Luciano SW1

As a chef he may famously have been an enfant terrible, but in his subsequent life Marco Pierre White has shown himself one of London’s most urbane restaurateurs. A feeling of timeless glamour characterises all of his best establishments. These include Mirabelle, L’Escargot and especially Holland Park’s Belvedere – all of them ‘classic’ sites updated with a makeover overseen by David Collins.

That same design impresario has worked his magic at these St James’s premises, another classic restaurant site -- originally Maison Prunier, but in more recent times occupied by Suntory. That grand Japanese restaurant was infamous for its stratospheric prices: not an accusation that could fairly be levelled at the new operation, where – given its upmarket style and location – bills are notably reasonable.

The cucina is Italian – a cuisine into which Marco’s previous forays have not been crowned with great success. Early impressions, however, are that he’s ‘cracked it’ here, with almost everything on a first-week visit quite simple but of very high quality. Stand-outs were a wonderful light starter of crab with carasau (a sort of crispbread), a fegato alla Veneziana with polenta, and a pretty much perfect tiramisù. Only a risotto underwhelmed.

Good wine lists – extensive, and elegantly presented within the menu card itself – are something of an MPW signature, and one that’s replicated here. As you would expect, the selection is largely Italian, and offers something of interest at all price levels. Service appears similarly creditable, already running smoothly on the second day of official operations.

So is there a catch? Not at the moment, but hurry along. History suggests that Marco’s enthusiasm will soon be directed to his next big project, and the consistency of the last one can’t always be guaranteed.