Mele e Pere

Vivien N

Great value and good looking cocktail bar.

Franca G

I had lunch yesterday at Mele e Pere. The restaurant is a stone away from Piccadilly Circus. The main eating area is downstairs, so there are no windows but the atmosphere is created by the beautiful black and white photographs of normal life in Italy in the 50th/60th. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. I would recommend the hand made focaccia pugliese to start, fresh fusilli with mussels and courgettes and to finish the unbeatable Tiramisu with hand made espresso ice cream on top.

Bobbi B

Came in for lunch last week and ordered a few things to share with friends. All dishes were delicious, a real taste from Italy. My favourite dish was the gnocchi! I was never really into it that much until I tried it here and it was so tasty. The staff were also very welcoming and a great place to come and unwind

We visited for lunch yesterday and enjoyed another fantastic lunch at what has to be Soho's best trattoria. A few new sharing plates added a new dimension to the menu, whilst old favourites such as aubergine parmigiana and spicy ascolana olives hit the mark. Main courses took on a comfort food vibe with pumkin ravioli and truffle gnocchi – perfect to warm you up on a cold wet winters day! A great value carafe of red wine rounded off the perfect meal. There is also a great value set lunch with main courses for only £8.50. Highly recommended.

Natalia P

heard good feedback about it, so decided to check it out. Service was definitely spot on – attentive and efficient. Plenty of waiters too so if you need anything there are there! Food. I definitely recommend the clams for starters. The mains – the bream! Ice cream is divine. I would say it is good for a casual dinner with friends & family.

Jan W

This was our second visit to Mele e Pere and we were not disappointed. The service was attentive and friendly and although we chose the set menu the food was good. Would definitely recommend.

Judith M

Had lunch here last Saturday before going to The Apollo Theatre. Great fun – Prosecco on tap – Yes, I said ‘on tap’! Five of us had sharing plates, served by a delightful young lady with a lovely smile. Quite sufficient for a warm day and very tasty too. We'd definitely go again. Actually, we ate upstairs, but the downstairs restaurant looked interesting too, with a beautiful long copper bar.

In a rare and unexpected deviation from my normal protocol, last night saw me (a) dining after work, and (b) ensuring someone other than the boss paid, which was (c) a friend who – shock horror – lives in Manchester. Given that we normally head for Chinatown or a generic curry vendor when he's down South, I thought it was time to ring the changes. That, plus a possible issue with his expenses, meant that we had to find somewhere cost-effective. Enter, stage left, Mele e Pere's amazing £18 3 course & a glass of prosecco offer. We're still in shock. Ever the cautious, sceptical Manc, my friend was keen to express his disbelief that such a thing was possible, particularly in “that London”. But dear reader, it was true. We had a witness, should you need him (although young, and resembling a wet-through shaved whippet, he seems trustworthy enough). Scene set? Good, we'll begin. Mele e Pere has a relatively cavernous basement dining area. Tables are well spaced, not too small, and chairs are comfy. At 7:15 on a Monday night I wasn't expecting much company, and we didn't get it, with the result that the atmosphere was a tad dull (though on a normal night, I'd expect the joint to be jumping). Service was cracking (no waterboarding). 1st course for me was a fantastic aubergine soup served at room temperature and laden with garlic. I could have eaten it twice. Main course was gnocchi. I think gnocchi is easy to get wrong and difficult to do well – M&P scored full marks for theirs. Finally, a defiantly home-made tiramisu ensured I was a very happy man. At some point, the expense account had a bottle of Sangiovese added to it, which rounded things off nicely. So that's it – astounding value for money, great food, and on a busier night I'm sure we'd have had no complaints about the atmosphere. I'll be back.

gianluca P

The set up of this restaurant was interesting with nice casual decoration and large shared tables and the menu looked interesting which made me decide to go in for lunch on a sunday afternoon. I ordered a braised leg shoulder for £17 which considering the minimalist service is not little money. Average wait. The food was made of a huge amount of vegetables and two micro portions of what it looked like minced lamb. If I order lamb shoulder that costs £17 I expect a nice portion of solid meat. I left in outrage without even touching the food. At the till I got even charged for service, for a total bill of £20 (I did not order any drinks). I found charging service intolerable. I will never set foot there again.

Matt P

Updated review 11 December 2012. I came here when it opened at the beginning of the year, and really enjoyed it. Then the reviews came out and the critics ranged from indifferent to foul; a week later there was one of those naff blackboards outside the venue advertising lunch deals, and I didn't imagine Mele e Pere would survive the year. Well, 10 months later I finally got round to coming back and it's in rude health. The blackboard is gone, replaced by some elegant signage around the pillar by the door. The upstairs entrance now has bar seats and no longer feels like a lobby area. The decor still looks really good – I love the copper surfaces everywhere. Service was super-charming again from two smart young men – it's amazing to think how much service has improved in this country in the last decade. The place was busy and buzzing, including an A-list movie director two tables away. I love the construction of the menu: you can make a patchwork quilt of a meal from nibbles, sharing plates, small pasta plates and big mains. We enjoyed the arancini with saffron risotto & gooey mozzarella, the culatello with gnocchi fritti, and the sweet and buttery pumpkin ravioli. Buffala mozzarella was a bit too firm but the garnish was great – fresh and cured anchovies, braised greens, fresh orange. Of the desserts, panettone bread & butter pudding was a highlight, and was a stimulus to a long conversation about the unwantedness of that particular baked item – my companion got a Christmas party invite last week saying ‘strictly no panettone!’ Above all Mele e Pere is a restaurant that is fun to eat in (the alcohol element of my bill is testament to that) which seems like a good reason for it to become a firm Soho favourite. Previous review Feb 2012 Loved it. Quirky ground floor entrance leading to subterranean room. Reclaimed anglepoise lamps stud the sloping walls. Irregular furniture: some tables are copper-clad, others are ceramic – very nicely done. Menu mixes starters, pasta courses and mains; possibly a tiny bit limited but lots of lovely options. For nibbles we started with some breaded stuffed spicy olives which were fab. Food-wise I had vegetable raviolini with basil pesto, which was exquisite, followed by artichoke risotto, very well executed. Unusual cocktail list. Fair pricing on both food and wine. Charming service from the maitre d'.