A tiny pasta restaurant at Borough Market serving handmade fresh pasta at extraordinary value. The pici all'aglione (fat hand-rolled spaghetti with a slow-cooked garlic and tomato sauce) costs around £10 and is one of London's best-value dishes. No bookings; arrive early and join the queue.
Padella is a small restaurant at the north end of Borough Market in Southwark, London, serving handmade fresh pasta at prices that seem improbably low for the quality delivered. Opened in 2016 by Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, both veterans of the River Cafe and Fifteen, the restaurant occupies a narrow two-floor space and seats perhaps 40 diners. The menu is short — eight or nine pasta dishes change rarely — and the prices are the subject of regular disbelief: the pici all'aglione (fat hand-rolled spaghetti in a slow-cooked Tuscan garlic and tomato sauce) costs around £10. The pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu, the cacio e pepe, and the tagliarini with brown butter and sage are the other standouts. The pasta is made each morning and the difference from dried is evident in every mouthful. No bookings are accepted; a queue forms from around 30 minutes before opening and moves steadily once the doors open. Dinner queues are longer than lunch. The quality-to-price ratio is genuinely exceptional and Padella remains one of London's best food experiences at any price point.
Location
51.5053, -0.0907 View on map
Highlights
- Handmade fresh pasta at astonishing value — pici all'aglione around £10
- Eight-hour beef shin ragu pappardelle among London's most celebrated pasta dishes
- No reservations — queue forms 30 minutes before opening, moves quickly
- Born from River Cafe alumni; Venetian-style pasta with Italian regional precision
- Short, near-unchanged menu of eight or nine dishes, all executed at the same high level
Tips for visiting
- Lunch queues are significantly shorter than dinner — arriving at noon beats the rush.
- Arrive 20-30 minutes before opening to be in the first sitting rather than waiting for a second.
- The downstairs dining room at Padella has Borough Market views; request it if possible.
- Padella Shoreditch is a second branch with an online booking system — easier to plan around.
- The pici all'aglione and the pappardelle with beef shin ragu are the two essential orders.
Accessibility
Padella Borough has two floors connected by stairs with no lift. The ground floor is the smaller of the two spaces and has limited wheelchair access given the narrow layout. The Shoreditch branch may have better accessibility; visitors with mobility requirements should check directly with the specific branch.
Frequently asked questions
Does Padella take reservations?
The Borough Market location does not take reservations and operates strictly on a walk-in, queue basis. The Shoreditch branch offers online booking and is a good alternative for those who prefer to plan ahead.
How long is the queue at Padella?
At lunch, queuing times are typically 15-30 minutes if arriving before noon. At dinner, waits of 45-90 minutes are common at peak times. Arriving early or at off-peak times (just after opening or mid-afternoon) reduces waiting considerably.
What are the must-order dishes at Padella?
The pici all'aglione and pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu are the two dishes that define Padella's reputation. The cacio e pepe and the tagliarini with brown butter and sage are also consistently excellent. Ordering two pasta dishes each is a common approach.