If you’re searching “Ave Mario”, you’re almost certainly looking for the Big Mamma Group’s Italian trattoria on Henrietta Street in Covent Garden, not a prayer or anything similar. Ave Mario is a large, theatrical Italian restaurant known for pizza, pasta served in a pecorino wheel, and a Florentine-palazzo-meets-80s-nightclub interior. Booking opens 30 days ahead online, walk-ins are accepted subject to availability, and a full meal typically runs somewhere between £35 and £60 a head before drinks. Here’s what you actually need to know before you go.
What is Ave Mario?
Ave Mario is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Covent Garden, part of the Big Mamma Group, which also runs Gloria and Circolo Popolare in London. The venue spans around 700 square metres over three spaces and two terraces, styled after a Florentine palazzo, with six-metre ceilings and a central bar stacked with 3,500 bottles, according to Big Mamma Group’s own site.
The kitchen serves homemade pasta, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, and shareable centrepieces like a 4kg pecorino wheel used to finish carbonara at the table. It’s the kind of place built for a fun night out rather than a quiet dinner, so go in expecting noise, energy and a bit of theatre.
Where is Ave Mario and how do you get there?
Ave Mario is at 15 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QG, tucked just off the main Piazza and a short walk from Leicester Square.
The nearest stations are Covent Garden (Piccadilly line, lift access only) and Leicester Square (Piccadilly and Northern lines), both around a five-minute walk. Holborn on the Central and Piccadilly lines is a slightly longer walk at roughly ten minutes. If Covent Garden station is busy, which it often is, walking from Leicester Square instead tends to be quicker.
How to book a table at Ave Mario
Booking is straightforward, but the timing catches people out more than anything else, so it’s worth understanding how the system actually works before you try.
Booking for one to seven guests
Reservations are made only through the official website via the SevenRooms booking system, not by phone or email. Big Mamma Group opens bookings 30 days in advance at 9am, so if you want a specific date and time, especially for a Friday or Saturday evening, set a reminder and book the moment the window opens.
If no slots show for your date, that means the restaurant is fully booked rather than a website fault. You can change the date, time or party size yourself using the link in your confirmation email, but only while availability still exists.
Booking for groups of 8 or more
Group bookings open earlier, at 37 days in advance at 9am, through the “Big Groups” tab on the website. Groups of 8 or more are seated on a set menu only, priced at £54 per person, which covers a shared, multi-course Italian meal rather than ordering individually from the full menu.
Walk-ins
Ave Mario does hold back a number of tables for walk-ins across both lunch and dinner. It’s genuinely possible to turn up without a booking and get seated, particularly earlier in the day, but weekend evenings can mean a real wait, so build in some flexibility if you haven’t reserved.
What does Ave Mario cost?
Prices vary depending on how and when you go, so here’s a realistic breakdown based on the current published menus.
- A la carte dinner: expect roughly £35 to £60 per person for pizza or pasta, a side and a drink, more if you add antipasti, dolci or wine. Sharing dishes like the T-bone Fiorentina push this higher for two people splitting it.
- Weekday lunch set menu: available Monday to Friday, 12:00 to 16:30, with prices from around £17 for a simpler option up to £29 for two courses and £34 for three, according to Big Mamma Group’s website.
- Pre-theatre menu: currently listed from £29 per person, available Monday to Friday between 4:30pm and 7pm, and again from 9pm until close. This has been priced differently in past seasons, so treat it as a guide and check the live price before booking.
- Group set menu: £54 per person for parties of 8 to 20.
- Whole tiramisù for a celebration: £38, ordered in advance rather than on the night.
On top of whatever you order, Ave Mario adds a discretionary 12.5% service charge automatically to the bill, which is standard across London hospitality but worth budgeting for rather than being surprised by at the end of the meal. Prices at any restaurant can shift between menu refreshes, so it’s sensible to check the live menu on Big Mamma Group’s site before you commit to a plan built around a specific figure.
Opening hours and best times to visit
As of July 2026, Ave Mario’s listed hours are Monday to Wednesday 11:45am to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday 11:45am to 10:30pm, and Sunday 11:45am to 9:30pm. Hours can shift around bank holidays and the festive period, so it’s worth a quick check on the day if your visit falls near either.
Lunchtimes, particularly early on weekdays, tend to be noticeably calmer than evenings. Friday and Saturday dinner is when the restaurant is at its loudest and busiest, which some diners love and others find overwhelming, so factor that into which slot you choose.
Menu, dietary requirements and allergies
The menu covers antipasti, fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza and larger sharing mains, alongside a dedicated dolci section. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are marked VEG and V on the menu, and lower-gluten dishes are marked GL, though Ave Mario does not currently offer gluten-free pasta or pizza, according to its own FAQ page. Common allergens are labelled, but dishes can contain traces of others, so it’s worth asking your waiter directly for a full list if you have a serious allergy.
Children and dogs are both welcome, and high chairs are available on request. Note that some visitors have reported a fairly limited children’s menu, so if you’re bringing a fussy eater, it’s worth checking what’s currently on offer when you book rather than assuming there’s a wide choice.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few avoidable errors come up again and again in reviews and booking complaints, so it’s worth reading these before you go.
- Not booking on the exact day the 30-day window opens. Popular evening slots, especially weekends, can disappear within hours.
- Assuming you can bring your own cake or wine. Ave Mario doesn’t offer corkage or cakeage, so bringing either will likely mean it’s turned away at the door.
- Forgetting the automatic 12.5% service charge when working out your budget for the night.
- Expecting a quiet, romantic dinner. This is a loud, high-energy venue by design, so it suits a lively date or group far better than a hushed anniversary dinner.
- Turning up expecting gluten-free pasta or pizza. It isn’t currently offered, so check the allergen menu in advance if this affects you.
FAQS
What is Ave Mario? ave marioave marioave mario
Ave Mario is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Covent Garden, London, run by the Big Mamma Group. It’s known for wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, homemade pasta and a dramatic, Florentine-palazzo-style interior with three dining spaces and two terraces.
Where is Ave Mario located?
It’s at 15 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QG, a short walk from Leicester Square and Covent Garden underground stations. The area sits in the heart of London’s West End, close to several West End theatres.
How do I book a table at Ave Mario?
Bookings are made through the official Big Mamma Group website only, not by phone. Reservations for up to seven guests open 30 days ahead at 9am, while group bookings of 8 or more open 37 days ahead at 9am.
Does Ave Mario take walk-ins?
Yes, a number of tables are kept back for walk-ins at both lunch and dinner. Availability is far from guaranteed at busy times, particularly Friday and Saturday evenings, so book ahead if you have a fixed date in mind.
How much does it cost to eat at Ave Mario?
A typical a la carte meal runs roughly £35 to £60 per person before drinks, while set options like the weekday lunch menu start from around £17 and the group menu is £54 per person. A discretionary 12.5% service charge is added automatically to every bill.
Is Ave Mario good for a romantic date?
It depends what you’re after. It’s a lively, high-energy restaurant that works well for a fun, memorable date, but it isn’t a quiet or intimate setting, so it may not suit couples looking for a hushed conversation.
Does Ave Mario offer gluten-free food?
No, gluten-free pasta and pizza are not currently available, though some dishes are labelled GL for lower gluten content. Contact the restaurant directly if you have a serious allergy or intolerance before booking.
Are children and dogs allowed at Ave Mario?
Yes to both. High chairs are available on request for children, and dogs are welcome in the restaurant, according to Big Mamma Group’s own FAQ.
