Il Blandford’s

When you walk into the restaurant, it is as if you have been trandported to Italy. Everyone is speaking Italian and it feels like you have been invited to eat dinner with la famiglia. It is 100% authentic Italian food that is both delicious and fresh. We had the bruschetta, pasta, freshly juiced apple juice, cappuacino, red wine and pizza. This place is your ideal niche spot to take your friends and family to mangiare.

I think I’d give this 3.5 stars if I had that option. It’s small and cosy and fairly simple inside but pleasant. It was really quiet when we went on a Saturday night but it was also eurovision night!
We shared a burrata salad with cherry tomatoes and rocket to start. Burrata was super fresh and the tomatoes were tasty but it was lacking a little bit of flavour. Needed some salt or balsamic vinegar.
We then shared a pizza and a gnocchi dish. Both were good but nothing amazing. I enjoyed them but my local Italian is better.
However to be fair it is really cheap. Starter was 10 and each main was 10 so great value. Would go back if I was in the area but wouldn’t make a special trip.

We had a late lunch, great pizza and minestrone soup, fresh chicken salad. Felt like Italy ! Family atmosphere and kind service, would definitely come back. Highly recomended

This little Italian café is a real gem. In Marylebone, there are few decent budget options, and what few there are are mostly chains. This place is a diamond in the rough for the budget-​conscious of this pricey central London neighbourhood!
Il Blandford (there is some confusion about the name, it shows up as The Blandford, Blandford’s, Il Blandford, and various others in different sources) serves up English breakfasts and Italian fare (including pizzas, pasta and the like).
I’ve been twice for breakfast, and both times were excellent. All the servers are really fun, interesting, and personable — without the service feeling invasive. The space is small and cozy, without feeling cramped. And the food is tasty and satisfying, but light enough to enjoy fairly regularly. The English breakfast (which you might not expect to find in such an overtly Italian themed spot) is really fantastic.
A special spot in Marylebone and if you’re there, there’s a good chance you’ll spot me!

I came here once with a friend and we had a really lovely experience. The wait staff was friendly (yet at times a bit slow with attending to us), we got a table by the window and ordered some of the better pizza we’ve had since moving to London. The prices are very reasonable, the pizza is delicious, and if you’re really hungry, the bruschetta is worth ordering. The only problem was I was so full that I only could eat half of my pizza, which seemed to disappoint the maitre d, assuming I didn’t like it. But they gave me a box so I could enjoy it the next day. All in all, a great find!

I basically stumbled into this place during a family vacation in London. It was far and away the best meal we had on our trip. Fantastic pasta bolognese with fresh noodles that were perfectly cooked, and utterly perfect minestrone soup exploding with vegetables and subtle flavors.
Jessica, the young Italian émigré owner, managed to exude a combination of efficiency and warmth that was great! She actually harangued me to finish my pasta because they don’t like wasting food and they’re serving it with love, goddamit!
I also had a very nice chat with her father, an émigré from Sicily by way of New York. This was a great refuge on a cold, rainy afternoon. We will definitely be back on our next trip to London, and probably for more than just one meal next time.

Came here for a quick week night dinner with some friends. The food was fresh and tasty and the service was great too.

Very nice Italian home food, authentic family business. Cosy they ofer fresh squeezed juices, they serve illy coffee which is one of the best. they where welling to do my scaloppine lemoni which is not in the menu
Really love the place
Will defiantly come again

Small, friendly place. The service is super friendly, food is good (not the fastest though) and coffee is great! Prices are pretty fair for London. One of the few places in London that is still managed by the owner and does not belong to a bigger chain!
Reservations recommended.

Found that hidden gem thanks to Unilocal.It’s not obvious because the place is in a small street in a neighbourhood full of restaurants and if you don’t know it’s there, you will certainly miss it. It feels Italian, it tastes Italian. I had a pizza and an espresso and it was simply delicious. Love it. boom 5 stars, no-​brainer

This is the kind of quaint, authentic Italian diner you see in movies. The brunch dishes are spectacular, with friendly service to boot. While I was eating, another patron complimented the hostess on the food, and she in turn invited him to look into the kitchen and see the grittle — as that is the key to all the delicious meals. It’s the perfect little place to pop into with friends or on your own for a quality Italian brunch experience against the soundtrack of Italian being rapidly spoken and the delicious smells from both the coffee (illy) and the dishes. If I lived in the area, I would definitely become a regular. The only reason I give ⁴⁄₅ stars is because there is a pretty high minimum for card payments.

One of the best tiramisus i’ve ever had. Took the gnocchi, incredible taste but a bit overcooked. Good service, nice location. Very cosy

I’m still in the restaurant and already writing a review. The Spanish Eggs are the breakfast of Gods. Perfect mixture of spicy and sweet — the cheese is just right. Hands down the best I’ve ever had and blows other brunches out of the water. Service is spot on.
I’m definitely coming back!

Memorandum to self: next time you want to: start a business in the black market, or plan the theft of crown jewels, come here, sit at one of the wooden booths on the wall, and share your thoughts in strict italian while drinking coffee.
This is the kind of places you would see in the godfather goodfellas, just pure italian magic directly in the hearth of London. Me and my lady had breakfast here, and we were truly satisfied by it: generous portions, nice and hearty flavors (maybe a little bit too spicy, but it really depends on what you order!). Coffee is illy, and that’s guarantee of quality, and try the croissant, buttery and mouth watering.
Put away your phone, come here and just enjoy this place, coming straight from the past. This is just how an italian caffe’ should be. Thanks Blandfords for being what you are!

Quaint little nook that is great for chilling with friends and family. We just got coffees and the tiramisu, all of which were great.

Absolutely incredible little «hole in the wall» restaurant! Everything is freshly made; they will even send someone off to the store if they need more of an ingredient immediately! The juices are hand pressed and the meals are all homemade. It is very quaint and cozy and you feel like a real Londoner, even if you are just a tourist for the day! I kept coming back daily, as the food quality was that incredible. The family that owns it is very quiet and you can tell that they take a lot of pride into this restaurant. I would highly recommend this restaurant for any meal of the day!

Perfect coffee and breakfast in an Italian way! Nice staff and cosy place. Very nice breakfast! sit by the window and people by drinking your coffee.
Try the mixed juice!

Really lovely service here. I think the other elite reviews are spot on — this feels like a solid neighbourhood haunt — good value and excellent food! Love that they do all-​day breakfast on weekends and also serve a regular Italian menu.
The cosy tables encourage conversation with those around you and you can take a peek at what they all order to help you pick. The poached eggs in yoghurt and paprika sauce were sublime!

Great lunch spot. Quick, fresh, and delicious. I had a simple spaghetti pomodoro and it was just as good as the more expensive nearby places (really enjoyable!). I also got a smoothie (which I never get), but it was also great! I would definitely come back. Free wifi too.
Friendly service… Despite the kitchen being closed when I came, they still accommodated my request.

Blandfords café — or, as their business card puts it — IL Blandford is a small traditional-​looking place in right off Baker St. As you will appreciate on the menu and from the overall quality of coffee, one can tell this place is really Italian. More precisely, Sicilian.
Service is as you would expect it from an Italian-​managed place: highly personalized, fairly loud and straight-​forward. The lunch menu is the real deal. The manager here puts lots of attention on food freshness and appearance, so this is the place to come if you want a real meal with an eye to detail, or a quiet late breakfast on weekdays. They also serve great pizzas.
Down sides: dishes are pretty pricey for their size, it gets packed at lunch time, they don’t accept credit cards (yet).

Amazing, authentic, fresh, homemade Italian food! So good we are back again today!!! The lasagna is amazing, but the pizza is too… nothing beats the genuinely welcoming staff as well!
This cute cozy café is very popular and for good reasons… come for breakfast or for an early or late lunch! It’s worth it :)

The story goes like this:
I finished work earlier than usual one day and found myself waiting on the little lady to finish work in the Baker Street area. I have been eyeing up Blandfords Café for a while (not physically, mind you, that would be creepy, because cyber stalking is so much more acceptable). I headed straight over and walked in tentatively, and was suprised that even at the odd timing, a few of the tables were occupied, a gentleman facing the street had just received his fragrant pizza, whilst the majority were enjoying their coffees.
I was a man on a mission, so my first question was whether or not they would serve their spanish eggs on their breakfast menu despite it being mid-​afternoon. After a quick check with the kitchen, they were happy to oblige. I ordered that and a latte.
The latte was suprisingly good, the ground coffee was at the bottom of the glass, but all in all, it was a very decent coffee, it would beat your starbucks or costa anyday of the week. The spanish eggs came first (the toast was to follow), but I couldn’t wait to dig in, so I broke into one of the runny eggs, and worked the yolk into the tomato sauce, peppers, onions, ham and salami/​chorizo (?). It worked, the ingredients were simple and the meat was good, but not top-​notch. But damn, it worked. The flavours were bright and more-​ish, even without the bread to soak it all up, I happily ate a few spoonfuls, when the toast came, it only topped off the experience in style. I lapped up everything onto the toast and it was absolutely delightful.
I want to come here for breakfast everyday. It is a tad steep, but I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

This was a pleasant surprise! I work just around the corner and have passed by Blandfords numerous times before finally stopping in with some colleagues the other afternoon. There are only a few tables and chairs, and the décor isn’t anything to write home about, but damn if they don’t bring it with the service and food!
We had a table, menus, and a waiter taking drink orders in less than two minutes. Water all around, and an appetizer to share a few minutes later. They serve the «made with love by someone’s nana» Italian. Very simple, no fuss, straight up delicious Italian. I had a gnocchi with a spicy tomato sauce, veggies and just the right amount of parmesan. Everyone in our group ordered something different and we ate in silence aside from the «man…mmmm…this is gooooood“s coming from around the table.
Can’t believe people head to Strada on Baker Street when this is right around the corner. I’ll be back!

This place is just flipping awesome!
We came here as a group for a late lunch today and they had room for us. We basically all got their special: gnocchi with tomato, bacon and chili. It was DELICIOUS! As my colleague said ‘I could sit there all day with a glass of wine and watch the world go by’.
This place is a hidden gem and I love it. Want to go back immediately to try everything else!

When I walked in, my first thought was ‘Well, this is simple for London.’ Checked table cloths, green wooden benches and tiny tables scattered around the small floor space. It even had a pot plant on the table. It was nice.
When I sat down, a waiter immediately appeared with a bottle of water, a glass and some menus and then disappeared. I wasn’t bothered, and it was bliss.
When we were ready to order, the waiter appeared again as soon as we’d looked up, he gave us advice on how much food we should order based on how hungry we were feeling, cracked jokes throughout and even brought over two little plates so we could share neatly. What service.
Our food only took about 15 minutes to arrive and it was all great. The caprese salad was fresh, the parma ham and rocket pizza was crispy and filled with toppings and flavour (most definitely not Bland) and just enough for the two of us — note to self: always listen to the waiter here.
Blandfords may seem unassuming, tucked away on a corner of the famous Chiltern Street, home of celebrities and expensive restaurants, but it’s good, tasty, cheap filling food and I’ll definitely be back. Even if they don’t know what social media is and you sometimes need to stand up and wave at them before they’ll let you pay.

I went to Blandford’s for a nice full English breakfast, and I had a lovely morning at the café.
It seems to be family owned, which I love. Independent restaurants and cafes just seem to be more charming than chains. Or at least I like to think so. When I walked in, one of the sons greeted me and I saw the mother and father chatting away in Italian at a small table in the corner. It was really cute to see the father overseeing his son and I think nephew and kind of guiding/​teaching them.
I ordered a pot of English breakfast and their full English breakfast, which consisted of toast, ham, two sausage links, a sunny side up egg, mushrooms, and tomatoes. No beans or black pudding though.
Service was quick. There were only 4 other people in the restaurant and they only ordered drinks. It’s a small establishment, but a good breakfast nonetheless. A little on the pricey side (£10.60 for the tea and breakfast) as there are many more places in London that are cheaper, but I do like to support family businesses.

Blandfords isn’t fancy, especially not for the Baker Street area. They’re a little classic (or run-​down if you want to be mean about it.) They don’t have a Twitter handle. Hell, I’m not even sure they have a website.
It’s not what they do.
What they do, though, is classic Italian fair and that they do well. Grab a tiny booth against the window (one so iconic small Italian eatery that you almost feel like you should be planning a heist there) and order some food. We did the caprese salad, which was fresh and full (tomatoes, cheese, what more could you want) and a meaty pizza which was thin and delicious. I probably could have eaten a whole one by myself.
It’s a great spot to sit and eat with friends or by yourself. It’s cheap, it’s tasty, it’s classic. Who needs Twitter anyway?

Blandfords is a shining beacon of good taste amidst the banality of Baker Street. Here are all the things I love about it:
— The Italian owners greet you with a friendly Bongiorno! when you walk in
— A grandfatherly figure sits in the corner, sipping cappuccino and correcting the people (maybe his younger family members?) as they make coffee
— Booths beside big windows with tons of natural light
— The food! Their focaccia breakfast is a fantastic Italian take on the great British/​American breakfast tradition: poached eggs on foccacia toast smothered in olive oil so fresh you can taste the olives… served with slices of remarkably-​fresh tasting tomatoes and avocado and bacon for some salty goodness.
It’s poetry, my friends. Seriously, you should drop what you’re doing and go have breakfast here now.

If you are in the Marylebone and Baker Street area, and if you fancy a quick and tasty meal (breakfast or lunch).
You can’t go far wrong with this place, I have been here a few times and I was never disappointed with either the service nor the food.

After a hectic morning of shopping, I was in desperate need of some hearty brunch fare and a strong coffee. A quick search on Unilocal brought me to Il Blandfords– and my goodness was I pleased!
Fantastic customer service from the mostly, if not all, Italian team who made us feel right at home. The breakfast menu which is served all day had several tantalising options, but I was drawn to the Spanish Eggs, baked eggs in tomato sauce with piquillo peppers, olives, chorizo, jamon Iberico and cheese (well I added the cheese because why not?). Oh… em…gee!
My dish arrived hot and bubbly, with still runny yolks dancing in a sea of perfectly seasoned sauce. The chorizo and jamon have the dish a salty kick, while the buttered white toast provided the perfect vessel for sopping up every last bite.
Honestly– it tasted like a well made classic pizza– but for breakfast, and with eggs. Just, wow. Perfect americano as well.
I’ll be back, especially as the dinner menu is packed with classic pasta dishes– and you can bring a bottle of wine?! I’m all in!

I’ve walked by Il Blandfords Café many times living in the neighborhood and I finally decided to give it a try for lunch — and I’m glad I did!
Food: They have great menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’ve been craving a good pizza and was happy to see that they had a few on the menu. I ordered the Diavola pizza and was told it was proper size for one person. It came out and was much bigger than I expected but that didn’t stop me from eating ALL. OF. IT because it was sooooo delicious.
Drinks: I ordered a soft drink.
Price: 9.70 GBP for one person for lunch.
Ambiance: I sat outside because I had my dog with me. The inside looks very cozy.
Service: The service was friendly and attentive.
Would I go back? Yes! I can’t wait to try their breakfast. This is a strong contender of being on my go to list in the neighborhood.
Note: They don’t take credit cards, only cash. There are two banks down the block from the restaurant.

War über die Weihnachtsfeiertage zu, deswegen eine Enttäuschung!

I read Elliot A’s review about this place and it made me come here the very next day. Truth be told, I’ve been walking by this place everyday for the past 1.5 years on my way to work, but I didn’t feel drawn to it for some reason. Which is strange, as I’d seen it written up in Independent London and elsewhere as one of the local spots in London. I guess what didn’t really attract me was the rather non-​inspiring display of food in the counter; they use it more as a storage place than as a selling counter.
So I went here and what I found is that this place is all about substance over style — and not the reverse. While the counter may not hold attractive stuff, what comes out of the kitchen is spot on and makes both my belly and my mind very happy. I can, at this point, only vouch for the breakfasts, but I will soon try their pizza — must be a winner as this place is run by true Italians!
But Blandford’s Café really had won me over when I walked by it in the evening of the very same day that I had breakfast there. As I walked by, the owner’s daughter waved at me. This was the call to action and the action would be to come back here as they want me to come back. It felt like family! I have since been back a couple times and every time I’m impressed at the great hospitality. It really seems that the majority of the people coming here is regulars as the staff greets them like this: «The usual?» or «Are you sure you don’t want the Spanish Eggs today?» or «I haven’t seen you in a while.»