Princess Diana Loved This Italian Restaurant For Pizza Cravings

For those looking to eat where celebrities and royals once dined, one restaurant in London is a must-visit. Located near Kensington Palace, Da Mario proudly advertises itself as the preferred pizzeria of Princess Diana as per the engraved staircase leading into the restaurant. A mural of Princess Diana admiring a pizza even remains on display inside of the restaurant. 

In an interview with The Society of British and International Design, Marco Melina recalled how his father first brought pizza to the United Kingdom. This London location was the seventh pizzeria that his father opened. The building itself dates back to 1850, and though it has undergone some refurbishments, the restaurant has kept its charming style. While Da Mario has seen its share of famous clients, the lore surrounding Princess Diana's visits have captured public imagination. Melina explained that it was well known that the Princess Diana's young boys enjoyed pizza, and the trio would often sneak into the pizza parlor. 

Tales surrounding royalty aren't the only accolade of the restaurant, however. Visitors are also thrilled by the service and food. "One of the best pizza we ever had. [It] had the best tomato sauce," wrote a customer on Tripadvisor. The pizza is consistently described as "delicious," "fresh," and "full of flavor" by many satisfied diners.

Although the mention of Princess Diana may get customers in the door, the menu at Da Mario tempts visitors with a list of other delicacies. "We heard that Princess Diana would go here with the boys for pizza. However, when we saw the food and the menu we pivoted quickly," admitted another Tripadvisor reviewer. "We had the veal tortellini and rigatoni with prosciutto and a cream sauce; both were outstanding. The tricolor salad was delicious and the tiramisu was light as a cloud." On Reddit, another gushed, "I had their rigatoni at least 10 times, and oh god, it is the sexiest plate of pasta I've ever eaten in my life."

Local patrons have noted that while other restaurants in the area haven't been able to sustain operations, Da Mario has withstood the test of time for good reason.  Madonna, Dustin Hoffman, Renee Zellweger, and Eric Clapton have also dined at there. Though the restaurant is typically crowded, service is fast and portions are both sizable and reasonably priced. The restaurant also goes a step further as it serves hot sauce sourced from Italy, slices truffles onto plates tableside, and has adjusted menu offerings to accommodate dietary preferences with gluten-free pizza doughs. 

For those who are interested in paying homage to Princess Diana, Da Mario can help facilitate with orders of delicious pizza. For others who simply want a good meal, the restaurant is also ready to serve classic comforts.