Mercante

Situated on the bustling streets of Piccadilly, Mercante sticks to tried and tested Italian classics, from within the stately, dignified surroundings of the Sheraton Grand Hotel. As we entered Mercante, we felt instantly immersed in the restaurant’s calm ambiance, and were taken under the wing of Mercante's friendly and attentive staff.

The dining room is large but cosy, featuring low-lit surroundings with elegant modern decor, mahogany fixtures, high ceilings and cream walls. The tables are spaced perfectly providing you and your guests with privacy, perfect for conducting a meeting or having a friendly catch up.

We began our dining experience with Mercante’s selection of cicchetti. Focaccia arrives warm, drizzled lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and arancini arrive piping hot with a crispy deep-fried outer shell and punchy filling of fried rice and beef ragout, sat in a splash of spicy green chilli mayonnaise; a truly delicious explosion of flavour. Mercante also delivers on classic pasta dishes, particularly an excellent, silky carbonara with hefty chunks of guanciale, but the star dish of the night was a dish of octopus brushed with spicy marinade and chargrilled, served on a bed of chickpea puree.

Not everything was a flying success - a dish of grilled jumbo prawns with garlic, chilli and lime could have been a knockout, and though delicious they arrived cold which was slightly disappointing. The menu quickly picked up after this, and we were served polpo - perhaps the highlight of the night. Mercante also turns out some good pasta, as shown by an excellent seafood cavatelli and a creamy spaghetti carbonara loaded with pecorino cheese and chunky guanciale.

Mercante also has a brilliant drinks list for those who enjoy fine wine and cocktails which lean more towards the bitter side. Elegant ambiance and well-executed dishes unite here to create an excellent addition to Piccadilly's restaurant scene.

Just a short walk from Hyde Park Corner and with Green Park and Park Lane on the doorstep, Mercante boasts a picture-perfect Mayfair location for entertaining friends and family or stopping for a bite to eat whilst you explore one of London's most glamorous areas. 

You'll find Mercante inside the grade-II listed Sheraton Grand Hotel Park Lane. With it's high ceilings and large windows, Mercante is a light, bright and airy space, offering a fresh take on the classic Italian food market. The hotel's marble columns lend the restaurant a refined elegance, but Mercante has a contemporary edge too - a series of mustard yellow booths hug the far wall, and old nautical maps have been deployed as wallpaper on one side.

The menu, meanwhile, caters for all comers. An all day menu - served from noon to 9:30pm - starts with sharing cicchetti plates like Delica pumpkin croquettes, arancini and San Marzano tomato bruschetta, and moves onto focused selections of antipasti, pasta, pizza and risotto, then main meat and fish plates, and sides and salads too. The menu isn't big by any stretch, but it's well curated and pays homage to Italian fan favourites - burrata and beef carpaccio both feature under antipasti, and classics like spaghetti carbonara, linguine alla vongole, chicken Milanese and zucchini fritti also make an appearance.

Mercante also does a very tempting brunch offer on Saturdays and Sundays between 12-4pm, with a three course set menu that includes avocado on toast, spaghetti with clams, tiramisu and gelato. 

The wine list is similarly compact but carefully chosen, featuring a very drinkable range of wine, prosecco and beer, all from Italy's best-known producers and regions.