Restaurant by Day, Italian Bar by Night
Lisa’s is basically a catfish. It reels you in with the promise of Italian food in chic Notting Hill, then halfway through dinner it rips off its apron, cranks up the speakers, and suddenly you’re in an Italian bar. Honestly? The party’s fantastic. The food… let’s just say it reminded me of my…, looks fine on the surface, but no substance when you dig in.
Excuse me, Lisa, but also your sharing menu, carbs alone are not a love language. You can’t just fling garlic bread, sad pasta, and lifeless pizza at me and expect me to swoon. Carbs are the supporting act, not the whole show. Give me sauce. Give me flavour.
Atmosphere:
Absolute 10/10. Live music got us in the groove, then they started DJ and the place exploded. People were on chairs, singing, dancing, probably considering proposing to strangers. By the end, it felt like we’d gatecrashed in some random bar in an Italian city. If you want fun, this is your spot.
Service:
Minimal effort, zero follow-through. Sure, dishes eventually landed on the table, but beyond that? Nada. And if you fancied a drink—forget table service. Off you trot to the bar like it’s pint night at your local pub. For a restaurant, that’s tragic. For a bar, forgivable.
Drinks:
Cocktails were good, wines were fine – but because you have to go up and grab them yourself, it felt more Wetherspoons service than West London.
Price: £££
Notting Hill prices for Croydon-level food. But if you think of it as “entry fee to a party” rather than “three-course Italian dinner,” you’ll be less upset.
What I Ordered:
Cheese Garlic Bread
Thick, chewy, and about as comforting as chewing on a shoe sole.
Cured Meats
Does not look fancy, tasted like pre-pack from the supermarket deli aisle.
*Aubergine Parmigiana
This was my favourite – the aubergine was sweet, and the skin had a lovely crisp texture that gave it just the right bite.
Montanare
Fluffy little fried pizza bites that tasted… fine. Not bad, but nothing memorable either – more snack food than showstopper.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
The sauce was sticky, a far cry from the silky Roman classic it should’ve been. The flavour was actually decent, which made it even more of a shame.
Spaghetti Pomodorini
Lisa, she tried… But in the end, it was just creamy goodness stranded on a sea of dry pasta and sweet tomato sauce.
Goat Cheese Salad
Total filler food. I couldn’t see any point to it alongside the pasta dishes, and it was not at all memorable.
Pizzas (Veg + Margherita)
I was already stuffed from all the carbs, but I gave the pizza one bite… and that was enough. Soggy, weirdly fluffy dough with totally soulless toppings—honestly, I’ve had better pizza from Tesco. No thanks.
Chicken Milanese
The meat was so dry it should come with a glass of water. Or three.
Cannolo
As an Italian dessert lover, I should probably ban this. The soggy shell was heartbreakingly sad. I did not even try to take picture.
Tiramisù
How do you make the not-tasty tiramisu at an Italian restaurant? This one was mostly sweet, with barely any coffee flavor—basically dessert in denial.
Conclusion
Lisa’s is not about the food. Full stop. If you go expecting silky pasta and saucy parmigiana, you’ll leave disappointed (and thirsty). But if you want to eat just enough to line your stomach, then party until you’re sweaty, happy, and belting Italian songs you don’t know the words to – Lisa’s is your girl. Think of it as dinner with a wild plot twist: forget the fork, grab a cocktail, and join the dance floor.
They say: WEST IS BEST AND SO IS OUR FOOD on their website. I can wholeheartedly agree with the first part—West is best—but your food? Far from it. More like Lewisham. And as for your ‘AUTHENTIC AFFORDABLE AND MADE WITH LOVE’ tagline? Honestly, I didn’t feel a hint of love in any of the dishes. I feel your passion from your party time though! I would be happy to go back for a party if you will allow me Vincenzo and Adi.!
If you want to try their food, I won’t stop you—here’s the website to book ans see the menu: https://lisasportobello.com
Personally, if you’re planning a visit to Notting Hill and want a proper meal, I’d head to Gold or Dorian instead.
