Having earned its first Michelin star in 2025, a year after opening, it's safe to say that Marylebone restaurant Lita has got a lot of buzz about it. This prestigious award was renewed for a second year not long after chef Kostas Papathanasiou took over in November 2025, bringing his years of culinary experience to the kitchen.
Born in a coastal town in Greece, Papathanasiou has always had a love of homecooked, sharing-style Mediterranean meals - exactly what Lita specialises in. He began cooking in high-end restaurants as a teenager, and his since worked everywhere from three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in London to Frantzén in Stockholm. Needless to say, his impressive CV made me eager to try his cooking, and so I recently dined at Lita to see where all the hype was coming from.
DesignMyNight’s Review Of Lita Marylebone
Stylish and sophisticated, Lita has the looks as well as the substance.
Need To Know:
- Address: 7-9 Paddington Street, London, W1U 5QH
- Area: Marylebone
- Cuisine: modern Mediterranean, Southern European
Ambience & We Think Perfect For
- Atmosphere: as soon as we stepped into Lita, we felt welcomed, and there was a clear buzz about this place from the tables full of diners and the impressive open kitchen. We were seated at the chef's table, where we could watch as Papathanasiou and his team seamlessly worked together on their dishes. The interiors were classy but understated and warmly lit, with stylish, bespoke furniture throughout, but the real standout about the atmosphere here was the service. Our waiters were incredibly attentive and helpful, suggesting their favourite menu items to help us tailor the perfect meal.
- Perfect For: sharing meals, particularly great for special occasions.
Service & Price
- Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Value For
Money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Cost: around £320 for two, including six sharing plates, dessert and three cocktails each
Be sure to try the cocktails at Lita.
Menu Highlights
Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The food here is designed to be shared, and we split the majority of these dishes between two. While we ordered several dishes that came out over three courses, plus dessert, if you're looking for something slightly more affordable I'd recommend ordering a main to share and two or three smaller plates. They also offer a vegetarian menu on request.
- Wild farmed sourdough (£8) - I'd highly recommend starting your meal with some of their famous bread. We received quite a generous portion of this, which was beautifully soft and fresh. the cultured butter it came with was unlike any butter I'd had before - whipped, salty and incredibly moreish.
- Fuentes Bluefin tuna (£28) - these thin slices of fish came swimming in a flavourful sauce made up of corno peppers, coriander and capers. This was extremely flavourful and complemented the tuna nicely, a fantastic light start to any meal.
- Mafaldine with pistachio pesto and smoked burrata (£22) - my personal favourite of the night, this rich, nutty pasta was perfectly al dente and full of flavour. The bright green pesto really packed a punch, and while the cheese was more firm than I'd expect from burrata, it had a tangy, smoked taste that paired brilliantly with the sauce.
- Wild mushrooms, confit egg yolk (£26) - while this usually comes with lardo too, the vegetarian offers it without. And I'm so glad that they had this option, as I've never had mushrooms like this before. For such a simple dish it was absolutely delicious, the rich egg yolk elevating its naturally earthy tones.
- Corn-fed Brittany poussin (£42) - from the mains section, we ordered this chicken option, which came in the form of two plump chicken legs on the bone. The marinade, made of piquillo pepper, plum and chermoula, really made this something special, and it was served with grilled mushrooms. I would recommend ordering some sides with their meat options though, as they generally don't come with many accompaniments.
From pasta courses to sharing plates of meat, the Lita Marylebone menu takes you on a journey through the Mediterranean.
Drink: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Solara (£17) - instantly refreshing, this spritz cocktail was made with St Germain, lemon aperitif, white grapefruit, suze and prosecco. It was slightly reminiscent of a Hugo spritz, but with more of a citrus flavour, and I soon ordered a second.
- Rooted (£17) - a twist on the classic vodka soda, this sparkling Grey goose concoction featured ginger and basil for a delicate, herby flavour.
- Jazmin (£17) - as the name suggests, this was a jasmine-flavoured drink made with grey Goose vodka, muyu jasmine and aloe, finished with sparkling water. It was crisp, floral and light, great to offset our rich meal.
Our Overall Experience At Lita London
DesignMyNight Review Out Of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I can see that chef Kostas Papathanasiou is doing a stellar job with the Lita menu, and watching the kitchen team all night, they seemed to move in perfect harmony. I couldn't fault the service either, everyone here was so kind and keen to help. While this restaurant is obviously on the pricier side, you could certainly dine here for cheaper than we did, and the portions all serve at least two people when enjoyed as part of a wider meal. The cocktails were equally wonderful, and they offer a sommelier service too - nothing is left un-planned.
