Ave Mario: Italian Dining Takes Centre Stage in Covent Garden
Grand proportions, vivid interiors and generous Italian cooking make this Henrietta Street restaurant a fitting neighbour to London’s theatres.
Ave Mario understands the power of an entrance. Beyond its illuminated doorway on Henrietta Street, curved red banquettes, striped architectural details and glowing globe lights create a dining room with an unmistakable sense of drama. Mirrors multiply the spectacle, while white tablecloths bring a familiar restaurant elegance to the exuberant setting.
Opened in July 2021, the restaurant’s design draws on Italian architectural grandeur with a playful cinematic streak. Studio Kiki describes a scheme that combines cathedral-inspired dark green and cream stripes with retro glamour. Across its different spaces, the mood shifts from the lofty main room to a richly coloured lower-level setting, where mirrored surfaces and saturated reds give dinner an after-dark character.
Part of the Big Mamma group, Ave Mario translates that appetite for spectacle onto the plate. The restaurant’s current offering highlights homemade Italian cooking, seasonal ingredients and Neapolitan pizzas. Its Gran Carbonara, served in a four-kilogram Pecorino wheel, provides a centrepiece designed to command attention.
There is substance beyond the presentation. Aged beef sirloin with salsa verde offers a heartier alternative to pasta and pizza, while antipasti and desserts allow diners to shape anything from a shorter lunch to a more expansive meal. The restaurant also offers weekday lunch and theatre menus, acknowledging the different rhythms of its Covent Garden address.
The result is a restaurant where setting and food speak the same expressive language. Ave Mario’s appeal lies in making the meal itself an occasion: a place for conversation across a generous table, a celebratory gathering or dinner with a little of the West End’s theatrical spirit.
TREND Magazine | Food & Lifestyle
Address: 15 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QG
Website: Ave Mario — Big Mamma