Review: Cicoria by Angela Hartnett at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Cicoria by Angela Hartnett is located in none other than London’s iconic Royal Opera House. Hartnett’s reputation precedes her. Hartnett’s reputation precedes her, once a protégé of Gordon Ramsay, she has long since established herself as one of Britain’s most respected chefs. Her Michelin-starred Italian British restaurant Murano in Mayfair and her four Café Murano sites across London are testaments to her success. With regular television appearances and an OBE awarded in 2022 for services to the hospitality industry, Hartnett feels a natural and dependable choice to take over this prestigious location. Unsurprisingly, anticipation for this opening has been high.

Cicoria © 2025 Photographed by Milo Brown

For years, this spot has been one of Covent Garden’s hidden gems. Situated on the fifth floor overlooking the Piazza, diners are treated to panoramic views stretching as far as the distinctive roof of the London Coliseum. Admittedly, getting there isn’t entirely straight forward, guests must enter through the Opera House, ascend via the Floral Hall, and take the long escalators up. Its tucked-away nature has historically made it a challenging space, with little casual foot traffic. But with Hartnett at the helm and a complete reinvention of the site, Cicoria is set to bring the punters in.

As we arrived the transformation of the entire fifth floor is immediately noticeable.  Working with London-based Russell Sage Studio the restaurant space exudes a new warmth and elegance. The restaurant extends out to a heated terrace with glass sliding windows to keep the heat in as we head towards the winter months. The L shaped terrace is split between the restaurant and Bar Cicoria. Inside, the design layers natural materials- warm woods, marble tabletops, and soft lighting with custom wallpaper in shades of pale green and white. Tones of pink, terracotta and green lend welcome pops of colour. The seating is luxuriously comfortable.

Cicoria © 2025 Photographed by Milo Brown

The name Cicoria means chicory, in Italian, which is of course on the menu alongside many of Angela’s renowned Italian-inspired dishes.

From the Cicchetti (small bites) & Antipasti portion of the menu we ordered the Olive all’Asconlana - crumbed sausage-stuffed olives, lightly fried and deliciously moreish. Thoughtfully, the team brought a few unstuffed large green shiny olives for my vegetarian dining companion. Stuffing the tiny green olives with meat is without doubt a finickity job but a worthwhile one. Such a great nibble to start off our lunch. On any other day I would have been right in there pairing them with a martini. The focaccia followed with a noticeably high-quality peppery olive oil served alongside. So delicious, we made the focaccia disappear all too quickly and we needed a refill to accompany our Burrata with charred grapes & mint. The smoky flavour of the peeled grapes contrasted wonderfully with the creamy cheese.  Making the most of fig season we also tried the Treviso figs & shallots with aged balsamic – a perfect sweet and tangy balance

The gnocchi with porcini and fontina cheese were exceptional - impossibly light and pillowy, with deep, savoury umami notes and delicate raw mushroom shavings on top. I chose the Pork Chop, mustard fruits with hispi cabbage. The flavour profile was delicious, but the crackling was a tad chewy. The buttery hispi cabbage was on pointe and had me looking forward to the arrival of wintery menus this season. On the side we enjoyed Baked ratte potatoes with crisp fried sage leaves and melting fontina cheese and a flavoursome Chicory Salad, Old Winchester and walnuts - each leaf perfectly coated in dressing.

Cicoria © 2025 Photographed by Milo Brown

We finished the meal with a Caramelised Amalfi lemon tart. A perfectly made dessert with a beautifully thin shortcrust pastry shell and the smoothest tangy lemon curd topped with a delicate thin layer of sugar brûlée. I do like to test the ice creams in restaurants, alas there were no exciting flavours on the menu (vanilla & chocolate). We decided vanilla could work well with the lemon tart while it was good it could have been creamier. The dessert menu also includes favourites like tiramisu, chocolate mousse and a rum baba.

Angela’s own wines feature proudly on the predominantly Italian and French list. Unaware she made her own wine we tried the white and the red, each excellent in its own right.

Caramelised Amalfi lemon tart. Cicoria. Image credit MTotoe.

Overall Cicora is a beautiful space offering a relaxing ambiance, stunning views, and friendly efficient service. It is an absolute no brainer to dine here before a show at the opera house. It is recommended to reserve a table 2 hours before the show.  On a beautiful night Bar Cicoria is a gem of a spot for views of the illuminated London skyline.

Location: Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 9DD.  Website:  rbo.org.uk Instagram: @cicoriabyangelahartnett

  Review by Natascha Milsom