Few places in London have a reputation as notorious as Big Mamma’s collection of extravagant Italian restaurants, where the line between beautifully-ostentatious and bordering-on-ridiculous is blurrier than a hangover from one too many of its balsamic Negronis. Enter: Jacuzzi, a four-storey Sicilian mansion that’s taken over an old bank on Kensington High Street. See what we mean?
The rule of thumb when it comes to the interiors is that more is simply never enough. Nowhere encapsulates this better than the ground floor dining room, which is an overwhelming mass of dripping crystal chandeliers, mosaic flooring, flamboyant red booths and a sprawling tree that extends all the way up and across its soaring ceiling. You can guess the vibe of the other two floors – think more foliage and the odd naff touch (framed underpants, for one) to bring the vibe somewhat down to earth.
You need a lot of staff to run an operation like this, and indeed part of the experience involves watching waiters bustle up and down stairs between their assigned floors, delivering orders on walkie talkies and serving theatrical tableside dishes to phone-ready diners, like its famous truffle pasta served out of a pecorino wheel.
For all its pizazz, the food at Jacuzzi is actually very good. A creamy ball of burrata, glossy with pistachio pesto, delivered the rich gratification of cream and good olive oil. Elsewhere, a luxurious twist on pasta puttanesca, although served in a comically large bowl, delivered serious flavour via vinegary olives and capers. Do note that the portions are generous and you might want to order tactically if you have your eye on dessert. It’s well worth saving room for the tiramisu, though, which is light and well-balanced, and served from a large dish with a ‘say when’ approach to portion control.
Jacuzzi is bound to attract a few haters, but we utterly enjoyed the whole loud, unbashful, surreal ride. Hedonistic dining is back, and Jacuzzi is leading the charge.