Nipotina is an Italian neighbourhood restaurant in Mayfair, serving nostalgic family cooking in an inviting setting. Nipotina is another venture by culinary mastermind Samyukta Nair, the restaurateur behind Michelin-starred Jamavar, Mimi Mei Fair, and the Mediterranean-inspired French bistro Socca, down the road from Nipotina. Turning her hand to Italian fare, Nipotina brings casual Italian dining to Mayfair (counter-intuitive though this may seem). With a kitchen headed up by Turin-born chef Somaia Hammad, Nipotina is all about comforting, family-taught cooking: its name, meaning ‘granddaughter’ in Italian, reflects the warmth of its approach.
The menu features unfussy, family-style cooking. Lighter antipasti dishes include a fresh fennel and rocket salad, with orange, fava and pecorino; langoustines roasted with garlic and parsley; stuffed mussels; and ‘fegatini di pollo in padella’ - chopped chicken livers with balsamic and pancetta.
Onto the primi selection, and there’s a choice of pastas which include orecchiette with cime di rapa; Mafalda ragu made by Hammad’s grandmother’s recipe; and tortelli filled with a lobster and spicy red vodka sauce. More substantial secondi offerings include a Livornese-style roasted red mullet with capers, lemon, Leccino olives, parsley and tomatoes, and Bistecca alla Fiorentina - the traditionally Tuscan T-Bone sharing steak, served fresh off the grill, and served rare.
There are also wood-fired pizzas on offer, as well as ‘Nonna Lina’s ricotta cake’ - named after Hammad’s own grandmother.
An impressive wine list is thanks to the efforts of Italian wine aficionado Luca Dusi, of Passione Vino in Shoreditch. Dusi’s wine list is entirely Italian, sourced largely from small, artisanal wine producers across Italy - the product of Dusi’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Italian wine producers. A selection of Italian liqueurs and cocktails are also on offer, including the Nipotina negroni - a unique aromatic blend of liqueurs, served by the ladle from a clay amphora.