Al Paninos starts from a small, stubborn idea: a hot sandwich, pressed to order, with nothing about it overcomplicated. Richmond Row has never wanted for places to eat, but downtown London's lunch hour was missing a counter built around sandwiches coming hot off a panini press, and that absence is the opening Al Paninos was built to fill. Owner Zack Agathos opened it to do exactly that — he wanted, by his own account to local reporting, hot sandwiches "without making it complicated." The menu keeps faith with the premise: focaccia, pressed; fillings stacked with intent; an order that lands fast without ever feeling like fast food.
The personality is Greek-Italian, and the Spicy Spyro is where it announces itself — grilled chicken, goat cheese, roasted red pepper, bacon, hot sauce, pistachio pesto, roasted garlic aioli, and arugula on pressed focaccia, heat and richness and a little funk in a single build. The Big AL runs the red-sauce lane: classic mama's meatballs with marinara, provolone, pistachio pesto, and shaved parmesan reggiano on a hoagie, hot peppers on request. The Fat Tony goes brighter, a chicken cutlet lifted with marinara, balsamic glaze, basil, and mozzarella. Pistachio pesto and a set of house-made sauces turn up across the board, and the bread comes from London Portuguese Bakery — the kind of detail that keeps these from reading like assembly-line subs.
Al Paninos is not just a generic sub counter: Spicy Spyro, Big AL, Fat Tony, Greek Fries, and the focaccia panini give the menu a specific Greek-Italian identity.
Local coverage points to bread from a London bakery plus in-house sauces and glazes, which gives the sandwiches more identity than a simple assembly-line build.
The shop works as a quick downtown London comfort-food stop for loaded sandwiches, fries, salads, dessert, and order-ahead meals.
Built around hearty panini, meatballs, fries, and tiramisu, Al Paninos is a comfort-food stop with a tight sandwich focus.
Greek-Italian fillings, chili heat, pesto, tzatziki, and bold sandwich builds give the menu more personality than a standard sub counter.
Stacked sandwiches, loaded fries, salads, and desserts make the menu practical for pickup and delivery without a full-service dining format.
A small group can split Greek Fries and order across meatball, chicken, steak, salad, dessert, and veggie-friendly choices without losing the sandwich-shop focus.
The value is practical: big sandwiches, loaded sides, salads, and desserts that work as an everyday downtown London meal.
Share the nuances of your visit to Al Paninos in London — the standout dishes, the room, the service.
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