Il Gattopardo

Restaurants on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street could, sometimes, be accused of being a little style over substance. Albemarle new boy Il Gattopardo is certainly stylish, and parent company D.ream International (which owns Coya, Roka and Zuma) knows a thing or two about good-looking restaurants. On approach, a sartorial doorman opens the door into a world of timeless Italian style - an elegant composition of marble, geometric inlaid wood panelling and art deco lighting. Plush blue banquettes match the colour of Murano glass ornaments, whilst dining chairs and counter stools provide a range of different places to park yourself.

And that’s just the dining room. Beyond you’ll find a beautiful foliage-laden terrazza, illuminated via a skylight, and further still a bar, where you can sit for a pre- or post-dinner drink and a snack. It’s beautifully-designed, with hospitality to match from well-drilled staff.

With the style portion checked off the list, how about the substance? The menu covers a wide range of sub-genres, from salads to crudo plates, cheese, meat and fish, pasta, pizzette, risotto and more. It could all be a bit discombobulating, were the staff not so helpful with guidance.

There are some real gems among the crudo section particularly. A £32 plate of 24 month aged Culatello di Zibello ham is among the best we’ve had in a long time, and a neat assembly of cured Sicilian prawns, citrus zest and olive oil is inspired - the sweet, juicy prawns and grassy olive oil combining to be so much more than the sum of their parts.

If we were scared that Il Gattopardo may not deliver on the plate, those fears were gone by the time a hulking, golden Milanese chop arrived, with caper-spiked butter to splash over the top. Lots of work has gone into the cocktail menu too, which includes some excellent Negroni variations and a hefty vermouth collection, plus an excellent chilled limoncello made in-house. Every aspect of the experience here has been carefully considered, putting Il Gattopardo firmly among our favourite upmarket Italian spots in London.

Located in Mayfair on Albemarle Street, Il Gattopardo is an opulent Italian restaurant that pays homage to 1960s Italy. Il Gattopardo adds to the array of international cuisine explored by the award-winning global restaurant group, Azuma, who are also behind Roka, Zuma and Amazonico. Il Gattopardo describes itself as 'a taste of la dolce vita', meaning 'the sweet life'. The restaurant remembers one of Italy’s most prosperous periods - a time of economic miracles and industrial splendour, not to mention the beginning of Italy’s era as the set for many famous movies.  

The name Il Gattopardo - 'The Leopard' - is inspired by Giuseppe Tomasi of Lampedusa’s novel (written in 1963) that explores a multitude of themes and depicts the political trials endured by an aristocratic Sicilian family in 1860s Italy.   

Head chef Massimo Pasquarelli, who began his career in northern Italy, is the former executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore. He has built his career globally, continuously refining his technique and flavour. The menu largely evolves around classics born in Sicily, Amalfi and the Southern Isles and suggests a refreshing duality between modern technique and traditional recipes. 

The menu is broken down into lots of sections, including salads, crudo, antipasti, pasta, pizzette, meat, fish and more. Highlights on the menu include the cured Sicilian Mazara prawns with yellow chicory, citrus zest and Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil, a large Milanese cutlet on the bone with lemon and caper brown butter, and a classic vitello tonnato.

The 85-cover restaurant contains a secluded courtyard terrace, that can be covered, when necessary, thanks to a fully retractable roof and a 16-cover private dining room. The stylish interior takes inspiration from the work of Gio Ponti - otherwise known as 'The Father of Modern Italian Design'.