Five places to celebrate Ferragosto in London this weekend

Ferragosto falls on 15^th August, and in Italy it is the point at which cities empty, shutters come down and everyone decamps to the coast for a long lunch that runs into the evening. The holiday’s roots go back to Feriae Augusti, the rest period Emperor Augustus introduced in 18 BC, later absorbed into the Catholic feast of the Assumption. London, of course, carries on as normal – but a growing number of Italian venues and communities now mark the date here, and this year’s offerings are worth knowing about for anyone not booked on a flight to Il Bel Paese.

The five entries below have been chosen because each takes a different approach: a restaurant special running across the weekend, a ticketed street festival raising money for local charities, a set-menu afternoon, cocktail-led specials and a volunteer-run picnic. Prices range from £15 to £75, and most require booking in advance.

Harry’s marks Ferragosto with a chicken dish built for sharing

At Ferragosto, families and friends gather for good food and good company. Harry’s, the group of Venetian-inspired Italian restaurants in London, is marking the occasion from Friday 14^th to Sunday 16^th August with a special sharing dish: Pollo alla Cacciatora (£34.95), consisting of roasted deboned chicken with slow-cooked peppers, olives and basil, served with grilled Datterini tomatoes and pickled onion. The convivial offer will be served from 11.30am until close, and the team recommends a Harry’s Spritz (St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Harry’s limoncello, lime and prosecco, topped with Fever-Tree Apricot & Grape Soda) as an accompaniment. It will be followed up with complimentary plate of watermelon – a fixture of Ferragosto tables across Italy. The celebratory specials will be available at all Harry’s sites except King’s Cross.

The Ferragosto special menu is available at Harry’s from 14^th until 16^th August 2026. For further information or to book a table, visit the group’s website here.

Sagra di Shoreditch: An Italian street party for charity

This Saturday 15^th August, the gardens of the Museum of the Home will host the first Sagra di Shoreditch, a 300-cover Italian street feast organised by Gloria, the Big Mamma group’s Shoreditch trattoria. Inspired by Ferragosto, the afternoon centres on one long communal table, with all profits going to The Felix Project and Shoreditch Trust’s Community Table.

The four-course menu draws on several neighbourhood kitchens: antipasti from Gloria, including a 5kg Mozzarella di Bufala and homemade focaccia, Pasta Fredda with yellow cherry tomatoes and Taggiasca olives, curries from Kricket and Blacklock’s white chocolate cheesecake, scooped at the table. Wine comes courtesy of Passione Vino, alongside live music, dancing and a tombola with prizes from local businesses. Tickets are £75, and the event runs from 12.30 to 5.30pm at Kingsland Lawns.

La Sagra di Shoreditch takes place on 15^th August 2026 at The Museum of the Home, 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA. For further information or to book tickets, visit here.

Ferragosto specials and aperitivo hour at Sale e Pepe

Ferragosto almost invariably involves an aperitivo hour that drifts well into the evening, and Sale e Pepe is replicating it in style. For those staying put this summer, the Italian restaurant group is running seasonal specials across its three London sites – the original in Knightsbridge, and Sale e Pepe Mare and Sale e Pepe Terrazza, both at The Langham in Kensington. Dishes include Prosciutto e Melone, pairing 24-month-aged prosciutto crudo with sweet melon, alongside a Strawberry Sbagliato of Campari, strawberry vermouth and prosecco. A non-alcoholic version substitutes Pathfinder Amaro, strawberry and London Essence Riviera tonic. The specials sit alongside the kitchen’s shared pastas, cicchetti and tiramisu.

The Ferragosto specials are available at Sale e Pepe from 15^th until 16^th August 2026. For further information or to book a table, visit the group’s website here.

Ferragosto food and an Italian watermelon party at Satyrio

City of London’s upmarket Italian restaurant and wine merchant Satyrio is hosting a relaxed Ferragosto celebration on 15^th August from 4pm. For £29 per person, there will be a real Italian feast with a curated menu that includes classics like lasagna, arancini and a range of pizzas. It will be followed by an anguriata – a traditional Italian watermelon party – where there will be crisp, cold watermelon to beat the summer heat, and lastly, there’s a mysterious special surprise. The restaurant says there are limited spots available, so booking in advance in encouraged.

Satyrio’s Ferragosto celebration takes place on 15^th August 2026 at 49 Aldgate High Street, London EC3N 1AL. For further information or to book tickets, visit here.

An authentic Ferragosto picnic in Ealing

Ferragosto arrives in west London on Sunday 16^th August, when Circolo MIE London holds the fourth edition of its annual picnic in Walpole Park. The organisation, part of the Movimento Italiano in Europa network representing Italians abroad, runs its England and Wales branch largely on volunteer effort. This event is a wonderful opportunity for Italians and company to celebrate Ferragosto together, eat authentic food, meet new compatriot friends and spend a relaxing summer day in one of London’s most beautiful parks. Tickets cost £15 and include a cold buffet with pasta salad, rice salad and antipasti prepared with NonnaLisa Catering, and guests can bring their own drinks (soft only as alcohol is not allowed in the park). Organisers say advance booking is essential.

Circolo MIE’s Ferragosto Picnic takes place on 16^th August 2026 at Walpole Park
Mattock Lane, London W5 5EQ. For further information or to book tickets, visit here.

Food Desk