Historic London Chain Shuts Down

After seven decades in business, iconic London restaurant chain Spaghetti House has closed all of its remaining locations and entered administration.

Lavval Restaurants, the family-owned company behind the brand, appointed restructuring firm BTG as administrators last week. As part of the closure process, all five remaining central London restaurants have now shut, and 101 employees have been made redundant.

The company had already closed several branches in recent months, including sites in Mayfair, Goodge Street and Fitzrovia.

Founded in 1955 by Simone Lavarini, Spaghetti House became a long-standing fixture of London’s dining scene and remained under family ownership throughout its history. One of its most notable moments came in 1975, when staff at the Knightsbridge branch were taken hostage during a failed robbery that drew national attention.

Luigi Lavarini, executive chairman and chief executive of Lavval Restaurants, said the decision to close was deeply emotional. He pointed to years of financial pressure caused by the pandemic, Brexit, rising taxes, energy prices and broader global uncertainty, which had severely affected the hospitality industry.

He added that increasing operating costs, combined with reduced consumer spending during the cost-of-living crisis, made it impossible for the business to continue despite efforts to save it.

BTG partner Asher Miller said the company had struggled through prolonged difficult trading conditions, including rising employment and operational expenses. He explained that, after exploring available options, the directors ultimately chose to place the business into administration and begin an orderly closure process.