Agrodolce Italian Restaurant in Fitzrovia

Last Updated on February 28, 2026

Time for a Roman Holiday in London?

4.0 out of 5.0 stars

The original Agrodolce restaurant is in Rome, not far from the Trevi Fountain. With a strong reputation for providing authentic Roman cuisine, owners Maria and Antonio have brought their offer to London, Charlotte St in Fitzrovia.

Agrodolce means ‘bittersweet’, two essential flavour elements in Roman cuisine, and I’m interested to see how their region-specific menu translates to a city full of Italian restaurants, but with most of them offering a ‘greatest hits’ menu.

The interior is cool and elegant, with cream walls and crystal chandeliers. marble tables, herringbone wood tiles on the floor, and miniature watercolours still live on the walls. The reassuring thwack of mallet against wood comes out of the kitchen as the chefs flatten the veal scallopine.

My guest and I go with the flow and enjoy the bitterness of a Negroni Sbagliato and a Campari Spritz, a pair of well-made and refreshing aperitifs that set us up perfectly for our meal. 

Homemade bread was served with a rich and viscous Giuseppe Giusti truffle balsamic vinegar and a high-quality, light and peppery olive oil. I’ve never had a truffle balsamic vinegar before; I’m going to buy some to impress my dinner guests.

Carpaccio di Manzo con Parmigiano Reggiano e tartufo was a simple collation of high-quality ingredients. The beef was tender with a good colour and the summer truffles were unexpectedly full flavoured and very generously portioned. At £18, this dish is probably the best truffle bang per buck you’re going to find in London. An accompanying lively glass of Nerello Mascalese had bags of Sicilian sun with cherry flavours and tannins coming through.

When I’m in Rome, I often buy supplì from the street vendors. The piping hot Roman rice balls stuffed with mozzarella at Agrodolce were crisp, grease-free and oozing cheese, elevating street food into something a bit more refined. A glass of Etna blanco oozed minerality and pear notes. 

There were several veal dishes on the menu. Scallopine al Limone, a veal escalope in a lemon sauce, featured a well-proportioned and properly cooked piece of meat, but the lemon sauce was underpowered and the red cabbage more of an afterthought.

Tagliolini Cacio e Pepe is another Roman classic. Fresh pasta, pepper, salt and Pecorino cheese are all that’s required. It’s simple and deliciously creamy and was a welcome addition to my Roman carb fest!

Carciofo alla Romana, a simple dish of steamed artichoke, preserved the flavour integrity of this most Roman of vegetables. And a delicious side of Ciccoria was fabulously bitter, think prime Joan Crawford.

Antonio insisted we try the signature Tiramisu. If you’re not a cream fan, don’t go for it, but if you are, it’s a fabulously creamy with a thin layer of chocolate and coffee crumb for crunch. 

Agrodolce has a lunch offer fortuitously entitled The Roman Holiday, at £25 per person for three courses, which is a steal if you ask me.

The restaurant business is filled with diverse characters and business types. When the operations side of things is controlled by accountants the customer experience can be soulless and feel disconnected. But when the owner is on site and has a genuine passion for the simple act of feeding people well, making them feel good and all at a decent price point, then you’re probably in an Italian restaurant! Agrodolce is one of those places. 

 Agrodolce
67 Charlotte Street
London W1T 4PH
 
+44 20 3662 9302

Looking for more Italian restaurants in London? We can recommend nearby Sicilian steakhouse Bricco e Bacco or any of the branches of Notto for simple pasta dishes done well.