Motorino London

A truly wonderful dining experience from start to finish. The restaurant’s décor is beautiful, warm, elegant, and thoughtfully designed, creating a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The food was outstanding: beautifully presented, full of flavor, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. Every dish was delicious and perfectly balanced. The service was equally impressive, attentive, friendly, and professional without ever feeling intrusive. The staff made us feel genuinely welcome and well taken care of. Highly recommended for anyone looking for excellent cuisine, a charming setting, and top-notch service. I can’t wait to come back!

We visited Motorino on a Saturday afternoon to catch up with friends. It was our first time there, and I was extremely impressed with the place. To begin with, the host at the door was warm and friendly. We then met Connor at the bar, who was very welcoming and certainly makes fantastic drinks. We were served by Arthur P, who was excellent – very professional and sincere throughout. Nothing was too much trouble for him, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. The food was cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Visually, as well as in taste and aroma, it was truly wonderful. What stood out most about the place was the level of service. The constant warm smiles and overall excellence from both Arthur and Connor made the experience especially memorable for me. This kind of customer service is quite rare to come by in hospitality these days. We very much look forward to returning soon.

One for the books! I was treated by a good friend for my birthday. We meet as often as we can in London for a catch up and he always suggests great places to eat. And Motorino’s is no exception. The restaurant is a short walk from Oxford Circus if taking the tube. You walk in and the atmosphere is calm and relaxed. The tables are comfortably spaced and the lighting subdued. The service is great and were very helpful with recommendations and catering to virgin cocktails that weren’t on the menu. The food was served at a good pace. Fresh, hot and well presented. The starters are a good size as were the pasta dishes which we chose over mains, supplementing them with sides including the hand cut chips and asparagus. I really enjoyed my duck ragu!!! Desserts were good. I’m not a sweets person but did enjoy them. I did see other diners’ plates of food and they all looked appetizing and delicious. I can’t comment on prices because it was a treat. But the prices fit the items on the menu for a London restaurant weren’t too bad and my palette says… worth every morsel. Highly recommended.

Located just a five-minute walk from Goodge Street station in Fitzrovia, Motorino occupies a ground-floor space within a modern new development. There is a pleasant outdoor terrace area, while inside the restaurant has a contemporary feel with subtle 1960s influences. The bar sits to the left, featuring a large vintage car photograph and green wall panelling, while the right-hand side displays an impressive wine selection. Beyond this is a spacious dining room with booths and tables, alongside two private dining spaces – one larger room and a smaller, more intimate space that resembles a 1960s office with wood panelling. At the rear, diners can see into the open kitchen through a large viewing window. The waiting staff were young, friendly and welcoming, although service noticeably declined towards the end of the evening. After our main courses, it took quite some time before anyone approached us regarding desserts. The sequencing of dishes was also frustratingly poor, with some main courses arriving before all of the starters had been served. It felt as though dishes were sent out according to the kitchen’s convenience rather than any logical progression for the table. Drinks Olive Negroni – Mangum olive gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. A very good cocktail with well-balanced flavours. Fig Margarita – Disappointing. There was virtually no fig flavour, making the name rather pointless. It tasted like a standard margarita and would have been better presented as such. Food Wildfarmed Focaccia, Rosemary & Sicilian Olive Oil(£6) A good start. Crispy focaccia with a nicely toasted top, served with pesto and olive oil. Pickles, Chilli & Yoghurt (£6) A poor dish. Essentially pickled vegetables that felt as though they had come straight from a jar, accompanied by yoghurt. Lacked any real interest and represented poor value for money. Chopped Dexter, Fermented Green Chilli, Porcini Ketchup & Shoestring Fries(£18) The beef was overly gamey and cut into pieces that were too large. A below-par dish. Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio, Corno Peppers, Capers, Coriander & Sudachi(£24) One of the highlights of the meal. Beautifully presented with a vibrant salsa featuring coriander and capers. Fresh, balanced and full of flavour. Sea Bream Crudo, Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Melon & Green Chilli(£16) Another standout dish. The combination of tomatoes, melon and delicate sea bream worked very well, creating a fresh and enjoyable plate. Spring Tomato Tart, Ricotta, Basil Pesto & Brassica Sauce(£24) Disappointing. Largely tasteless and significantly overpriced for what amounted to a small slice of tart. Suffolk Lamb Rack, Bagna Cauda, White Asparagus, Mint & Kombu(£60!) Four small pieces of lamb that felt poor value for the price charged. Slightly gamey, under-seasoned and generally underwhelming. Chicken on Toast, Galician Chicken, Garlic & Wildfarmed Sourdough(£29) The chicken was a little dry and the toast had become soggy underneath. Another dish that failed to justify its price point. Beef Fat Fries Excellent. Arguably the best side dish of the evening. Desserts Irish Whiskey Tiramisu(£10!) A very disappointing dessert. Mostly whipped cream with very little sponge base, leaving the dish completely unbalanced. 64% Mayan Red Chocolate, Coffee, Rum & Raisin Reasonably enjoyable. Thankfully the raisin flavour was restrained and did not overpower the chocolate. Overall Motorino is an attractive restaurant with a stylish dining room, but the food is frustratingly inconsistent. While the tuna carpaccio, sea bream crudo, beef fat fries and Olive Negroni were all very good, too many dishes were either under-seasoned, poorly executed or simply overpriced for what was delivered. Combined with erratic service and poor sequencing from the kitchen, the overall experience failed to justify the cost. The starters generally outperformed the mains, which were average at best.