Among the embassies, five-star hotels and luxurious boutiques of Mayfair, there is no shortage of restaurants. But if you’re looking for a perfectly balanced mixture of tradition, innovation and timeless style, then head to Gigi’s, just off New Bond Street, it’s a bit of a celebrity hotspot too.
The menu here, carefully created by young Italian head chef Ivan Simeoli, mixes traditional Italian cooking with influences from the East. Everything from the bread to the pasta is homemade and ingredients are locally sourced and seasonal. My exquisite starter of 62-degree egg was perfectly complemented by the subtle taste of girolles, juicy pickled tomato and crispy parma ham, whilst the salt-baked root vegetables were left me wanting more. For main, we sampled two excellent fish dishes: I was suitably impressed with my wild cornish sea bass with beetroot broth, ginger and roast salsify, while my companion’s sea aster razor clams with seaweed cracker, wakame, parsley pureé was fantastically executed and presented. We couldn’t resist the allure of a delicious Italian dessert: the signature tiramisu was deliciously rich and the silky plum yoghurt mousse was a pleasure.
The service was impeccable, faultless in fact. We were greeted like old friends, and the committed staff have excellent knowledge of all dishes. Each of our courses was paired with a carefully selected wine – there’s an extensive dessert wine list. If you still have room after dinner, why not head over to the stylish bar to sample a cocktail or two from the bespoke list of tipples?
