. For the month of February this includes a Valentines menu and a £7.95 Pizza and Beer offer. The beer in question is Moretti, which my dining companion tells me, is the Italians’ beer of choice and they also offer a stronger double malted La Rossa version. As a wine drinker who dines with a beer drinker, I found it very refreshing to see carafes and more importantly demi carafes (0.5l) on offer as well as 250ml and 175ml glasses in all the wines on the wine list. This meant I could get my wine at the beginning of the meal and not have to then try and get the attention of the waiter once my first glass was finished, or order a full bottle and leave some. I chose the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for £12.95 as I don’t profess to be a wine buff and have had this before and liked it! I was given the wine to taste before it was poured and in a nice touch that summed up our level of attention, to pour the beer the glass was kept on the tray and the tray held at an angle to prevent it foaming. When Jonny ordered a second during the meal he was brought a clean glass to go with it.
For starters I chose the Gamberoni all’aglio, king prawns in a garlic and chilli butter, while my companion went for Alette di Pollo, spicy chicken wings. My prawns were delicious, really buttery and not as chilli hot as Nuno warned I may find them. Adding a squeeze of the lemon on the side to the second few made them tangier and allowed me to soak up some of the liquid with the soft yet crusty strips of bread provided. For the main course we chose Linguine Granchio, crab, chilli, fennel seeds and fresh parsley and Scaloppa milanese, a breaded veal escalope with rosemary potatoes. For anyone thinking I was the one with the fresh tasting, zingy seafood dish do not be deceived! I had a plate lapping portion of meat and a generous helping of sautéed potatoes. My veal was moist without being greasy and the potatoes just the right consistency. When offered a side dish, my companion went straight for the Broccoli all’aglio, tenderstem broccoli in yet more chilli and garlic! As I had the large flat plate I probably took more than my fair share as it was extremely tasty. Not tasty in the way you tell your toddler that broccoli is tasty but almost like asparagus in texture, dripping in garlicky butter. The menu also offers the traditional Pizza selection, salads and several meat and seafood pasta dishes at prices ranging from £8-11. We saw side orders of skinny fries served in little buckets and huge plates of pizza being served to other diners.
For desert, one item really grabbed my attention as it was top of the menu Pizza Nutella. Who could not want the sticky chocolatey, nutty, sweet doughy concoction that this brings to mind? Unfortunately for me, my companion doesn’t like nutella and had eaten too many of my potatoes for a desert at all so I went for Tiramisu. Served in a cappuccino cup topped with amaretto biscuits it was simply Di Saronno and espresso soaked sponge, topped with fresh cream and dusted with dark cocoa. Perfect and not too large a portion that I couldn’t finish it. The Strudel di Mele, a South Tyrol apple strudel, served to the adjacent table looked amazing, but a much more substantial desert that I could not have eaten.
Special mention has to be given to the toilets. Although small, and with one door straight onto the stairway, for men on the first floor and for the ladies downstairs, they were absolutely spotless. What really set them apart for me was the hand dryer. It had a digital display on top that counted down from 18 seconds when you placed your hands in until they were dry. Not only were they completely dry but for anyone who worries about spreading bacteria via hand dryers, it also includes a UV light to sanitise as it dries! I need more of these dryers in my life!
We would recommend Spaghetti House to friends and family, there wasn’t anything we didn’t like and the majority of the menu was at reasonable prices comparable to the High Street chains. I noticed on the bottom of the menu that gluten free pasta could be cooked to order for anyone with an intolerance and there were several pasta dishes containing no meat, seafood or dairy. Our food tasted good and was decent sized, without being too generous, a portion. There is a childrens menu available and families are encouraged. We were more than happy with the personal style of the service and if looking to eat when in the area would certainly consider returning.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information, to view menus or book a table view Spaghetti House here.
