Lievito Madre Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria - (Near Lambeth, South East)

5 /5 ajanproject: Delicious food and desserts, a cozy and friendly atmosphere, fast and attentive service, and reasonable prices for the quality. The crowd is nice too. very picturesque corners inside and outside of the restaurant. Definitely a place I’d come back to

4 /5 Alessandra Castagna: We really enjoyed our dinner for New Year’s Eve. The starters were really nice and the staff very friendly and accommodating, so definitely deserved the tip! The only faults I can point is that we were sat close-ish to the door, which kept on opening throughout the whole service and made us and our food cold quite quickly; and that although very tasty, it would’ve been nicer if the oven was wood fired and if the mozzarella was a bit better quality than the one served. Nonetheless, the pizzas and the pasta were both very tasty. Will be back.

5 /5 Maria Alexe: Excellent. Cant fault it. My friend and I had different kinds of pasta and both were delicious. Fairly affordable too, compared to other places today. Great vegan options too! Nice wine and very chilled atmosphere. The service was faultless. Our server could not have been lovelier, she was friendly, patient, and professional. Will definitely be coming here again.

2 /5 Adam Maher: 1.5/5 I think this is the lowest rating I’ve ever given somewhere - I really don’t like giving negative reviews. Negroni - poorly made, measurements of spirits all wrong N’duja pizza was fine, 3/5 Can’t remember the name of the vegetable pizza pictured but it was soaking and not in sauce… lots of water from the veg, not possible to eat - conscious I sound precious but it takes a lot for me to complain as hospitality is hard. Staff very disjointed and got our order wrong too - nice enough atmosphere and imagine it could be good but sadly it wasn’t tonight.

1 /5 Bonsai Ninja: Review updated on 8 Oct 25 following the reply from the restaurant: ——————— Original review: Terrible service (after being seated we were then told that the table was booked and we were moved to another area. After multiple ordering of drinks, they never arrived. Waiter watching something on the phone behind the server area. After asking to take the service charge off, the waiter became rude and irritated and unprofessional). Pizza fine, pasta dreadful. Would not recommend. ——————— Restaurant’s reply: "Thank you for your feedback. Were sorry to hear about your experience. To provide some context, on what was an exceptionally busy evening for Clapham Pride, your party seated themselves without a reservation at a table that was reserved for other guests. We were fully booked in that section but we explained the situation and immediately offered you an alternative table outside on our lovely terrace. Our team then did their best to accommodate a specific order for an item not on our menu, which required the waiter to step away to find the recipe on the order tablet. We are disappointed that despite this and your plates being left clean, you felt it necessary to remove the service charge, which is allocated directly to our hardworking staff who were operating under significant pressure. We stand by our teams professionalism in handling a challenging situation and in all honesty, we would prefer if you do not return to dine with us as we are clearly not the restaurant for you." ——————— Additional comment on 8 Oct 2025 following the reply from the restaurant: Thank you for your reply. While I appreciate the additional context, I found your message surprisingly defensive and, unfortunately, inaccurate in parts. It’s disappointing to see the response focus on deflection rather than reflection. To clarify, we were shown to the table by a member of staff — we did not seat ourselves. Only after being seated were we told that the table was reserved and asked to move. That confusion alone highlights the very issue I raised: poor coordination and planning. Your response actually confirms the root cause of the problem — it was a busy day (Clapham Pride) and the restaurant clearly didn’t plan or manage operations to meet the higher demand. That lack of preparation inevitably puts additional pressure on the team, which leads to corners being cut and mistakes made. The front-line staff are rarely the problem in these cases; it’s a management issue, and that’s where the learning opportunity lies. Not paying the service charge wasn’t a matter of disrespecting your team — it was simply a reflection of a negative overall experience. I’d have much preferred to leave feeling well-served and happy to pay it. Hospitality is about how challenges are handled as much as it is about food. A thoughtful acknowledgment that things could have been managed better would have gone a long way. Instead, the tone of your reply — particularly the suggestion that we should not return — sadly reinforces the impression that constructive feedback isn’t especially welcome at your restaurant.