Since brave, pioneering Yelpers went before us and explained the oyster card style system, it was no hassle at all. Despite this unnecessary gimmick, I really liked Vapiano. Mostly because the salad I had was amazing, accompanied by their fabulous ciabatta bread. I caught a glimpse of the pizzas whizzing by, they looked far too saucy (giggle) and undercooked. I guess when people are standing about waiting, they chuck it in and out in about ten minutes. A decent pizza takes about 15 mins to cook (info garnered from a summer as a pizza slinging waitress who sometimes forgot orders). I think the card thing is totally unnecessary, you should just order and pay at the till like Nandos. But I guess it gets the punters in and that's what they want. A solid three stars, I'd definitely go back. read more

Wow. Upstairs is a Basil plant station that looks exactly what I always imagined what a home grown weed factory looks like. Without the weed obviously. Anyways, unlike Fazan, we didn't fail completely at Vapiano and the caesar salad and bruschettas were pretty good. I'll go on a brag thing now and say the caesar salad dressing is not as good as the wolfgang puck recipe I got from epicurious, but boy were their fatty fried croutons delicious. Getting stuffed for this quality of food in this area of town for less than £10? Amazing. The basil plant on every table so you can help yourself thing is pretty genius too. And they sure put enough cheap parmesan on my salad to feed urm... a cow, so no need to ask for that. read more

I was also sceptical of Vapiano. It wasn't the oyster card service or the lack of waiters. You walk in and everything is just a little too clean... a little too nice. There are fresh pots of basil at every table for you to use with your meal. There are high ceilings and lots of light. If you go up stairs (which is an even nicer area to eat) you feel like you are in a commercial for a dining experience... and you really like it. Its the kind of place where you walk in and would not be surprised if Nicolas Cage sat down at your table with his shirt half unbuttoned, holding a wine glass and told you important information- seconds before an expensive car crashed through the window. That being said, the food was absolutely amazing. I had the daily special- rabbit in mustard sauce on spelt pasta and it was great. I think they might have over salted the water, but I didn't care. The deliciousness more than made up for it. I am a big fan. For this part of town, the prices are a steal. I wish I had known about this place when I was a student. Only problem: If you are starving, waiting in line for food is really annoying but good things come to those who wait. Eat here, young bunnies of London. Eat here! read more

I work in central London near Oxford Circus. Vapiano is my favorite lunch spot. Start with great food - made right in front of you, pasta fresh made each day - simple, quality - flavorful. Don't expect to be waited on, nor should you let that deter you - the service is efficient, the atmosphere is casual and the price is fantastic. Payment system makes it easy to go with a group of friends. read more

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I will start by confessing that I was a little bit skeptical when I saw that Vapianos was being launched in the UK. It is a massive chain in Germany (the Germans *love* Italian food from what I can gather, don't we all), but the 'Oyster card for your food' didn't seem like it would take off here at first. However, after several impromptu visits to Vapianos I can advocate that I am a massive fan. Looks its not brain surgery, it's pizza, pasta and salads. They have daily specials, they cook the food in front of you, and if there is an ingredient that you do not want to be included in your dish, they will leave it out for you. The staff reliably inform me that the pizza and pasta are all baked/made fresh each morning, and the staff are all very house proud which is always nice. The seating is a free for all and you can hide away in a dark corner in the back, on a cushy sofa or table by the window or on the mezzanine level upstairs. There's also a separate coffee bar for the post-dining caffeine hit, or you can come here just for coffee. They really don't care, just come and pay a visit, you're always welcome. I've come here at different times of day on different days of the week, and with spring upon us, it always has a nice and relaxed vibe, inside and out (there is some outdoor seating now as well - if you can avoid being caught out by the wind). With free gummy bears available at the till, there are really no downsides to this place. Friends who I have brought here are always pleasantly surprised at this hidden gem (just a stone's throw from the chaos of Oxford Circus) and they have themselves spread on the good word. I mean it, enjoy. x read more

Long lines, bad food and poor service. Wish I went to McDonald's instead. Don't waste your time.

This place blew my mind. Excellent cuisine (I've tried most antipasti, pasta, pizzas and calzones - they all rock), good service, very reasonable prices, and fast! As soon as you enter, each person is provided with their very own RFID card. This card is scanned whenever you order something. Orders are placed directly with the cooks, so there's no chance of a misunderstanding. You get exactly what you want! The food is cooked in front of you, using exclusively fresh ingredients. Whenever you're done enjoying your food, just proceed to the exit - and hand your cards to the staff, which is brilliant. You can choose for each person to pay individually for exactly what they ate (the bill is already split up), or one person can pay for all the cards. Last time I was there for a quick lunch, I was in and out of the restaurant in 20 minutes flat. For a proper, sit-down meal, just off oxford street. Not much can be done to make it better! read more

I really liked this place! Located in the centre of town, just off oxford street. Offering pizza, pasta and more. Its a bit like fast food but healthy. I had a margarita with lots of chilli which was really nice. You walk in and grab a table. Once you're settled, you walk down to the food area where they make your choice of pizza and pasta in front of you. This is all assigned to a card which you're given as you walk in the door. You pay when you leave! It was huge inside with seating both upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs is the bar where they serve a wide range of beers and soft drinks. Really, nice overall! Definitely one I'll come back to! read more

Vapiano is a great restaurant offering up fresh Italian food in a rather unique manner. Unlike other restaurants, when you enter vapiano instead of asking for a table you'll instead be handed a card which is not unlike a credit card that you are told to charge all of your orders to. This system works out very well. Every time you order something, you simply swipe the card and the amount is added to your bill. Which you then pay at the end of your visit. I had a pizza and it was great. On par with any of the other major Italian restaurant chains. The service was fast and it fasted great. Overall I would recommend vapiano if you want good quality Italian food for not too high of a price. read more

We had risotto with shrimp. If you like heat, a lot of heat, order as is. If you aren't crazy with the heat, ask them to take it down a few notches. The wait around 9:30 PM on a Thursday was over 30 minutes for pasta and risotto. They make it fresh and custom-made for you while you stand there and wait for it. The salad and pizza lines were almost nonexistent. There are comfy bench couches and a little stools that are less comfortable towards the back. It seems like a good place for a lot of conversation because this place is extremely loud. Even after people are done eating they sit and chat for quite a while. read more

This is quite a dining experience, firstly most of the food you watch being cooked in front of you and secondly, there are no waiters. As you walk though the doors you are greeted by very friendly staff who give you a little card (a bit like your Oyster) and explain how the system works. You look at the simple menus, choose what you would like, get up, go to the kitchen and tell the chefs what you want. They will cook it for you right in front of your eyes. The same goes for drinks, you have to go up to the bar and present your card to get one. The food is reasonably priced and with the card system it's pretty good to go with a group of friends as splitting the bill at the end is not a problem with all the cards. The food is tasty but nothing really to write home about. One thing that sets it apart from other Italian places in the area, or at least in my opinion, is the fact that the chiefs tell you what goes best together when creating your own dish. As it's service is a bit of a talking point this is a great first date place as well as it being relaxed and friendly with a funky crowd of people. The food is reasonably priced but the drinks do make the bill creep up. Highly recommended. read more

This place is very meh. I've been to the one in Union Sq, NYC and that one is delicious. - my friends pasta was undercooked. They tried to protest and say it's how the pasta comes but I even tasted it and it felt almost raw. - they _we're_ great about making another - my pizza was very meh. I think it's pretty common to have pizza above meh, so this was pretty disappointing read more

The venue is large, clean and modern. On entry you are greeted and given a card (yes, the oyster card system everyone has mentioned already). If you haven't been there before they will explain how it works but it's very simple. Personally I like it. I don't know what all the fuss is about with the card system (that's why I like it in fact, there is no fuss). You can choose from salads and antipasti, pasta or pizza. For me it's pasta every time so haven't tried the pizza and it takes longer. You walk up to the counter, tell the chef which dish you would like and which type of pasta to go with it. They make it in front of you and you can specify if you want or don't want garlic, chili, cheese etc. - just add it all in for me. They have several specials each time. All pasta is fresh and made in the restaurant. Today I had the 'pasta cognac' with chicken, bacon, cream, peas, tomato sauce, a splash of cognac with linguine which I highly recommend if you see it next time. A good and satisfying portion size too. It's an efficient operation and tables are kept clean. It does get busy at peak times and I see people with their low reviews complaining about long queues. I don't deal with queues well either so for that reason I tend not to visit places when I know they will be super busy and go just before or after the busiest period. Maybe that's why I've never had to wait more than about 5 minutes which is pretty good in my book. Prices are reasonable for the location just off Oxford Circus where everywhere always seems crowded, all the time. So overall 4 stars for good food, clean efficient ambience, consistency in standard and reasonable value. I am definitely a fan. read more

Close to work. Good place to come for lunch but like most places in the area if you are late the queue does build up. The food is excellent and my favourite dish is easily the Tachhino Piccante, extra spicy. I love the way I can see them cook the food and can ask them to add exact amounts of chilli, garlic etc. The staff is friendly and you can always have a laugh with them. A good place to get some time off work at lunch. I wish they'd stop asking me "Have you been to Vapiano's before?" every time I enter now - That takes a star off your score! read more

Big fan of this place. After scanning the shopping scene and picking up a new winter coat, my feet were aching and my tummy was on empty. I whipped up yelp and spotted this area for a lil carb load to get me through the night. The concept of Vapiano is quite interesting... Kinda an upscale cafeteria style of serving? You essentially get a card at the entrance, stand in line to order and pickup your food, you eat at community tables, then pay after you're done. The lines seemed to take a long time to get your food, that was about the only negative thing I could think about really... The food itself was well portioned and tasted amazing (perhaps hunger really is the best spice). Wash it down with a pint from the bar or a glass of vino and it's a solid meal! read more

Vapiano was a bit chaotic. I know it's near Christmas and all that, but queueing and the self service is all a bit strange when you first arrive and your best friend who has been there, doesn't explain to you the concept. The staff are just meh. Not rude, not polite, just there for want of a better way to describe it. The food was alright. I had the bruschetta, which was tasty but then they didn't use proper red tomatoes... you know.. the ones with flavour.. so I had to a chuck a load of balsamic vinegar on it to make it taste of something. The pasta was OK. I had the fresh basil and tomato and my friend had the salami one which looked infinitely better than mine. So there I was, major food envy and a whole load of balsamic vinegar, pining after hers. I would come back here, possibly at lunch when it might be a bit quieter and you don't have to queue. It's an interesting idea and good for a quick bite to eat when you're the Oxford Circus area. read more

Quite a simple concept here. You get a charge card, order your food at the relevant counter and swipe the card to record your order. Once you're done eating, just hand the card to the cashier and you're billed for whatever you've racked up on the card. I've seen this concept used to greater effect in the US. Vapiano only boasts a pasta, pizza and antipasti/insalate station. It would be nice if someone expanded on this concept and offered a meat section, stir-fry, seafood, crepe station, etc. I get their canteen type concept: order what you want, when you want and sit where you like. It works well for singles or couples wanting a quick lunch. But this still doesn't stop doey-eyed patrons walking around in circles for a place to eat, tray in hand with freshly cooked food, slowly going cold. Good luck to families or groups looking for a large table. At least they can tag team while one orders and another holds the table. As for the food, the pesto and arrabbiata pastas we ordered were flavoursome and cooked al dente right in front of us. You have the option of adding extra chilli and garlic to your taste. I'll give the pizzas a try the next time I need a quick lunch. read more

Walk in and you get a card which gets charged everytime you order something at the counter. It's a neat idea and after we found a table we set about getting our food. One of us had to man the table while everyone else went to order their food. Due to the different lines, everyone got their food at different times, which was a bit annoying as some of us were finished with the food while others were still waiting to get theirs. I had the red pesto pasta. I originally wanted the spelt fusilli, but they were out so I got the spelt spaghetti instead. The pasta was... ok. I though it was a bit bland and wish I has asked for chills or garlic, or something else to add flavour. They skimped on the sundried tomatoes as well. For £7 for a bowl of pasta I expected more. It's a neat concept, but it wouldn't be my top choice for dinner. read more

Can't argue with a quick Italian gourmet! This place is the answer to fast fresh food, the chefs cook it in front of you made to order - never mind the lunch rush lines its quick and worth it! Unique pay option; you get a card, get your choice of food, your meal choice gets swiped onto your card, and you pay AFTER you eat. The place is great for groups with the additional seating upstairs, even when its busy- ate here for the first time a month ago with colleagues for lunch. Portions are generous, I had a tasty option of penne funghi, the pizza's are definitely big enough to share, BONUS! I wanted a bit of everything on everyones plate but i was pleasantly full read more

My favourite Italian restaurant which serves the best and freshest pizza in London . I hate Italian food except pizza and here has the best . I love the atmosphere as well . read more

This is by far one of my fav restaurants to go to in London. Bare in mind if does get rather busy at dinner times because there are a lot of offices around the restaurant. A very unique style of ordering you there are chefs counters around the restaurant and you tell them exactly what you what and watch your food being cooked. A really good experience though and you have full control of what goes into your food. Quality of the food is really good and price is very reasonable, I will definately keep coming back here! read more

Today it was the day I tried Vapiano in London. Heard of it many times but never tried. Today I invited my buddies to catch up there. The place looked fresh and spacious, the way I like it. And it's not so typical for London to have something so roomy.The thing was that we fell on a Sunday afternoon and the crowds at the counter were incredible! My sister went for pizza and she got it really fast while me and two other friends stood in a queue, I won't lie - for a half an hour. Does anybody think it's reasonable?? It's not something like Michelline star restaurant, it's quite a fast food one... I was very upset we had to spend so much of our precious time in line because it was me who chose the venue. So I felt like it was a wrong choice for this occasion. At least you can chat while waiting for the food in the other places, but in Vapiano you just nervously gambol in one spot. By the time we returned to the table, my sister had already finished her food, what a shame... The food was lovely , enough of it for a quite resonable price and everything's fine about it. So I'd definately return for it. Not so sure if with a bigger company, probably not... That's why I'm giving 3 stars with this review - only 1 for the time wasted in vain, 5 for the food :-) read more

Vapiano is my another favourite restaurant for quick meal. Lunches always busy there . Self service. Love their pizza . Food comes quickly as well. Lovely carbonara pasta . will come back again . read more

Vapiano - nothing much to say .enjoy girls :) - Italian Near Me - London, XGL

Who thought this was a good idea? Take below-average Italian food. Remove the service element and replace with a Service Station, queue up-order-wait-pickup style arrangement. All at the same price (or more than) you'd pay in a decent small family Italian restaurant. In the pursuit of efficiency charm, friendliness and atmosphere have been culled. And after you've stood queuing for 15 minutes for a basic bowl of pasta you'd probably question the efficiency too. My idea of hell. Never again. read more

Delicious. The layout is different in that you order sort of canteen-style first but the whole ambiance is very classy/romantic. The prices are very doable with the most expensive pasta being 9gbp and pizzas starting from 6gbp. It's made fresh in front of you and it's delicious! THEY ACCEPT AMEX!! read more

Very slow, the guy who made my food touched the trash bin a few times. The food was dry, the onion not cooked. I'm not suggest. read more

I was really surprised to find a Vapiano in London. As I am originally from Hamburg, Germany where Vapiano is from as well, I did not know it was there until I ran past it accidentally. Vapiano is a self-service restaurant just round the corner from Oxford Circus tube station. It's literally 3 minutes, just behind the Topshop flagship store. At Vapiano you find all kinds of pasta, pizza and salads. These are priced reasonable from around 5.75 a pizza/pasta. Drinks are a little more expensive compared to Germany but still a really good choice for a nice meal, inexpensive and still very central in London! read more

God my review couldn't really be much further from my fellow Yelpers. I had a really awful experience here last week and have been telling everyone who'll listen. I was persuaded by a German friend who prescribed it was the best thing since sliced bread, well in Germany at least. We went in about 6:30 on a Wednesday evening, it was buzzy and bright. I headed straight for one of the many banks of people waiting for pasta. I chose my pasta after a minute or two and 10 minutes later I was still waiting to have my order taken. Another 5 minutes more went by and I finally got to order my Fig & Spicy Sausage Pasta. Another few minutes a swipe of my card and I had a tray and a big bowl of pasta. By the time I had arrived at the table my companion had about a third of a cold pizza left and a lonely look on her face. I sat down and was glad too see she had been prepared enough to buy drinks for us both, as I certainly wasn't going to venture back out. So to the reason people come here 'apparently'. My Fig & Spicy Sausage Pasta had plenty of fresh fig, which pleased me, but last time I checked there was a difference between Italian Spicy Sausage and peperoni. This is the kind of school boy error that Pizza Hut would make and I wouldn't expect of a place that charges nearly £9 for a bowl of pasta, accompanied by the privilege of queuing 20 minutes. It doesn't help there are a few perfectly fine Italian chains a block away. I decided to order a salad and park my pasta, and stupidly didn't check the prices beforehand. I really shouldn't have been surprised that the mozarella and tomato salad was about £5. A large bottle of water later and a bill for over £18, I wasn't a happy bunny... read more

First impression - great place to have lunch - spacious, light, fresh air, modern design (especially seeing a round table with fresh basil pots with a living olive tree growing through the middle). However, there is a huge BUT. At least weird for me and my girlfriend.. With entering we were given cards and told to have anything and that we will be charged once leaving... The staff did not want to bother with explaining details. It made us feel like we are doing a questionnaire... So soon we realised the system is based on concept of buffet. In our opinion, it was not impressive at all! We felt like cheated. Yet I had supposedly fresh orange juice, which tasted like concentrated with larger quantity of sugar cubes (not much tanginess really). We left straight after that experience - it was distressing! read more

Eh. This was one of those places that could be good, but is missing some basic order. It's essentially a dining hall for office workers who are feeling nostalgic for the trays and queues of their uni days, but who have graduated to better food. Nobody at the front bothered to tell us how the system worked, and we were given two separate cards despite stating that we were just going to pay on one tab, which seemed a touch pointless. Figuring out how to order isn't rocket science, but a two-second introduction to the flow would have been nice. Veal with tuna sauce was dry, bruschetta was made with sad supermarket tomatoes that morning and they'd marinated in their own tears all day (apparently weeping for a lack of basil). Pasta was, well, pasta, with little meat, and the pizza was 'artistically' arranged with all the figs on one slice, blue cheese on another, tomatoes on another. I prefer my pizza toppings more socialistically-distributed, thanks. The ingredients, for the most part, seemed to be of good quality, and the pizza dough was solid, but this place just lacked any hint of heart and nobody seemed to take particular pride in their work, aside from the polite gentleman clearing tables. On the up side, you can skip the waterlogged desserts and get some Haribo gummy bears on the way out, paltry consolation prize though they may be. read more

Vapiano's strength is in its unique concept (which in my mind, isn't even really that unique). When you enter the store, you're given a card. With it, you line up in one of pasta, pizza, and salad lines, where they cook your meal in front of you. They add all that you ordered on to your card, and you pay on your way out. Throughout your meal, it's all self-service e.g., you need to serve your own water, carry up your own meal if you want to dine upstairs, etc. Whilst I give it credit for the somewhat creative concept, I'm always disappointed by its food. The pasta is never done right; I could name at least half a dozen places that does pasta better for the price. The people that make your food in front of you are not the most responsive to your requests e.g., on both occasions when I asked if they could make my arrabiata a little spicier, all they did was throw in two more little pieces of chili peppers which defeats the purpose of having things cooked in front of you. The water glasses are too small that you have to get up and re-fill them at least three times throughout the meal. Finally, the line to pay on your way out is always long which once again, makes one wonder "Why this concept unless it's only for the restaurant to save cost?" I went to this place twice only because it was the chosen venue for a group meal, but I would never go here on my own. read more

I have been meaning to write about this place for AGES. I've been so many times that I have had 2 meals free - if you get 9 stamps on their loyalty card you get the 10th meal free. The idea about this place is pretty cool - you have to queue up for your food almost like a food court with a tray, but it's freshly cooked in front of you. You scan a card with your order and pay at the end. Simple! And tasty. For £8-10 you get freshly cooked pasta with decent sauces, or pizza with freshly made dough. Sometimes I think they need to inject a bit more flavour into the sauces, but then I add some herbs that are fresh on every table as a garnish and sprinkle some chilli oil over the top and it makes it all come alive. For those need a sophisticated quick bite, you can't really complain. read more

Founded in Germany in 2002, Vapiano can now be found all around the world. I first encountered Vapiano in 2008 in Stockholm - and liked it (see http://www.qype.co.uk/place/92279-Vapiano-Sturegatan-Stockholm) . On a sunny day I passed by a Vapiano restaurant in London and decided to go there soon to see, if it's as good in London as it is in Stockholm and Frankfurt. And it is. I really like the concept, that your food gets made right in front of you - fresh, but of course with prepared ingredients. The interior is quite simplistic, what I also appreciate. If you look for relatively cheap but still very good Italian food in central London, Vapiano is definitely the place to go to! read more

4 stars for a canteen (as it is more of one than a restaurant). You need to queue up to different stalls to order/pick up food. The food was good and it seems like a fun and lively atmosphere but was quite loud and hard to hear people speak. Definitely great place to get lunch while at work and I think that's their main client. read more

I've been to Vapiano's countless times in quite a few countries. It's good go to pizza , pasta etc when theres little else around or if you're with kids. The selection is great and the price is right. I like the lemon and mint water that you can drink for free. If you come during lunch and dinner time rush hour you can literally wait at least 30 mins for food which is a hassle when you're starving. Regardless I would recommend eating here as the food is made right in front of you so you can adjust as needed. read more

I love this place! Specifically, I love the way the bartender from the upstairs section made my mojito. The pizza is fantastic, the pasta wonderfully cooked and they never rush you. There are a variety of places to sit from long high tables like tall picnic tables to normal tables to a lovely sunken living room with comfy chairs. Everything is lovely here and very posh and modern. I really enjoy visiting here! read more

Vapiano has a very trusting outlook on bill paying as they operate on the basis of everyone swiping a card every time they buy something before and only paying at the end. Now, obviously I'd never dream of walking out ;-) without paying but it does strike me as likel;y that other people would. Away from that though it is a nice restaurant/bar with good looking food (yet to try it) and well kept beer, what's more they've got a couple of benches outside to watch the world go by (and inhale it too). read more

Bon rapport qualite prix. Le restaurant est bien situe et les prix abordables. L assiette de pates est tres bonne et copieuse. Les pizzas ont une pate fine a l italienne, tres bonne. Bon endroit pour manger au lunch entre amis ou famille. read more

I went here with a fellow blogger last night and have to say I really enjoyed the atmosphere. We both went for pizza, which admittedly took an age to arrive, but we were quite happy with a glass of wine while we waited. The concept of swiping a card each time you order a drink, meal or dessert seems to work well and although it means you don't get service, it also means you don't have to pay for it. A glass of wine and a pizza came in at £10 which I thought was a bit of a bargain. It's probably really in the same league with places like Nandos, but the grub is tasty and the atmosphere is fun. read more

What a cracking little place!! Well not so little actually as it has 2 floors! If you are looking for somewhere at lunchtime to have some fresh pasta (or indeed pizza or even salad) in a nice venue where the bill doesn't make you break out in a cold sweat, then give this place a try! The service is very good, as it was my first time a lovely gentleman even helped me through the process! (The Manager!!) To add to the experience there was no waiting for the bill, a quick trip to the cash point with your wee credit card thing and 'zap' you have paid with no hassle! I can see this place being a new lunchtime hang out for me! read more