In A City Obsessed With What’s New, This Restaurant Has Been Getting It Right For 20 Years
London restaurants rarely get the chance to grow old. A new opening arrives almost every week. Restaurants close. Menus change. Trends come and go. One year it’s tiny sharing plates, the next it’s charcoal grills, then tasting menus, then natural wine bars with uncomfortable stools. Restaurants are expected to constantly reinvent themselves just to stay relevant. And yet, for the past 20 years, Theo Randall has done something remarkably simple. He’s kept cooking Italian food the way he believes it should be cooked.
In Partnership With InterContinental London Park Lane
Twenty years is a remarkable achievement in London’s restaurant scene. The fact that Theo Randall still feels as relevant today as he did when he opened might be an even bigger one.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
The 20-year milestone
This November marks two decades since Theo Randall opened his restaurant inside InterContinental London Park Lane, a milestone few London restaurants ever reach. Instead of marking the anniversary with one big party, he’s spending the year doing what he’s always done best: inviting people to the table.
A series of collaborative dinners with some of Britain’s best chefs will celebrate not only Theo’s career, but the friendships he’s built throughout it. Michelin-starred seafood specialist Nathan Outlaw will join him in July, followed by Jack Stein in October, each bringing their own style to menus that weave together British produce and Theo’s unmistakable Italian cooking. It feels more than fitting.
This November marks two decades since Theo Randall opened his restaurant inside InterContinental London Park Lane, a milestone few London restaurants ever reach.
One region at a time
Theo has never treated Italian food as something static. His menus have always been shaped by the seasons, by conversations with producers and by regular trips across Italy, where he continues to find inspiration in regional cooking rather than restaurant trends.
One visit might take you through Sicily, the next through Liguria or Puglia, acting as a reminder that Italian food isn’t one cuisine but dozens, each with its own traditions, ingredients and way of approaching the table.
That same philosophy runs through his latest cookbook, The Italian Table, published this summer. Rather than chasing restaurant perfection, it celebrates the meals Italians actually eat; generous dishes designed to be shared, seasonal ingredients and recipes that feel as comfortable on a Tuesday evening as they do at a family celebration.
You see that approach everywhere at Theo Randall Cucina Italiana. The menu changes constantly, reflecting whichever region of Italy Theo is exploring that month. One visit might take you through Sicily, the next through Liguria or Puglia, acting as a reminder that Italian food isn’t one cuisine but dozens, each with its own traditions, ingredients and way of approaching the table. For July, it’s Sardinia featuring octopus salad, potato and pecorino filled pasta with tomato sauce, and roast rump of lamb with colourful veg, all paired with gorgeous and unique wines.
Summer on the terrace
And during the summer months, that table extends outside. Theo’s on the Terrace transforms the space overlooking Hyde Park into a little corner of southern Italy. Bright ceramics from Vietri, colourful awnings inspired by Sicilian majolica tiles and a menu filled with arancini, grilled tuna, fresh pasta, gelato and spritzes create exactly the sort of lunch that has no business ending when it does. For me, the winners are fritto misto followed by tagliatelle allo scoglio; homemade pasta with clams, prawns, mussels, squid and tomato.
Why Theo Randall still matters
Over the past two decades he’s mentored generations of chefs, written six cookbooks, been recognised by the Italian Republic with the prestigious Order of the Star of Italy, and built one of London’s most enduring Italian restaurants.
Perhaps that’s the secret to Theo Randall’s longevity. Not constant reinvention, but consistency and reliability.
Over the past two decades he’s mentored generations of chefs, written six cookbooks, been recognised by the Italian Republic with the prestigious Order of the Star of Italy, and built one of London’s most enduring Italian restaurants. Yet nothing about the restaurant feels as though it’s resting on reputation alone.
Every menu still changes with the market. Every dish still begins with the ingredients. Every meal still feels inspired by the heart of Italy. Twenty years is a remarkable achievement in London’s restaurant scene. The fact that Theo Randall still feels as relevant today as he did when he opened might be an even bigger one.
