Tom’s Pasta restaurant review: design inspired by creamy tiramisu

Drawn in by lively chatter and laughs, you can hear the atmosphere radiating from Tom’s Pasta, before the restaurant is even in view. Nestled on the edge of Hackney Downs Studios, the friendly neighbourhood trattoria is known for its simple pasta menu, good wine, and cosy, intimate setting.

Initially, a bike-delivery service which gained popularity during lockdown, founder and chef Tom Haydon opened the brick-and-mortar restaurant in early December 2021. Now, five years later, Tom’s Pasta has unveiled its new interiors by House of Dré, which offers the restaurant’s unpretentious and grounded feel in a much larger space.

The mood: playful Italian charm with a vintage touch

Andreas Christodoulou, founder of House of Dré, manned the project and listened closely to Haydon’s brief: to double the size of the original space while keeping it playful and approachable.

‘The starting point was east London’s long relationship with Italian cafés and trattorias – places that are generous, unfussy and deeply rooted in their neighbourhoods,’ explains Christodoulou. ‘We didn’t want to recreate a pastiche of an Italian restaurant, but instead capture the spirit of those spaces and reinterpret it through a contemporary east London lens. Tom’s Pasta has always felt like a local institution in the making, so the design needed to feel familiar, welcoming and confident, rather than overly styled or precious.’

The new dining room, bar and kitchen capture this. Upon entering, guests feel at ease, almost familiar with the space, even if it is a first visit. Christodoulou managed to strike a fine balance of creating an environment which feels casual enough to enjoy a bite to eat midweek, while also enjoying a leisurely Friday evening, catching up with friends.

Christodoulou and Haydon are long-standing friends, having met at Hackney Downs Studios – a creative hub and community space in east London located in a historic former printworks. Having such a close bond, House of Dré drew upon Haydon’s welcoming nature as inspiration.

‘Our approach was collaborative and instinctive. Tom has a very clear sense of what he likes, but was also open to ideas, which made the process genuinely enjoyable. The biggest challenge was scaling the restaurant up while keeping the intimacy and charm of the original space. As the footprint grew, it was important that it didn’t lose its warmth or start to feel generic,’ Christodoulou tells Wallpaper*.

Much like the raw authenticity of Italian produce, the interior uses a palette of simple ingredients which are devoured by the eyes. Across the space, there are touches of Formica, chrome, stainless steel, and walnut, which Christodoulou selected to nod to vintage Italo London trattorias while leaning into a midcentury aesthetic.

Each table features a small chrome light, setting an intimate scene. Booths line the left-hand side, while on the right, visitors will find a long banquette to accommodate tables of two. In the middle are large, round circular tables, perfect for chatty conversations or for a bigger party. The open kitchen is at the front of the extension. On the buttery walls are paintings made by local artists; the works will rotate throughout the year. This emphasises the restaurant’s purpose, relaxed dining for the local neighbourhood.