Bardo St James's

Bardo is the new Italian on the block and after opening was almost immediately fully booked every night. The draw? While London is filled with pizza and pasta offerings, Bardo feels experiential. Indeed, with evocative language and a rich, red colour palette, the website promises to transport diners back to Italy’s famed Dolce Vita era, a time known for glamour and sensuality. In person, this concept comes to life with fabulous service, dramatic interiors and live music.

The menu is an example of how, when it comes to food, Italians arguably do it best. Diners are nudged towards a series of courses, starting with antipasti. Keep things light with fresh, yellow tail with datterino tomatos, soya and preserved lemon for a citrusy kick, or indulge in sharing slices of pizza covered in glistening fior di latte.

Next up are delicate bowls of fresh, buttery pasta which melt in your mouth. Options include lobster tagliatelle and classic tomatoe spaghetti, but for us, the ricotta and mascarpone cheese agnolotti with rich brown butter and leeks covered in black truffle (which is grated by the chef at your table) was ‘the one’. Topped with a swirling cheese-crafted ornament, this is true indulgence. Just when you think it can’t get any better, though, out comes the caramelized black cod. It falls apart for a succulent, moreish and truly special main course.

For afters, you might be lucky enough to meet Bardo’s charming pastry chef, who introduced us to a trio of hand-picked sweets. The tiramisu’s extra-thick layer of chocolate, teamed with ice cream handmade in-house and perfect layers of aromatic coffee-soaked sponge was a triumph.

Bardo is a great place to enjoy a lavish dinner before a night on the tiles, and many of the guests had dressed up to the nines to fit the glamourous theme. Thank goodness, then, that the cocktail menu is up to scratch to keep those in the party mood appropriately watered. .

Found at One Pall Mall, Bardo St James's is a high-end Italian restaurant and entertainment space, which comprises a large restaurant with an open kitchen, a walk-in wine cellar boasting an extensive fine wine selection, a whisky room, a private dining room, a private lounge and a long marble bar for guests to perch at.

Bardo St James's is the first hospitality venture from entrepreneur Luca Maggiora, who made his name in the nightclub industry and is the brains behind popular London haunts such as LUXX in Mayfair and Piccaddilly’s Toy Room. The interiors at Bardo are elegant and sophisticated, featuring polished marble countertops, striking artworks and furnishings sourced from Italy. Adding to the atmosphere, the restaurant plays host to a different live band every evening, ensuring a side of entertainment with your meal.

As for the menu, expect a run of sophisticated Italian dishes which make the most of fine produce sourced in both the UK and Italy. The kitchen is headed up by chef Graziano Bonacina (formerly of Sette at the Bulgari Hotel), who has designed a seasonally evolving menu where vegetables take centre stage.

Begin your meal with antipasti such as burrata with figs, pickled radicchio, beetroot, and white balsamic, or scallops served alongside parsnip puree, nduja and parsley butter. From the primi section, try tagliolini cacio pepe with porcini and hazelnut crumble or short rib of beef agnolotti with garlic chips and horseradish.

Main courses include caramelised black cod and veal Milanese with patate sabbiose and roasted Datterino tomatoes. As for dolci, expect tiramisu with ice cream and coffee chocolate beans or Baba al Passito with white chocolate Chantilly and berry sauce. To help wash it all down, explore Bardo’s innovative list of house cocktails, which offers the expected options alongside contemporary twists on classic Italian sips.