A darling of London’s TikTok-friendly dining scene, Nina sits in the old Pachamama site in Marylebone, following in the footsteps of its sibling venues like Bottarga, with its maximalist interiors and well-dressed crowds. It’s achingly cool, chaotic but curated, with intentionally mismatched interiors and kitsch decor that looks straight out of a charity shop. Leopard-print curtains, unplastered walls and spotlit artwork add the final touches to Nina’s carefully manufactured ‘we just threw this together’ vibe.
But it clearly works. Even on a Monday night, it’s packed. A labyrinth of tables - white-clothed, and candle-covered - is packed with guests, and low, expectant murmuring is drowned out by pulsing house beats. We start with ‘tinis’, Nina’s signature selection of miniature drinks. They’re little more than glorified shots, but we’re completely enamoured by the tiny martini glasses where an olive takes up half the available space.
Nina doesn’t just rest on its good looks, it serves up some seriously tasty food. Menus are Italian leaning, taking the Pachamama license to play around with novel ideas. A tomato-studded focaccia is not to be missed; its thick wedges are angrily charred and work just as well dunked into olive oil as it does smothered with a scoop of salty, parmesan butter.
Arancini hit all the right notes - crisp, golden, and sporting the exact right amount of truffle - but it’s the crudo where Nina really shines. Slices of bluefin tuna are draped across a wedge of honeydew melon, paired with a silky Italian ponzu that seamlessly balances the sweet melon with a citrusy twang. Equally unexpected are chunky cuts of yellowtail crudo, which come served atop jalapeno slices and creamy stracciatella. You’ll just have to trust us when we say that it works. Duck switches things up with a rich, herb-infused white ragu and thick paccheri tubes that perhaps lean a tad too al dente for our liking.
Dessert continues Nina’s flair for the dramatic. A show-stopping lemon meringue semifreddo has been packed into a hollowed-out lemon skin and is dramatically cut open at the table. It’s creamy, fun, fabulous, delicious, and makes us wonder why more desserts don’t come served in fruit.
With its high-energy atmosphere, quirky plates, and Insta-worthy moments, Nina is clearly a lady of style and substance. We highly recommend paying her a visit, if you can get a table!