From the Ivy, to DRUNCH, Johnny Greens to Soutine, The Good Life and Sahara, Circus Pizza at Panzers Deli and Maido Sushi, Motcombs (British/European) already closed and Fora (Mediterranean/Turkish), there’s a lot of choice in the neighbourhood.

Babbo replaced Harry Morgan’s on St John’s Wood High St and to be honest it’s struggled to take off. Every time I walk by I wonder how they are surviving.

The restaurant has had a somewhat turbulent past.

When Babbo meaning "daddy" in Italian, in Albemarle Street opened in 2014, keen restaurant watchers, may have thought it was connected to Babbo, Mario Batali’s celebrated Italian place near MacDougal Street in New York. But no, perhaps an odd naming decision for the original owner, a bit like as said in the Evening Standard in 2014 “someone opening a restaurant in New York and calling it Le Caprice. Oh, of course, someone has, but he (Richard Caring) at least owns the London original.”

It began as a passion of Brazilian lawyer Tatiana Joorabchian when she met chef Douglas Santi running his own restaurant in San Paulo where she was born.

Former Chelsea footballers David Luiz and Willian did not simply buy the Mayfair Italian restaurant Babbo from Tatiana Joorabchian, but rather launched it as a new venture in 2018 in partnership with her husband, super-agent Kia Joorabchian. The restaurant opened in 2018 on Albemarle Street in Mayfair, the footballers hoping to use their sporting celebrity status to draw a whole new crowd and clean up.

In December 2024 the famed Babbo in Mayfair closed, the restaurant now owned by the Chelsea players. After a dispute with the landlord the well known and very busy restaurant in the west end at 39 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4JQ reopened on St John’s Wood High st and like many restaurant moves it seemed ill fated from the start.

I never went to Babbo when it was in Albermarle street, so do not have a bench mark for comparison. Although reviews were mixed I love to support local and they haven’t been short of positive press and influencer reviews online since opening so I have been to Babbos on St John’s Wood High St a couple of times. Once we sat on the terrace, alone, once inside where 3 business men were enjoying coffee in the lounge area by the loos and one other table for lunch was taken.

Since Harry Morgan closed, the interior has been completely transformed. Studio Du Feu interior architecture and design agency have completely reinvented this venue creating an 84-seater restaurant and small private lounge often confused on social media with the famous Babbo’s in NYC. It’s deep red in theme, from the awnings outside to the wall coverings and art, the sultry décor connecting to the crimson uniforms of the staff.

They offer a set lunch time menu during the week. 12.00pm to 3.00pm, two courses for £25.00, three courses for £32.00 along side their à la carte menu. Yet even with the on a budget option to draw people in it’s very hard to create an atmosphere in an empty restaurant.

We gave it a go anyway.

Honestly the food from executive chef Nicola Cariglia and his team wasn’t terrible, large portions, more home cooked plates than fine dining but it did feel very average. A couple of bowls of pasta, ricotta and spinach ravioli in tomato sauce, a couple of bowls of affogato, vanilla ice cream with an espresso shot and a bottle of house wine in a restaurant with no people. Usually a bad sign. Especially when you can’t get a table in the Ivy across the road. Maybe why this location for the move was chosen.

I don’t know if it’s the decor, dark and moody, the prices or the economy that are keeping people away. The terrace is amazing for people watching but the draw of the Chelsea footballer owners doesn’t appear to be working. It’s in the spot where a busy breakfast/lunch all day diner and deli used to be so it’s visible to passers by but the Australian place Johnny Green off the High St which I don’t really rate at all is actually way busier.

There are a lot of options and competition on St John’s High St and surrounding area, with a bustling England’s Grace, and the Lebanese Sahara further down, Soutine’s on the corner where Carluccios used to be and The Good Life opposite if you want fresh healthy casual and on a budget so Babbo’s have to do something different if they want to turn around the lunch and dinner customers is St Johns Wood.

The well respected Mottram’s showed a move to a new location doesn’t always gel, it’s not easy running a restaurant in this market, after a pretty disastrous start, they’ve already closed in St John’s Wood after less than a year.