THE PRESTIGIOUS ACCOLADE of the 2009 Rémy Martin Restaurant Excellence Award is tribute to the consistently excellent food and service at this City of London restaurant, which opened in June 2008.

L’Anima, meaning ‘the soul’ in Italian, is the brainchild of renowned chef Francesco Mazzei. Housed in a space designed by famed architect Claudio Silvestrin, the restaurant serves contemporary Italian cuisine in a chic minimal setting. The design of the restaurant bordering the City and Shoreditch took three years and as a result the interior is magnificent.

An open and inviting space with a glass frontage, extensive use of white limestone, brown porphyry and marble reflect the sophistication and quality, yet simplicity of Francesco’s menu.

Inspired from his childhood in Calabria, Italy, where food is considered an expression of love and tradition, Francesco opened his first restaurant at 18. He has since worked at famed establishments such as The Dorchester, Hakkasan and most recently St Alban.

Reflecting the long-hours City culture, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner plus an all-day menu served in the bar, with seasonal daily specials and typical Italian fare. In the restaurant, Francesco creates dishes with bold yet clean and distinct flavours. Signature dishes include tube-shaped pasta served with soft spicy salami, capers, anchovies and oregano in a tomato sauce with fried aubergine and grated hardened ricotta cheese. The bar serves stylish cocktails, a selection of Prosecco and a wide range of Italian wines by the glass and bottle.