I'm torn. I was immediately struck by the long glass cases of exquisite treats, contrasted by rough unpolished granite that lines the walls. Everything is linnear and balanced - long counters, long rows of seating, long lines along the floors and walls. I appreciate the careful thought that must have gone into Princi's design, but... I left feeling like I had eaten at a high end cafeteria. Stand in one line to point out the pastry you want, then pay, then take your tray to the next counter to get your coffee (which incidentally took a curiously long time), then find a spot among the bank of seating with high stools next to strangers also eating off of trays... While the croissants were some of the best I've had in London, it was challenging to get comfortable here. And if I want to eat food served on a tray, I'll go to McDonalds. read more

This is one tasty italian deli. A whole entire wall of glass topped counter moving from sweets to salty pastries to salads and antipasti and a smaller hot counter offering succulent sausage stew and delicious lasagna and spinach. It was crazy busy on the tuesday evening we were there and had to stand for our meal... but the heavenly and cloud- like passionfruit cheese cake made it all worth it. And the sweet fried cracker things. Overall Princi is a great deli concept; shame it is so popular! read more

wow. I'm not sure I've had a better dessert in all of London. I know I was only in London for a couple weeks- but ALL of my meals consisted of a dessert. So after ... a couple...dozen..that I tried back to back- I absolutely adore this place as a nice place to stop by with a group and grab a chocolate-lemon-I-don't-know-what-it-is-called-but-it-was-delicious. Yes. read more

It's more grapple than Grappa in here!  Surrounded by the running water feature in Princi, it rather created a calm or in my case counteracted the cacophonous din in this food-hall, sorry fighting arena where diners, usually decent folk- I'm sure, have to tussle for a chance to get a place to sit at a table all-whilst clutching a tray.  So use the flowing feature to wash your hands, or your mouth out, as getting a table needs fighting talk. It's no good if there's a school of you, you'll never get to eat together. You'll be split into pairs and I warn you, one of you'll have to stand guard of your place whilst the other queues for food and on their return, repeat this process yourself.  Princi creates the frustrating feeling of what it must be like in a fishtank. Like a fish in a tank in Seaworld. Except this glass tank we were behind; the long stretch of window where greasy passing Soho noses press up against the cold panes, see a brightly floodlit hectic scrabbling Milanese-like scene, but diners clutch trays, scrumming for tables like sharp nosed sharks at feeding time. Although bright lights bounce off of the glossy coral red Romanesca topped tray bakes, shiny strawberry cheesecakes and gently glinting merengue topped lemon pavlovas it quite highlights what else could be up for grabs in this open area. One cannot deny Pelici is a Soho showpiece; a showstopper of a shopfront, but diners prowling for tables aren't the only ones lurking in the depths of soho. There are thieves stalking their prey, peeping in from the windows of Princi too, waiting for opportunities to squeeze in between the crush.  On a Friday evening it was impossible. The pool side life guard on the door simply couldn't attend to security and also had to run around the floor as a makeshift waiter. Once again, there could be pick-pocketers pouncing whilst you go back up, buffet style to pick your pudding. Also with the doors open to all and sundry, I was cold and so was my dinner. So with chills, multiplying, I'm serious. That entrance, is as much of a security threat as are the cakes are for your health, so watch your bags if you're not watching your waist line. read more

Great little neighborhood restaurant, you're greeted with all sorts of varieties of pizza when you walk in. Choice of either order and eat the bar tables, or sit down service. We had a pizza and a pasta dish, both very excellent. read more

This Milanese chain is taking Soho by storm, but Princi is reportedly more popular here than it is in Milan - so, for what that's worth... People talk ad naseum about the alluring sweets seen from the glass storefront windows, but I was drawn in by the abundance of breads studded with things like tomatoes, cheese and olives. I practically developed an addiction for their green olive breadsticks (SO good), before i FINALLY ate here properly yesterday... I had bites of: A radicchio salad with cauliflower and broccoli - it was ok, but its freshness was undeniably appealing. A caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella the size of ice cream scoops - lovely. Asparagus in a cream sauce - divine. and for dessert - since this seems to be the what everyone goes here for anyway.... Passionfruit cheescake - creamy and tart, very refreshing, better than regular cheesecake. Tiramisu - not the best, i didn't even finish my small slice. Chocolate amaretto multi-layered cake with chocolate ganache and amaretti crumbles - divine. High noise levels and difficult seating normally cost a place significant stars in my book, but the fact that you know what you're getting into when you walk in the doors means I can't fault Princi for being what it so obviously is - a loud, cafeteria-like restaurant, serving relatively inexpensive Italian fare with a swish streak. Not to mention, I'm still addicted to those green olive breadsticks. read more

£4.10: what you'll pay for a dry and generally tasteless chocolate torte to take away. Um, no. read more

Ok, it probably deserves 4 stars, but I'm giving it 3. This place is actually good, I won't say it's not, the only reason it's getting 3 stars is that the service was, to put it politely, terrible. Everyone else looked like their service was great, but ours was terrible, so I have to rate them down. The food was good, I had eggs and tomatoes (low carb) and it was basically perfect, the eggs and salmon and the Princi breakfast also looked really good (though they were out of sausages by lunch on a Sunday, so my friend got extra bacon, which would really annoy me...) The atmosphere was good on our side (the more casual side), very relaxed and pleasant, though on our table our "neighbors" cycled about 4 times before we left... You could definitely have a kind of "Sex and the city" or "Friends" style breakfast here. So, why was the service terrible? We turned up, asked for some orange juice whilst waiting for our friend, that took ages to come. Then she arrived and we ordered food and drinks, that didn't come for about 30-45 minutes. Then we chased it, turns out they lost our order completely, it was another 30 minutes before we got fed. They generally didn't know where we were or what we wanted or anything, we felt kind of abandoned. Genuinely, if you're in the area, I would probably recommend going here (we originally planned breakfast club but there were insane queues, and the food isn't that good). I just can't bring myself to 4 star somewhere that I didn't have a great experience. read more

Always very busy to find a table. Nice interior and friendly staff. Real italian fresh good. Every time we come to London we have to eat at Princi. We love it! read more

Princi - Diner at Princi. Every time we are in London we have to eat at Princi. So good! - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Five star canoli from this trendy place! We came for dessert but I wish I had sampled the pizza and pasta. Lots of non-English Europeans populated this place, and I mean lots! I consider that a good sign. The canoli was great as was the espresso (esp shot was kinda small but they usually are :-) It has been a long time since I have had canoli this good! Prailine chocolate cake was okay and the chocolate brownie was only okay too. Neither of the two chocolate items was intense enough for my taste. Many of the patrons were there to socialize in groups of friends, so be prepared to hunt for a space and then be cozy and friendly with your neighbors (and stand up as table space was limited --they do have table space but if you want to sit, come during off-peak hours). A spritzer made from Proseco, Aperol, and club soda was all the rage (see photo); seemed a bit overpriced for 7.5£ --I would rather spend my ££ on espresso and canoli..... In summary, if you are looking for a dessert Mardi Gras, this is your place! read more

See all

"I want one of everything." - My initial thoughts when entering Princi. Princi is a fantastic espresso bar and bake shop; quite possibly a sweet fanatic's best friend and a dieter's foe. All of the baked goods are neatly arranged and look amazingly appetizing. But unlike cute desserts that don't taste like anything, the pastries at Princi are incredible. There are also pizzas and breads for those not looking for a sweet fix. I'd have to categorize making a final decision on which dessert to order as one of my biggest life decisions to date. I had a ricotta cheese tartlet and it was just so smooth, creamy, and not overbearingly sweet. Paired with an espresso, I was in heaven. The interior is very modern, with stone tabletops and little fountains. It was so nice to sit down at the bar area to relax and enjoy everything. It's definitely the place to go with a friend or two and meet up for dessert and coffee. read more

I used to always come to Princi for a quick lunch - the over-baked pizzas with proscuitto and melted cheese are just so good! But inevitably the prices have increased and service has gotten surly. It's quite hard to get a table, and once you're done eating, the staff are quick to usher you out the door. The salads aren't the best and the options are rather limited for the price. 7-8 pounds for a "big plate" which barely fits 3 selections! The cakes now are about £4.5 a slice which in my opinion is too steep although the passionfruit cheesecake is still to die for. They stopped making the chocolate eclairs which were my favourite dessert overall which is another thing that I wish they didn't change! All in all, used to be one of my favourite Soho hangouts that got ruined by the surly service, ridiculous price increases, and difficulty in getting a table. read more

We ate at the restaurant which was ok, but it looked like the prepared foods were more delicious. I wish I had tried the amaretto, pumpkin, and mascarpone salad. read more

See all

As this seems to be the place where a lot of people meet over coffee for a catch up or the spend the rest of the afternoon nattering away to their friends, diners like us have no choice but to stand & eat or to wait until the food has gone cold before they could find a seat! This is the major problem with Princi. Lovely restaurant, good food but lack of space. This is why I'm only giving it 4 stars rather than 5 stars. I have been there a few times and I have to say their food is very delicious, unlike many other Italians I've been to. I still have to try their dessert/cakes. I've been told on a numerous occasions how delicious they are but by the time I finished my main dish, I was too full to order any cakes/desserts. Their gnocchi and pizza are my favourites! It is not like any other pizza you get. I've never been a fan of pizza since the day I was born (yes I am odd) but I do admit I love their pizza at Princi. This must being saying something! I think the price is definitely value for money especially witht he size of the portion...! A definitely must try but avoid Saturdays as it gets very busy! read more

What a discovery! The breads - rustic! The desserts - I ignored my waistline! The salads - divine! The hot food - can i have seconds without paying??? You can see them bake breads in the wood oven. I could stand and watch all day long :) They have crowd control on busy nights! Need I say more??? read more

A okay place to have a pizza. The vibe is okay. Maybe a bit pricy but overall a good service. You might have to wait but they will call you when it is time for your table and have it booked for 5 minutes. A good time for a cocktail here or somewhere nearby. read more

Ummm the pain chocolate is to die for. Melt in your mouth delicious. A great latte presented in a juice glass (interesting). Cute place with a lot of italian pastries and treats. read more

Princi - Latte and pain chocolate - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Best Pizza in Soho and I tried them all. Always order takeaway as the whole "everyone can see me eat" vibe of the restaurant design with the see through windows and cafeteria style tables are not for me. The deserts are okay though more recommend the Italian food on hot tables. read more

The pizza is great, amazing variety and the various flavors remind of me of pizza I had in Italy. The ambiance is great with simple decor. I would've given this restaurant 5 stars but it lacks enough seating. There should be more organization how they handle the 'open seating' area. read more

This is taking the phrase, "you eat with your eyes" to a whole new level. Displays of desserts, pizzas, flatbreads (I guess that's what you call it), paninis, pastas, hot entrees, salads, and more! Like a kid in a candy shop. On the other side of the restaurant, there's a sit-down area for customized pizzas. Dangerous to go hungry as you might just want everything. So many choices, not enough room to eat it all! read more

I was very lucky to find this while my short visit to London this week. I would definitely be there again any time I am in London . Too bad we don't have that in San Francisco yet. read more

Princi - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I absolutely loved Princi and frequented it a lot during my time in Milano. When I got to London and saw that they have a location here I rushed straight over. The Princi in London is exactly like their Milan locations - the goods and the bads. You can choose between self-serve or full serve and I would recommend the latter to access their amazing menu. Just like in the Milan location you'll deal with a slightly strange staff and a weird ordering and seating system. Bare with it because their food is worth the confusion. If you want to do it right, start the meal with zucchini fries & an aperol spritz and then end it off with a tiramisu. Vegetarians - try the spaghetti with burrata - it's really damn good. Come here if you're feeling patient and ready to have some of the best quality Italian products served up in the best way. If they could up their service and organization in the restaurant I would up my review to 5 stars in a heartbeat! read more

This place is a gem! I'm so glad my Mom and I stumbled upon this place in Soho. The food is amazing and love the wood fire oven and bakery. A casual setting for a great break from shopping. We will definitely be back! read more

Princi - Their pasta is fantastic! Love the saffron risotto! - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Where I'm from we don't have a lot of places like this. Everytime we passed it, weended up stopping in for a delicious pastry, croissant or cookie. Everytime it was delicious. The interior is modern and awesome. Its kind of loud and it seemed like most of the staff is italian so it was kind of hard to order. They have pizzas and ready made pastas as well. Good shit. read more

Princi a really beautiful and location in Soho. Several times I considered going there, but every time I decided then that it was too full. But a few days ago, I finally went there with an Italian friend. She made me try Arancini basically fried rice balls with a meat and tomato filling. Delicious! I also tried a pizza slice and was a bit surprised, as it was colder than I expected. But it also tasted good, even sort of cold. I really like the interior of Princi. Some wood, some natural stone, some polished surfaces. Some small water fountains with interesting light effects. All this actually makes me like this place. We were also happy enough to get a place to sit quickly, but it seems that it's often very crowded. Anyway, the food is very tasty. I also bought a bread there. Recommended. read more

I'm a huge fan of this massive - and always busy - Italian deli. They serves up some extremely delicious items that are always freshly made with only the best ingredients. The staff is friendly, fast and always willing to guide you in the right direction concerning food. The prices are - however - high. That's a fact and you can find a proper sit-down meal in the area for same. It doesn't make the food at Princi any bad though, just expensive. read more

Princi - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I want to like it. hell I want to love it. I mean, I love Wardour Street, home to some of my favourite eats for many a decade. But when you pay near £4 for a slice of pizza I'm not sure I can. I think I should go there for certain pastries but I'm a sucker for trying out a slice, but I prefer Maletti nearby or Icco over in Fitzrovia which you can get a whole pizza for same price. I didn't think much of the taste either. Wasn't knock your socks off awesome. Also didn't like that the seats are so so close. Not really feeling this place which is a shame because I was certain I would. read more

I have mixed feelings about this place, because their pastries are FANTASTIC, but the savoury foods are ok. The atmosphere is GREAT, but you can never (never ever) find a seat. Also, service is always a bit rough. Three weeks ago I went in for dinner and purchased several items. Of the five items I purchase, I really did not like the taste of one (which cost me about 3 quid). I took my bread up to the counter thinking I could just explain that I did not like it and have them exchange it for something else. WRONG!!!! I woman behind the counter gave me the third-degree (as if I had personally offended her). She questioned and argued with me for 3 minutes before another employee walked over and just exchanged the item for me. Haven't these people ever heard of the saying, "customer is always right?" In any case, this...and the other negatives listed above, have diminish my love for this place. Princi is good, but definitely NOT great. PS: Burning incense in a restaurant??? Really? Taste has as much to do with the nose as it does with the mouth...and smelling incense when I am trying to eat a pizza is the very last thing I want to do! YUCK! read more

Fantastic place for a quick Italian/snack in Soho. Nice funky decor. Always buzzing and full of people any time of the day. Part bakery, part cake shop, part salad bar, part hot food bar and part coffee bar. Run by all Italians, recommended by Italians. Part of a chain from Milan. I've come for lunch and snacks. Good coffee - as one would expect from an Italian place. Yummy looking cakes ( a bit expensive I think so I haven't tried any, but I love the little pastry rolls filled with ricotta - kind of like canolli but made from croissant-like pastry, don't remember what it's called but its £0.80). Great salads, great pizza, great bread. Can't go wrong really. read more

Love the place but don't love the prices. It is a small portion with the price you paid. It set in the middle of wardour street, a lot of happening at Soho end. The cakes always look yummy and i always tempted to try out different cakes. Good interior design..a sense of open space with good lighting and background music. Always find crowded in this place..Good things is they always give some free italian pizza to bite. read more

See all

Love this place! Went there for a quick Thursday lunch and the place was buzzing. Most of the staff are actually Italian, so there's a real authentic feel to it and you almost feel like you're in Milan itself! Sitting at the brass-covered bar table that runs along the window, I had barely waited 3 minutes after taking my order that my Coppa, Rocket and Mozzarella pizza that it was swept down before me! Very good price (11,50£) for such good quality ingredients (beautiful olive oil). All in all a real italian eatery, that leaves you with a fresh and well-fed feeling, definitely recommend. read more

Pasta porzioni piccolissime - Pasta portions extra extra small The linguine alle vongole very extra extra small and when I asked whether they were as a main, I was told that 90 grams of pasta is the rule for a main, although the waitress agreed that it is far too small. Such a portion for 10.50 GBP is ridiculous. The pizza is Okish, not amazing at all. Una porzione di pasta da 90gr sono 10.50 GBP, quasi 15 euro. Sono ancora di stucco e anche se la cameriera ci ha dato ragione non e' che serva a molto. Abbiamo dovuto fare un secondo pranzo altrove. La pizza va abbastanza bene ma non eccezzionale. read more

I hate this place. In a few words: this is an expensive mediocre pizza, I mean seriously expensive. But they kind of take reservations, and if you want to have a pizza in a 2 hours timein soho this is one of the few places where you can have something decent. But ridiculously overpaid. This is a difficult-to-be-missed place, right in the center of Soho, with very big windows, and a queue outside. The personnel at the entrance is usually very kind, and as I said before the best part is that they kind of take reservations, in the sense that you ask for a table, they take your reservation and they send you an sms when the table is ready. Something that both Manca and Pilgrims (much better pizza places) don't, and whenever you are a big group this is something you need! But then... I mean pizza is kind of ok, a bit on the too fluffy for my taste but it's still an ok pizza, they have menabrea, a common beer in northern italy which seems a bit difficult to find around here, but the price is something that makes me super angry: a pizza+a beer + some shared olives comes around 30 pounds pp... I mean seriously, more than 40 Euros for a pizza! It's just ridiculous, nobody ever tried to set a price that is so high! damn you Princi, you do not deserve to stay in my pizza list!! read more

My friends and I were roaming the streets of London and happened to look into the window of Princi around dinner time. I saw a man inside who looked to be enjoying a beautiful pizza. As we made eye contact, he took a big bite of his pizza and then give us a very enthusiastic thumbs up! We were on our way to Jamie Oliver's Italian joint when this happened, and after going by and being told that the wait would be over an hour, we found our way back over to Princi. We ended up waiting for about 35 minutes here, but keep in mind that it was around 8:30 on a Friday, so it was to be expected that we would have to wait a bit. But let me tell you, the wait was WORTH IT! There was three of us and we ordered two starter salads and three pizzas and were very satisfied by the end. I ordered one of the simpler pizzas towards the top of the menu with buffala mozzarella and it was unreal how delicious it was! Service was pretty good too and were it not for the fact that we were completely stuffed after the pizzas, I would have totally ordered dessert b/c all of their million options looked absolutely scrumptious! I don't live in London, but my friends who were with me do, and I have insisted that they need to go back and confirm the deliciousness of the pastries here! read more

Walking into Princi is like walking into a really Italian section of the Harrods food hall. It's really busy, it's really pretty and everything is a little bit expensive. The water feature on the back wall throws calming ripples of light against the wall, which is a hilarious counterpoint to the frenzy of customers and staff you'll encounter at peak times. The similarities with Harrods end there, though. Unlike the famous Food Hall, everything here is actually worth the price of admission. Honestly, choose something at random and you'll have a good time in this place. Everything is prepared in house, with the baked items being cooked in their wood-fired oven and therefore being extra awesomely tasty. Their salads are fantastic and you can mix and match them in a box for a good lunch. Their hot meals look good, but I'll be honest and say I've never tried them - I never get far enough into the shop before something else catches my eye! They've also recently added a small pizzeria section. Their pizzas are again cooked in the wood fired oven and while they're a little bready to be considered 'proper Italian' pizzas, they're very, very good. My personal fave is the D.O.C, loaded with cherry tomato wedges, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil leaves - basically a margarita turned up to eleven. What's great about this place is that it's open early for breakfast and stays open until late, making it a great venue for a quick bite to eat after a trip to the theatre or concert on a friday night. It does get busy, but this just adds to the mad Italian charm of it all. read more

Princi..... On the plus side: great location, excellent design on the interiors (mini-water features, bench seating), brilliant ambience (a low buzz and a great feeling of movement), nice food, good music choices. Fun for people watching. On the debit side: prices can add up if you are planning to eat anything substantial (slices of pizza are around £4.50). Highly recommended if you are looking to grab a coffee and dessert after dinner, or for a pre -drink. One of my favourite places in Soho. read more

One of my favourite places to come grab a quick bite, only downside is that it's usually very busy and hard to get a seat. Recently been discovering more of the restaurant side and it's really really good. The pizzas are very authentic, I especially love the D.O.C pizza, with beautiful Italian tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella. read more

Princi is pretty good overall. I love the space (although cannot understand why, given all the giant space and many many customers, there is only one female toilet) and the rows and rows of delicious looking food. It's also cool that there is a waiter service section of the restaurant if you want something a bit more formal. I really liked the Princi breakfast - the sausage wasn't that great but the bacon was well cooked, the sourdough toast was a great accompaniment and the cannellini beans in tomato sauce had a rich flavour which enhanced everything else. The scrambled eggs were good too, although I actually ordered fried! Which brings me to the service which was very polite but a bit inattentive at times, although it was nice not to be rushed. Overall though, I think this is a great Soho spot. read more

This is a fantastic, authentic Italian pizzeria. The service was excellent and the spicy sausage pizza was Devine. I highly recommend this yummy eatery for a quick and reasonably priced lunch or dinner in Soho. read more

With a fantastic spread of bread, pizza, cakes and salad to feast your eyes on, Primchi is destined to satisfy hunger and an appetite for variety and originality. It is also one of the rare places around Soho that can serve you quality food straight away which is such a rare commodity and much needed when you're in want of a quick dinner before going to the theatre. The Pizza Capricciosa I had was a bit tough but certainly filling with a good sprinkling of olives, ham, mushroom and mozzarella. The Rainbow salad was one of the nicest salads I ever remember having as there was a good range of different vegetables, such that I don't even know what they were, but they were indeed crunchy and appetising. The Pasta salad was very pleasant too with pesto, pine nuts and small bits of tomato in the mix. What looked like a 'scotch egg' was actually an Arancino di Riso (which tastes like lasagne in a breadcrumb fried crispy ball). Finally the chamomile tea was just what you would want; fresh, fragrant and refreshing. The downsides to Primchi is that the food is rather cold, the service a little haphazard as one long counter gives rise to inevitable confusion with where the queue begins and where it ends, and the seating is much like a canteen that is filled to the brim. Nevertheless, Primchi is great to have around; significant effort and attention to detail can be seen in all the food and drink and the infinite display on show is enough to tickle your taste buds at any time. read more

See all