Spaghetti House

General information

The house of Italian Cooking since 1955

Spaghetti House prides itself on offering great Italian food to everyone, whether a visitor to the capital, a local down the street or a guest that has been visiting our ‘house’ since we opened. Our ‘passione’ for service, comfort, high quality, reasonably priced food and wine keeps our guests coming back for more.

The group's history goes back to 1955, when two talented Northern Italians - Lorenzo Fraquelli and Simone Lavarini - opened their first, now famous, Spaghetti House in London's Goodge Street - The Original Spaghetti House.

It was the culmination of a seven-year dream for Lorenzo and Simone, who had first met at Bar Italia in London’s Soho in 1948.
The two friends excitedly shared a vision and a will to recreate the essence of a true Italian restaurant outside their home country inviting people to a 'house' rather than to a 'restaurant' to reflect the warm, traditional Italian welcome.

As customers flocked to Goodge Street, the restaurant extended to four floors. In the ensuing years, successful restaurant upon restaurant opened, in many of London's most fashionable areas, from glamorous Knightsbridge to literary Bloomsbury.

Key to its success was the mouth-watering, home-made pasta dishes. People all over the UK were starting to discover the joys of pasta, and to experience the taste of quality Chianti wine out of straw-covered bottles. Spaghetti House was, without doubt, the forerunner of Italian restaurants in the 50's and 60's - and although at that time nobody talked about 'Mediterranean diet' - this is exactly what it did, and still does.

Pasta was, and is still, always served 'al dente' (with a bite) to the surprise of the first few customers who were informed “that’s the way Italians eat their pasta” – alongside olive oil, Parma ham and fresh parmesan.

Today, you will find 10 Spaghetti House restaurants across London. Employing over 250 people but still being driven by the ‘passione’ of Simone and his children. Simone can still often be found instructing the chefs and staff whilst enjoying lunch or dinner in his ‘house’.
As we say in Italy: “buon appetito!”