Motorino

In a city where a new restaurant opens its doors every other day, it pays to be different, and Stevie Parle and Luke Ahearne’s Motorino is a self-confessed rule-breaker. Their stylish London-Italian restaurant on Marylebone’s Pearson Square offers a bold, uber-contemporary take on Italian dining, with a kitchen run by a Michelin-starred chef (Luke was previously head chef at Lita).

Still, if you’re the type of diner who values experience as much as great food, you’re in for a treat. Motorino is all about vibes. The retro-futuristic dining room feels like a 70s furniture showroom caught in a time warp, all high-gloss, curved edges and wood panelling, offset by bright reds, yellows and greens. A trademark feature is the open kitchen, viewable through a huge, pill-shaped window. If this were a Dua Lipa album, it would be titled Future Nostalgia.

The food also employs a heavy dose of creative license. On the outset, the menu looks typically Italian – there are starters, primi, mains and dolci – but Ahearne injects rebellious twists into seemingly classic dishes. Carbonara swaps spaghetti for dinky agnolotti with a smoky, creamy filling, while ‘Gigli al Gin’ offers a twist on vodka pasta fleshed out with gnarly hunks of fennel sausage. The size-to-price ratio of the pasta list is a little off, with most north of £20, but they’re also some of the strongest dishes on the menu.

Mains revolve around deftly-cooked pieces of fish and meat, from fatty, pink slices of ribeye in a boozy peppercorn sauce, to crisp-skinned sea bass with caponata-style vegetables and a mellow shellfish sauce. We’d skip the tiramisu for Ahearne’s lip-smacking Amalfi lemon meringue pie, deconstructed into complimentary layers of citrus, sugary meringue and rich biscuit.

These guys don’t mess about with the cocktail list either. Max-strength Martinis, Negronis and ‘Chargers’ form the bulk of the menu, or there’s a confidently-honed wine list featuring 10 reds, 10 whites, and a single rose dubbed ‘The only rosé you’ll ever need’. You’ve been told.

We’re big fans of Motorino’s sense of fun, and while it might still be figuring out the odd dish, the vision is undeniably strong. So far, we like what we see.

Motorino is a restaurant with serious pedigree behind it. The restaurant comes from chef-owner Stevie Parle (Town, Pastaio) and rising star Luke Ahearne, formerly head chef at Lita in Marylebone - the Mediterranean bistro that landed a Michelin star in under a year. The pair’s collaboration is billed as a modern London-Italian, a restaurant that promises both ambition and fun in equal measure.

For Ahearne, Motorino represents a chance to bring a fresh perspective on Italian cooking to central London, drawing inspiration from great produce and a joyful approach to food. 'It’s about creating something new, bold and exciting,' he explains - and with his track record, expectations are understandably high.

For Parle, Motorino marks his second major opening in six months, hot on the heels of Town in Covent Garden, which was met with critical acclaim. Here in Fitzrovia, he’s once again working with his network of trusted farmers, growers and suppliers across the UK and Ireland to ensure the kitchen is stocked with the best seasonal ingredients.

The offer doesn’t stop at food. Motorino is a sizeable 150-cover space that comes complete with its own destination bar. Drinks are in the hands of Kevin Armstrong, best known for his time at Satan’s Whiskers - regularly considered to be one of the world's best bars. Expect world-class cocktails, including seasonal spritzes on tap and direct-serve icy martinis, all designed to complement Ahearne’s cooking.

Between Ahearne’s sharp, produce-driven food, Parle’s vision and Armstrong’s expertise behind the bar, Motorino is more than just another Italian restaurant. It's the Italian restaurant London has been waiting for: confident, creative and unashamedly fun.