Murano was undoubtably the poshest of this trio, selected for a special lunch for my husband's birthday. Italian is not his favourite, of course, but making reservations six weeks out was not enough time to get a table at the desired Le Gavroche. We lingered at Angela's for almost three hours and were well taken care of; this is definitely a fine special event venue. The room is small, elegant, but bright and cheerful. The staff attentive, the wine list an excellent mix of French and Italian. (It featured rare schioppetino by the glass, a major point in their favour before we'd tried a bite of food.)
I started with braised ox tail with hand-rolled tagliatelle and wild garlic, a very delicate version of a hearty, comfort food classic. Piers' rabbit loin and belly with liver and kidney, Dijon creme fraiche and a croque monsieur with apple fennel relish was far closer to the usual Michelin complexity. I went deeply traditional on the main as well, with sea bass on a fennel puree with baby artichokes and Scottish langoustine. Classic combinations, beautifully done, but I've had similar at many other restaurants. Again, Piers' choice was more innovative: monkfish in a herbed crust, hand picked crab, avocado, asparagus and bitter orange. His dish was the clear winner on that round, and the bottle of Greco di Tufo we had with it was a perfect accompaniment.
They showed fine customer care later when I was unable to decide on dessert. I finally ordered one, but the waitress turned up with a combo plate of the two I had been debating between. The dark chocolate mousse was delicious, but again very traditional, while the deconstructed carrot cake with yoghurt granite and caramelised walnuts was both tasty and more interesting. Piers won again, with an apricot souffle with almond cream. An excellent meal, and I knew I'd be paying a lot, but the final price tag had me kicking myself I hadn't planned far enough in advance to get that Le Gavroche spot. It would have been about the same bill, and I suspect we'd have felt we got more value for money. Angela's place was lovely, but there are others in the Michelin star firmament to which I'd return first.
They showed fine customer care later when I was unable to decide on dessert. I finally ordered one, but the waitress turned up with a combo plate of the two I had been debating between. The dark chocolate mousse was delicious, but again very traditional, while the deconstructed carrot cake with yoghurt granite and caramelised walnuts was both tasty and more interesting. Piers won again, with an apricot souffle with almond cream. An excellent meal, and I knew I'd be paying a lot, but the final price tag had me kicking myself I hadn't planned far enough in advance to get that Le Gavroche spot. It would have been about the same bill, and I suspect we'd have felt we got more value for money. Angela's place was lovely, but there are others in the Michelin star firmament to which I'd return first.
Semplice, hidden on a curving lane just off Oxford Street in Mayfair, has a similar style, but the food's served in a darker, quieter atmosphere. Murano's for being seen, Semplice for hiding away. Murano has heavy French elements, Semplice is more resolutely Italian, more reminiscent of Locanda Locatelli. Unaffiliated with any famous chef, they're more reasonably priced, have some good lunch specials and offer a discount coupon if you to return in the next month.
My gnocchi of buffalo ricotta was a great example of how Italian food is "Michelinised". The gnocchi had the same chewy density and richness you'd get in Nona's kitchen, but it had been rolled into tiny tubes and sliced so that each was the same size, then mixed with similarly-sized bits of asparagus, topped with the curling pink tails of Scottish langoustine. My main of milk fed Piedmontese veal was exquisite, but here's what I mean about great ingredients making a dish. In animal-obsessed Britain, it's impossible to find proper veal ... with white meat kept that way because the calves aren't allowed any exercise ... in shops. One taste of the Italian-farmed animals illustrates a vast difference. Meat this fine doesn't need much preparation. It came with a mix of diced zucchine, shitake mushrooms and Taggiasca olives on a sweet potato puree. As with Murano, they let me mix and match the dessert menu, pairing a chocolate mousse that was more like a fudge cheesecake with a side of the pistachio ice cream that was designed to go with their rum baba. Perhaps the best dish of the meal.
Unplanned and un-anticipated, Como Lario was almost as good as its starry competitors. Squeezed between interior design shops on a street connecting Pimlico Road and Sloane Square, just a stone's throw from our church, it's a cozy, unfussy room that looks like it was last decorated in the late '80s. In this neighbourhood, one of the richest in London, that indicates neither humility nor cheapness. Probably, instead, a set of well-heeled old regulars who don't like change. It's a traditional menu without innovative stretches or excessive attention to fussy presentation. But the tastes are delightful. Their tagliatelle with a wild boar ragu had the same pungent yet delicate balance as the oxtail at Murano, but served with a more traditional, wider pasta that I have to admit I liked more than Angela's thin, precision cut. Attempting a bit of weight watcher balance, my main was a dish of simply grilled scallops on a rocket salad, healthy and delicious. Piers gave his lamb, a more traditional Sunday lunch, equally good reviews. We opted for glasses of vin santo with cantucci on the side to wrap up the meal.
Both Murano and Semplice are the essence of today's high end restaurant scene. Gourmet interpretations of a traditional cuisine, innovative, exquisite, delicate. A delight for both tongue and eye, in fashionable surroundings. Very London. At the less fussy, more traditional Como Lario, I felt that the streets of Florence or Siena might lie outside the door. Murano is the place I'd save for the special occasion. Semplice is an elegant, romantic retreat. But Como Lario wins the value for money stakes hands down, and I suspect it's the place that will see a return visit soonest.
Unplanned and un-anticipated, Como Lario was almost as good as its starry competitors. Squeezed between interior design shops on a street connecting Pimlico Road and Sloane Square, just a stone's throw from our church, it's a cozy, unfussy room that looks like it was last decorated in the late '80s. In this neighbourhood, one of the richest in London, that indicates neither humility nor cheapness. Probably, instead, a set of well-heeled old regulars who don't like change. It's a traditional menu without innovative stretches or excessive attention to fussy presentation. But the tastes are delightful. Their tagliatelle with a wild boar ragu had the same pungent yet delicate balance as the oxtail at Murano, but served with a more traditional, wider pasta that I have to admit I liked more than Angela's thin, precision cut. Attempting a bit of weight watcher balance, my main was a dish of simply grilled scallops on a rocket salad, healthy and delicious. Piers gave his lamb, a more traditional Sunday lunch, equally good reviews. We opted for glasses of vin santo with cantucci on the side to wrap up the meal.
Both Murano and Semplice are the essence of today's high end restaurant scene. Gourmet interpretations of a traditional cuisine, innovative, exquisite, delicate. A delight for both tongue and eye, in fashionable surroundings. Very London. At the less fussy, more traditional Como Lario, I felt that the streets of Florence or Siena might lie outside the door. Murano is the place I'd save for the special occasion. Semplice is an elegant, romantic retreat. But Como Lario wins the value for money stakes hands down, and I suspect it's the place that will see a return visit soonest.
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