A chain of Italian restaurants in London has shut (Image: Getty)
A beloved chain of Italian restaurants in the UK has plunged into administration, with the eateries shutting as part of the process. A notice on the Spaghetti House website apologises to customers and expresses the “deepest gratitude” to its patrons over its 70 years as a family business in London. Proclaiming itself as London’s oldest family-run Italian restaurant, Spaghetti House was founded by Simone Lavarini and his friend Lorenzo Fraquelli in the 1950s, opening its first location on Goodge Street.
It now has five locations dotted across the capital, and up until recently, it served customers in Marble Arch, Carnaby Street, Oxford Street, Kensington and Cranbourn Street. Lavval Restaurants Limited, the company that operates the restaurants, has entered administration, according to an official notice shared in the London Gazette. Asher Miller and Stephen Katz of BTG Begbies Traynor (London) LLP were appointed as joint administrators of the business on May 6, 2026.
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Administration is a process whereby an outside party takes over control of a business to save all or part of it. It gives businesses protection from creditors instead of plunging straight into liquidation.
Luigi Lavarini, Executive Chairman and CEO of Lavval Restaurants Limited, told the Daily Express: “After 70 years of serving our loyal customers, it is with a heavy heart that we announce Lavval Restaurants Limited has entered administration and will cease trading. Years of increasing costs from the pandemic, Brexit, Government budgets and global instability have created difficult market conditions for hospitality.
“Balancing these costs with reduced demand and spending from customers as they navigate the rising cost of living has proven too challenging. Despite best efforts and seeking professional advice, we have had to make this difficult but necessary decision to wind down our business.”
He continued: “We are immensely proud of what our family and our incredible team have built over seven decades. Their dedication, resilience, and commitment have been at the heart of everything we have achieved. We would like to express our deepest thanks and gratitude to our loyal customers, partners, and team members, past and present, for their support over the years.”
Spaghetti House became a favourite in London over 70 years (Image: Getty)
Spaghetti House became a go-to for many Londoners and received rave reviews from customers over the years. “As a new generation of Italians brought espresso and ‘la dolce vita’ to London in the 50s, our father Simone Lavarini and his friend Lorenzo Fraquelli decided it was time to introduce the locals to a real deal trattoria in the middle of Goodge Street,” the company says.
“At a time when the British knowledge of spaghetti came from a can and was served on toast, the first slogan of Spaghetti House was so simple, it nearly wrote itself.
“‘Spaghetti, but not on toast’. Spaghetti House were here to introduce London to an authentic serving of classic Minestrone and properly made Bolognese. No tins allowed.”
Customers had positive things to say about the restaurant chain over the years, with 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google. One Google review reads: “Everything is homemade, the bread is divine, and the creamy salmon tagliatelle is to die for. The Americana pizza gets into a league of its own with a generous drizzle of chill-infused olive oil. On full stomachs, we actually managed the tiramisu, and panacotta and strawberry coulis, I can’t find the words to describe. Just awesome!”
Another says: “The real-deal made with passion, the tastes and fresh herbs combine to make you have a great time, a full menu quality you can trust, with fresh ingredients, a home-from-home feeling, clean, and staff helpful.”
In recent years, it launched a click-and-collect service for people to enjoy its food at home.
Although the business has not shared its reasons for shutting all five restaurants, industry leaders have expressed concern for restaurants amid increasing business rates, energy prices and labour costs.
Dining and Cooking