Vapiano (Restaurant)

Top 10 things you should know about Vapiano restaurant:

1) As soon as you get in, a friendly member of the staff will ask you if you have been before. If not, pay attention carefully, you’ll learn directions to your food and you’ll be given a Vapiano card.

2) What’s this card for? Every time you order something, you swipe your Vapiano card and you pay at the end of the feast.

3) The card concept might not be common in Central London, but it does work. Vapiano is in 29 countries from Australia to Brazil.

4) Card in hand, be ready for waiting. There are three queues, one for the pizzas and salads, one for the pasta, and the last for drinks and desserts. Remember Vapiano’s leitmotiv? “Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano” (“if you have a relaxed approach to life, you will live healthier and longer”). London life doesn’t always allow this, but you should just try. 

5) If you apply the above to the experience, then you’ll enjoy your meal. You’ve probably realised that Vapiano is not the place for you if you don’t like to choose between having to eat your food cold or queuing in between courses.

6) The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Business people for lunch, the recurrent tourists, families and juvenile clientele in the evening, Vapiano seems to be one of those ‘something for all’ restaurants.

7) The portions are consistent, colossal by London standards. As the meal is prepared in front of you, you can test your creativity when chefs ask you your preferences.

8) All the pizza dough, sauces and pestos are made in-house. Pasta and desserts are made fresh daily. It is reassuring that they don’t have a central production facility. Despite the crowd-pleasing pineapple in one of the pizzas, most of the dishes respect Italian recipes and are not far from what you can find in Italy.

9) The strawberry and spinach salad’s home-made raspberry maple dressing adds texture and flavour. You’ll truly enjoy the capricciosa pizza’s fresh artichokes and tasty ham too.

10) The staff follow Vapiano’s motto to the letter. Most of them wear a welcoming Mediterranean-style smile. No one puts pressure on you to finish your food and leave. Remember, a relaxed approach to life is all Vapiano is about. ...read more