Lina Stores

Verdict

Lina Stores on Greek Street is worth booking if you want serious Italian food in Soho without the ceremony or the bill that comes with it. If you've been once and liked it, go back: the format rewards repeat visits, the question is less whether to book and more what to focus on when you do.

About Lina Stores

Lina Stores has been part of Soho longer than most of the neighbourhood's current restaurants have existed. The Greek Street address — 51 Greek St, puts it in the heart of one of London's most concentrated dining corridors, which means competition is real and anonymity is hard to maintain. The fact that it keeps a 4.5 rating at this volume of footfall suggests it is doing something right on a structural level, not just on good nights.

The room on Greek Street runs intimate and compact. Spatial priority goes to the counter and close-set tables that give the space its tratttoria feel, this is not a venue for large groups looking to spread out. For two, it works well. For four, it's manageable. Beyond that, you're in territory where the room's scale starts to work against you. The physical layout also means noise carries, so if conversation is the priority, aim for earlier sittings rather than peak evening service.

Chef Masha Rener leads the kitchen. The cuisine sits in Italian territory with the kind of focus on pasta and Italian deli staples that the Lina Stores name has carried since its origins as a delicatessen. That heritage shapes what the kitchen does well: the food is grounded in technique applied to familiar forms rather than reinvention for its own sake. For returning visitors, this means the menu rewards attention rather than defaulting to whatever you had last time.

On wine, the list is calibrated to the food rather than designed to impress on paper. Italian-leaning selections are the sensible expectation given the kitchen's direction, the casual format keeps pricing proportionate to the overall spend. If wine is a priority, this is a venue where the list does its job without friction rather than one where the sommelier programme is a headline reason to book. For deeper wine exploration in London's Italian dining tier, Bocca di Lupo runs a more extensive Italian regional list and is worth considering if the bottle matters as much as the plate. Luca on St John Street also has a stronger wine programme alongside its Italian-influenced menu, if that's the lens you're booking through.

Hours run Monday to Thursday with a split service (lunch 12–2:30 pm, dinner 5–11 pm) and continuous service Friday through Sunday from 12–11 pm. The weekend continuous service is the format that works well for flexibility, you're not boxed into a lunch or dinner slot, the room tends to move at a pace that suits a two-hour visit without pressure to turn the table.

Booking & Timing

Booking is rated easy. Greek Street Soho gets busy from Thursday through Saturday evenings, so if you're visiting mid-week, you have more room to manoeuvre at shorter notice. For weekend evenings, a week or two of lead time is sensible. The continuous Friday-to-Sunday service opens up mid-afternoon slots that are often less contested than the 7–8 pm window and give you a quieter room.

Practical Details

How It Compares

Lina Stores sits in a different category from London's ££££ Italian-influenced options like Luca, the format is casual, the price point lower, the booking pressure lighter. Among casual Italian restaurants in central London, the closer comparisons are Bancone (pasta-focused, Covent Garden, slightly harder to book at peak times) and Bocca di Lupo (broader Italian regional menu, stronger wine list, Soho). If your priority is pasta craft in a compact Soho room, Lina Stores delivers. If you want a wider menu with more wine depth, Bocca di Lupo is the better call. If you're south of the river, Artusi in Peckham is a credible Italian alternative that avoids the central London footfall entirely.

Pearl Picks, More Italian in London

• Bocca di Lupo, Italian regional, Soho, stronger wine list
• Luca, Italian-influenced, Clerkenwell, step up in formality and wine programme
• Bancone, pasta-focused, Covent Garden, good for a quick weekday lunch
• Artusi, Italian, Peckham, neighbourhood alternative away from the centre
• Archway, explore further Italian options in London

Explore More in London

• Our full London restaurants guide
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FAQ

What should I order at Lina Stores?

• Pasta is the core of what Lina Stores does. As a returning visitor, the move is to go beyond whatever you defaulted to on the first visit and work through the menu more deliberately. The Italian deli heritage shapes the kitchen's strengths, so dishes rooted in that tradition are the safest ground.

What should a first-timer know about Lina Stores?

• Expect a tight room, Italian deli-rooted cooking, a bill that won't surprise you. Book mid-week if you want a quieter experience; weekends on Greek Street move fast.

What should I wear to Lina Stores?

• No dress code data is available, but the casual OAD classification and the Soho tratttoria format point clearly toward smart casual. You won't be underdressed in jeans; you won't be overdressed in a jacket. This is not a venue where clothes are a consideration.

Is lunch or dinner better at Lina Stores?

• Lunch (12–2:30 pm weekdays) gives you a quieter room and a less pressured pace. Dinner runs later and gets busier, particularly Thursday through Saturday. If the food is the point and atmosphere is secondary, lunch on a Tuesday or Wednesday is the low-friction option. For the full Soho evening feel, Friday or Saturday continuous service from early evening works well.

What are alternatives to Lina Stores in London?

• Bocca di Lupo, broader Italian regional menu, stronger wine list, also Soho
• Bancone, pasta-led, Covent Garden, comparable casual format
• Luca, Italian-influenced, Clerkenwell, more formal with a deeper wine programme
• Artusi, Italian, Peckham, good if you want to avoid central London

Is Lina Stores good for a special occasion?

• It works for a low-key celebration between people who care about food, an anniversary dinner where the meal matters more than the grandeur of the room. It is not the right call if you need a private dining room, a formal atmosphere, or a wine list to make a statement. For that, Luca is the better Italian-adjacent option in London.

Does Lina Stores handle dietary restrictions?

• No booking contact or menu data is available through Pearl. Contact the restaurant directly via their website or in person to confirm dietary requirements before visiting. Italian pasta menus typically carry egg and gluten as core ingredients, so if either is a concern, confirm ahead of arrival.