London UK Series: Lina Stores Bloomberg Arcade Review – 2 Delicious Pasta Dishes Worth Trying in London

Lina Stores – Restaurant Overview

19 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8AR, United Kingdom

Lina Stores is a well-known Italian restaurant brand that originated in London’s Soho neighbourhood and has since expanded to multiple locations across the city. The restaurant has built a reputation for serving fresh pasta, classic Italian dishes, and high-quality ingredients in a stylish yet approachable setting. The Bloomberg Arcade location continues that tradition, offering a modern Italian dining experience in one of London’s more architecturally interesting food destinations.

This particular Lina Stores location sits inside Bloomberg Arcade, a pedestrian dining area that runs alongside Bloomberg’s European headquarters in the City of London. Bloomberg Arcade is essentially a curated collection of restaurants and cafés designed to bring life and activity to the space surrounding the Bloomberg building. It features a number of well-regarded eateries, making it a convenient spot for workers in the area as well as visitors exploring the financial district.

The arcade itself has a clean, modern design that fits well with the surrounding architecture. It feels open and polished, with restaurants lined along the walkway and plenty of people passing through during busy hours. It’s the type of area that naturally attracts both business lunches and casual dinners.

Inside Lina Stores, the interior feels stylish without being overly formal. The design leans into a bright and elegant aesthetic with clean lines and thoughtful details that give the space a pleasant atmosphere. It feels more refined than a typical casual pasta restaurant but still comfortable enough for a relaxed meal.

Service during the visit was fine overall. The staff were polite and professional, though the friendliness level felt fairly neutral rather than especially warm or engaging. Nothing negative stood out, but it also wasn’t the kind of service that becomes part of the memorable experience. Everything worked smoothly, which ultimately allowed the focus to stay on the food.

Overall, Lina Stores felt like a solid Italian dining option within Bloomberg Arcade—stylish, convenient, and clearly focused on quality pasta.

Would return? Maybe.

Focaccia

8/10

The focaccia from Lina Stores was a very strong start to the meal.

One of the things that immediately stood out was the texture. Good focaccia often comes down to achieving the right balance between softness and crispness, and this one managed that balance very well.

The inside of the bread was extremely soft and fluffy, with a light, airy texture that made it very pleasant to eat. At the same time, the outer surface had just enough crispness to create contrast without feeling overly crunchy.

That slight crispness added a satisfying bite while still allowing the bread to remain tender overall.

The flavour was also very good. It had the classic olive oil richness you expect from well-made focaccia, giving the bread a savoury depth that makes it enjoyable even on its own.

Focaccia is often treated as a simple starter, but when it’s executed properly it can set a very positive tone for the rest of the meal. That was definitely the case here.

This was a very good version of focaccia and a great way to begin the meal.

Order again? Yes.

Pappardelle al Ragù di Osso Buco

Menu description: Pappardelle, Veal Shin Ragù, Gremolata

7/10

This dish from Lina Stores featured wide pappardelle noodles paired with a veal shin ragù and finished with gremolata.

The pasta itself was one of the best parts of the dish. The noodles had a great texture—firm enough to provide a pleasant bite while still feeling tender and fresh. Properly cooked pasta can make a huge difference in dishes like this, and the pappardelle here was definitely well executed.

Wide noodles like pappardelle are particularly good for ragù-style sauces because they allow the sauce to cling to the pasta nicely, creating balanced bites of both pasta and meat.

The veal ragù was decent overall, though it didn’t stand out as especially memorable. The flavour was good, but it lacked a bit of the richness or depth that can elevate a ragù into something exceptional.

It worked well with the pasta and delivered a solid, comforting Italian dish, but it didn’t reach the level where you feel compelled to immediately order it again.

The gremolata added a subtle brightness to the dish, helping to lighten the richness of the veal sauce slightly.

Overall, this was a good pasta dish with excellent noodles, but the ragù itself could have been slightly more impactful in terms of flavour.

Order again? No.

Ravioli di Zucca

Menu description: Pumpkin Ravioli, Toasted Hazelnuts, Sage, Grana Padano

7.5/10

The pumpkin ravioli from Lina Stores was another well-executed pasta dish and ended up being one of the more enjoyable items of the meal.

The ravioli were cooked perfectly. The pasta had a delicate texture and held together nicely while still feeling light and tender.

Inside, the pumpkin filling was very flavourful and creamy. Pumpkin-based fillings can sometimes lean too sweet or too mild, but this one struck a very good balance. It had a pleasant richness while still allowing the natural flavour of the pumpkin to come through.

The creamy texture of the filling worked very well with the pasta, creating a smooth and satisfying bite.

The toasted hazelnuts added a nice contrast to the dish. Their slight crunch provided texture that complemented the softness of the ravioli, and the nutty flavour paired nicely with the pumpkin.

Sage and Grana Padano helped round out the overall flavour profile, bringing some savoury depth that prevented the dish from feeling overly rich.

Everything in the dish felt balanced and thoughtfully combined.

While it wasn’t an overwhelmingly bold dish, it was very well executed and enjoyable from start to finish.

This is definitely something I would order again.

Order again? Yes.

Atmosphere & Experience

One of the advantages of dining at Lina Stores in Bloomberg Arcade is the overall environment of the area.

Bloomberg Arcade itself feels lively and polished, with a steady flow of people passing through and multiple restaurants contributing to the atmosphere. The space feels modern and well designed, which makes it an appealing place to grab a meal whether you’re working nearby or simply exploring the area.

Inside Lina Stores, the interior complements that environment nicely. The design feels elegant but approachable, creating a comfortable space for dining without feeling overly formal.

The restaurant strikes a balance between casual and upscale, making it suitable for a variety of occasions—from a relaxed dinner to a business lunch.

Service, as mentioned earlier, was perfectly fine but fairly neutral. The staff handled everything efficiently and professionally, though the overall friendliness level felt somewhat average rather than particularly engaging.

Still, the experience overall was smooth and enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Lina Stores at Bloomberg Arcade offers a solid Italian dining experience in a stylish and convenient location within London’s financial district.

The focaccia was an excellent starter, with a great balance of softness and crispness that made it very enjoyable. The pappardelle al ragù di osso buco featured excellent pasta noodles, though the veal ragù itself was slightly less memorable than expected. Meanwhile, the ravioli di zucca stood out for its creamy pumpkin filling and well-balanced combination of flavours, making it a dish I would happily order again.

Combined with the clean and modern atmosphere of Bloomberg Arcade and the pleasant interior of the restaurant, Lina Stores provides a comfortable setting for enjoying fresh Italian pasta in central London.

While none of the dishes completely blew me away, everything was well prepared and enjoyable.

If you’re in the City of London and looking for a good pasta restaurant in a polished setting, Lina Stores at Bloomberg Arcade is definitely worth considering.