Coco di Mama

Coco di Mama is an Italian-to-go counter on Kingsway, the wide avenue running between Holborn and Aldwych on the eastern side of Covent Garden. It belongs to the Italian-inspired fast food group known for pasta and coffee aimed at the lunchtime crowd, and it brings quick, recognisable Italian flavours to one of the district's busiest office streets.

The brand sums up its approach as fast, feel-good Italian, combining a love for Italy with a focus on good, honest, balanced food. The menu runs from pots of pasta to salads, sandwiches and post-meal treats, with limited-edition pasta specials such as Calabrian chilli chicken and creamy salmon Alfredo, and Mediterranean grain boxes. Coffee is taken seriously: the baristas brew specialty Allpress coffee, and a loyalty scheme, Club Coco, offers a free coffee on signing up.

An Italian takeaway in Covent Garden built for the working day

The format is fast counter service for people picking up a meal on a short break rather than sitting down for a long lunch, and the branch is busiest at midday. Breakfast items sit alongside the pasta and coffee, and free wifi is available. Kingsway's working population is exactly the audience the counter is built to serve, with the theatres and the market a short walk to the west and Holborn Underground station close by.

What to expect on a visit

Opening hours are 11am to 8pm, seven days a week. The offer is geared to takeaway and quick service, so expect a queue at lunchtime that moves briskly. Our guide to takeaways in Covent Garden covers the district's other quick lunch options, including Farmer J on the Strand, which builds hot trays of protein, grains and sides to order.