Andrea Ippolito celebrates 18 years of Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria, the beloved southern Italian restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill.
A beloved fixture of west London’s dining scene, Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria is celebrating 18 years in Notting Hill this year, marking nearly two decades of serving southern Italian cuisine to loyal locals and visitors alike.
Founded in 2008 by owner Andrea Ippolito and his wife, the Ladbroke Road restaurant has built a strong reputation for its warm hospitality, traditional cooking and neighbourhood atmosphere. Over the years, it has become a popular gathering place for families, long-standing regulars and diners seeking authentic Italian flavours in west London.
Inspired by the food culture of southern Italy, Andrea has always placed an emphasis on carefully sourced ingredients, generous cooking and a welcoming dining experience. While the restaurant is widely recognised for its slow-risen sourdough pizzas, the menu extends far beyond pizza, offering a range of seafood dishes, homemade pasta and regional specialities.
Signature dishes include the Orata al Forno con Patate e Pomodorini — whole sea bream baked with potatoes, cherry tomatoes, lemon and rosemary — alongside Tagliatelle ai Funghi Misti, prepared with fresh egg pasta and a mix of home-grown grey oyster, pioppini and cardoncelli mushrooms, as well as seasonal wild porcini.
Andrea’s passion for mushrooms has also evolved into a wider cultivation project inspired by childhood memories of foraging in southern Italy with his mother. Today, he grows several mushroom varieties in a carefully controlled environment designed to recreate the cool, damp conditions of the Campanian hills, bringing a taste of traditional southern Italian pantry culture to London.
The restaurant also continues to attract diners with its weekday set lunch menu, offering two courses for £21 from Monday to Friday. With warmer weather arriving, its covered terrace is expected to remain a popular destination for long lunches, evening aperitifs and relaxed al fresco dining.
“As we get ready to celebrate 18 years, I feel proud that our restaurant still reflects everything we believed in when we opened it,” said Andrea Ippolito. “For me, it has always been about proper ingredients, generous cooking and the kind of welcome that makes people feel looked after.”
As Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria reaches this milestone anniversary, the restaurant continues to embody the family spirit and southern Italian hospitality that have made it an enduring part of the Notting Hill community.
The restaurant is open Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 12pm to 11pm, and Friday to Saturday from 12pm to 11.30pm.
