Piers' review of Locanda Locatelli

We were lured to Locatelli's by his excellent book which contains recipes that are hard work but produce superb results. The place exudes class from the moment you are greeted by the friendly efficient reception staff and the layout offers a perfect balance between a certain amount of privacy and the opportunity to watch other people in an atmosphere that manages to be laid-back and busy at the same time. We were told first of all about the evening's special cocktail. We heard about vodka, mango and cranberries. Sounds good, we thought. It was more than good, sipped with the parmesan breadsticks while studying the menu. They brought a basket of bread, all of it excellent with a little dish of oil for dipping. We went for salted anchovies with peppers and capers, ravioli with red onion, pork fillet with a fruit mustard crust and borlotti beans, poached beef fillet, berries and yoghurt ice cream, trifle that was a work of art, looking as if sculpted from seashells. An excellent bottle of chianti classico at £33 and jasmine tea to follow. Every mouthful of food and drink was a real delight, the flavour of everything distinctive while complementing perfectly what was alongside it. And you might say, when presented with a bill for £175 for two, that so it should have been, but it's certainly a meal that I'll remember for a very long time. An anniversary was the excuse for this visit; I hope I can come up with equally convincing reasons for a return.