Mayfair, Italian Restaurant Guide

This “consistently excellent” “family Italian restaurant” has knocked out “authentic pizza, pasta and secondi dishes” in Mount Street for more than 50 years – and all at decidedly un-Mayfair prices. It closed briefly for a make-over in summer 2022.

“The glitz, the glamour, the bling” – this Mayfair outpost of Mikhail Gokhner’s Moscow-based chain dishes up wood-fired pizza and Italian comfort food with mixed results: to critics it’s extravagant pricing is far too OTT, but there is also the odd fan who “wanted to dislike it but was charmed”.

The jury is still out on this ultra-high-end Italian following its lockdown-delayed 2021 opening in the Mayfair premises formerly occupied by Nobu Berkeley (RIP). It’s a “lovely space” with a “great fit-out”, and “the fish is fantastic” – so “all the ingredients are there and it could become really good once it has shaken down”. On the debit side, it’s “ridiculously overpriced” (which it needs to be to cover the rent, a local record). Owned by the Ferragamo fashion family, it’s named after their Tuscan estate, whose produce and wine are on the menu.

“Technically accomplished”, Italian-inspired cuisine (which, at heart, is quite “classical”) from Angela Hartnett, served “in a sophisticated-yet-relaxed setting, by outstanding-yet-unobtrusive staff” continues to inspire the many fans of her unflashy-yet-luxurious venue in Mayfair. But, while most diners applaud its overall performance, it has inspired a variety of gripes of late: the décor can be too “muted” for some tastes, and some repeat visitors have admitted to feeling “underwhelmed” of late by the odd “uninspiring” dish. On most accounts, though “the main difficulty here is answering the question: ‘how many courses?’” (the options being a 3-course, 4-course, 5-course or 6-course meal).

2022 Review: Navigate through the pan-Asian section of Russian restaurateur Arkady Novikov’s ultra-luxe Mayfair scene, and you find an elegant if slightly incongruous classic Italian dining room at the rear. Key themes that emerge in survey feedback: it’s notably “overpriced”; the food’s not bad; and for a business encounter, it’s worth considering.

“The original location is by far the best” – “almost Continental in feel, and opposite the back entrance of the Royal Academy in Burlington Arcade”: “a regular haunt” for Mayfair types where “a seat at the bar is the best possible place in the world”. “Always buzzy and with exceptional Bellinis, it’s best for breakfast or brunch”. On the downside, “the high prices of the food reflect the area and locale”. Its simpler spin-offs (most notably pizza joints in Soho and Shoreditch) capture a fragment of this “fun and upmarket” style.

This swish “old-fashioned Italian” with “very smooth and welcoming staff” has “real style” befitting its environs alongside the bespoke tailors of Savile Row (for which it is named). Owned by D&D London, the kitchen nowadays is run by distinguished Calabrian-born chef Francesco Mazzei. Prices have never been bargain basement here, but most reporters reckon the expense is “worth it for the excellent cooking using top-class ingredients” and the “divine selection of Italian wines”.

Few restaurants can boast the heritage of this Mayfair two-year-old: the first ever spin-off from a Milanese original of over 120 years’ standing. It’s still a case of promise unfulfilled, though, with reports that are very up and down, despite a general acknowledgement of “friendly service and a pleasant interior” (the latter very classical in style). “Eye-watering prices” are key to the ambivalence felt by diners, despite some dishes that are “clearly wonderful” – if you give it a go, perhaps try the set lunch, which is “exceptional value by comparison to other options here”.

Hot on the heels of a debut in LA, this US Italian restaurant concept is set to launch on this 190-cover site in Mayfair in late 2022, which will incorporate a ground floor bar, first floor dining room and terrace, and cigar lounge. It will offer an Italian/Mediterranean menu including pizza and pasta. More branches are planned both in the capital and back home in the US of A.