Pizza, Pasta & Italian Dining

Opened in early December 2023 by hospitality veterans Ben Hodges and Alex Lewis (taking over the old Leon spot), ALFI started life as a wine-pub-with-food concept and has properly settled into its groove as a modern Italian joint with serious natural and biodynamic wine, Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta, and a cocktail list that doesn’t mess about.

They’re one of the few Italian natural wine bars in London, they’ve already picked up an “Excellent Pizza in London” nod for 2026, and they’re currently building an on-site Spitalfields Distillery so they can start making their own vodka, gin and rum right where they’re poured. Ambitious? Yes. Fun? Extremely.

We rocked up for an early evening slot and were immediately struck by the split personality of the place — in the best way. Outside you’ve got a proper large covered and heated patio right in the market, perfect for lingering, people-watching and generally feeling part of the Spitalfields circus. Inside it’s noticeably quieter and more restaurant-y, a welcome retreat when the market energy gets a bit much. There are games tables out there too (pétanque has been known to break out; pool and ping-pong competiveness is very much present), and the staff were just lovely — warm, unhurried, and the kind of people who make you feel like you’ve been coming here for years even when it’s your first time.

ALFI also leans hard into weekly events that give you a proper excuse to return: Spritz Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays (five glasses of rotating low-intervention and Italian wines for £20 with a main — borderline criminal value), Bloody Brunches, Margs Fridays, Lunch Club, plus pasta-making classes (watch this space) and all sorts of private experiences. It’s built for groups, dates, lingering after-work sessions and the full “we’re not going home yet” feeling. 🍝

The Feast (Because We Came Hungry and Left Smug) 🤤 🔜 😁

Mario kicked things off with the Antipasti with fennel salami, proscuitto and pickles that arrived looking like they’d been arranged by an artist. Properly salty, properly moreish, the kind of plate that makes you slow down and pretend you’re in a tiny Italian village instead of under a market roof in Zone 1.

I went for the Hake with capers, lemon and brown shrimp butter, plus a side of Roasted Potatoes. The fish was delicate and perfectly cooked, the brown shrimp butter doing that rich, slightly naughty thing that makes you want to mop the plate with whatever’s nearest. The potatoes were crispy-edged, fluffy-centred and swimming in that bright, herby salsa verde. Zero notes. Would order again while still chewing. 🐟 🦐

The TIpples (Smoky & Dangerous Vs. Frothy & Floral) 🔥 🌸

Drinks were where the fun really started. Mario’s Mezcal Old Fashioned with Encantado Mezcal Artesanal, brown sugar and bitters, which was smoky, rounded and dangerously easy to drink — the kind of cocktail that makes you sit up a bit straighter and say “oh hello.”

I had the Romantico: Finlandia Vodka, Noilly Pratt vermouth, elderflower, violet liqueur and Better Bitters. Floral, a little mysterious, faintly like drinking a very sophisticated bouquet. It tasted like the sort of drink that should come with a small velvet cushion and a knowing glance from the bartender.

The Main attractions

We then shared the Capricciosa Pizza (ham, salami, mushrooms, olives, artichoke, tomato and mozzarella) — the classic loaded properly, with that good Neapolitan base that still has a bit of chew. 🍕

The Potato Gnocchi came with tomato sugo and a black olive crumb. The gnocchi were soft little clouds that somehow still had structure, the tomato sugo bright and comforting, and that black olive crumb adding a salty, almost earthy crunch that stopped the whole thing being too polite. We fought over the last bits. No regrets.

Pleasing our sweet Tooth(s) 🦷 🍓

Dessert time and Mario usually says no to anything sweet but his Panna Cotta with strawberries, basil and elderflower was silky, lightly set and scented just enough to feel special without tipping into “is this a candle?” territory.

I went full sharp-and-refreshing with the Blood Orange Sorbet - properly tart, properly orange, the kind of palate cleanser that makes you feel virtuous for approximately eight seconds before you start eyeing the cocktail list again.

Time for our close-up (Stupid poses at the ready) 📸

And then, because we are weak and the universe provides, we couldn’t resist the Retro ALFI Photobooth outside. Photo strip acquired and we look like two people who have just eaten very well and are slightly too pleased with themselves. The photobooth, to its credit, did not judge.

ALFI gets the balance right: lively enough outside to feel like you’re part of Spitalfields’ endless theatre, calm enough inside when you want to actually talk, generous with the food, creative with the drinks, and run by people who seem to genuinely like having you there. Whether you’re after a Wine Wednesday bargain, a full group takeover of the games terrace, or just a solid Italian feed with excellent people-watching on the side, it’s an easy yes. Check out the ALFI website for a full list of events and to window shop the menu.

We’ll be back next month to learn how-to make pasta and probably for the Potato Gnocchi and definitely for another Romantico. And almost certainly for another go on that photobooth — practice makes perfect, after all.