Italian restaurant near Watford
Dona Theresa is the family-run Italian in Hatch End — twenty minutes from Watford by car, or four stops on the Overground from Watford Junction and a five-minute walk. Proper trattoria cooking since 2011, two courses for £19.95 at lunch and early evening, and free parking if you drive.
Direct train from Watford Junction
Open since
Two courses, lunch & early bird
Parking for guests
Is it worth the drive from Watford?
Watford has no shortage of restaurants. What it has a shortage of is the kind of Italian where the menu has not changed much in a decade because nobody wanted it to: veal saltimbocca, calf's liver, an 11oz fillet Rossini, spaghetti heaped with seafood, Dover sole on the bone. That is what we do, in a dining room in Hatch End that is a lot easier to get to from Watford than people assume.
The train is the trick. The Overground from Watford Junction stops at Watford High Street, Bushey, Carpenders Park and then Hatch End — about ten minutes — and we are five minutes' walk from the station. Nobody has to drive, nobody has to stay off the wine.
What we cook
An Italian menu of the older kind. Starters like minestrone, prawn cocktail, grilled sardines and Pera al Forno — baked pear in red wine with fried camembert. Then saltimbocca di vitello, calf's liver with sage, spaghetti alla pescatora, an 11oz Filleto Rossini, duck in honey and pepper sauce, and grilled Dover sole on the bone. Pasta is cooked to order and portions are not small. No pizza — we have never made it. Vegetarian dishes are marked (V) and there are plenty.
The £19.95 menu
Starter and main from a shorter menu, at lunch (12 till 3) and as an early bird at dinner with orders in by 6.45pm. On Fridays and Saturdays early-bird tables finish by 8pm. It is not available for parties over twelve, and there is a 10% service charge. It is the reason a lot of people make the trip from Watford on a weekday.
Getting here from Watford
Driving
- • Via Oxhey and Carpenders Park: Oxhey Lane to the Hatch End roundabout, then left onto Uxbridge Road.
- • Or the A4008 / A410 through Bushey Heath and Harrow Weald, then Uxbridge Road westbound.
- • About 6 miles; 20 minutes outside rush hour.
- • Free parking for guests at the restaurant. Satnav: HA5 4JR.
Train and bus
- • London Overground from Watford Junction or Watford High Street to Hatch End: four stops, about ten minutes, then a five-minute walk along Uxbridge Road.
- • Last trains back to Watford run late into the evening, so dinner and the train is a comfortable combination.
- • A cab from Watford town centre is about 20 minutes.
451 Uxbridge Road
Hatch End, Pinner HA5 4JR
Tue–Sun
12:00–15:00 · 18:00–23:00
Closed Mondays
Bookings
020 8421 5550
What people say
From our Google reviews. More on TripAdvisor.
“From the moment we stepped into Dona Theresa, we knew we had chosen the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary. This isn't just a restaurant; it's a slice of Italy right here in Pinner.”
theguruyt
Local Guide · Google Review
“The best place ever for Italian food. We love this place so much that we like to celebrate our special occasions with them. All pastas are good and dessert too!”
Sonali Kosrabe
Local Guide · Google Review
“Authentic romantic cosy place, fantastic food fresh and cooked as you like, service was really good and welcoming. Highly recommend this place.”
Dilyana Milenkova
Local Guide · Google Review
Questions from Watford
How do I get to Dona Theresa from Watford without driving?
Take the London Overground from Watford Junction or Watford High Street towards Euston. Hatch End is the fourth stop, about ten minutes. Come out of the station, turn onto Uxbridge Road and we are a five-minute walk at number 451.
How long is the drive from Watford?
About 20 minutes outside rush hour — roughly six miles via Oxhey Lane or through Bushey Heath and Harrow Weald. There is free parking for guests at the restaurant.
What is the £19.95 menu?
Two courses from a shorter menu, at lunch (12–3) and as an early bird at dinner with orders in by 6.45pm. Fridays and Saturdays early-bird tables finish by 8pm. Not for parties over twelve.
Do I need to book?
For Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch, yes — online or on 020 8421 5550. Midweek you can generally walk in.