>SUBSCRIBE FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO EVERY WEEKEND<

The Piccadilly outpost of Cicchetti – a collection of high-end restaurants where authentic Italian cuisine gets the sharing plates treatment – has found a new home. Now nestling between Fortnum & Mason and The Wolseley, it’s keeping excellent company.

As is befitting for such a prestigious location, the new restaurant is a theatre of opulence that combines a salmon colour palette with mirrors, chandeliers, art deco flourishes and soft lighting (so soft I had to use my iPhone torch to read the menu). In case that’s not enough to wow you, there’s even a dramatic tree slap bang in the middle of the dining room.

Attracting a wide range of diners – from the pre and post-theatre crowd, to business meetings, romantic dates, social catch-ups and family gatherings – the restaurant, having opened only a month ago, is buzzing with the thrill of the new, while staying faithful to good ol’ Italian classics.

(Scroll to keep reading)

We started with tortino di granchio (a generous portion of crab meat wrapped in smoked salmon with a dill and fennel garnish) and gamberoni fritti (aka: battered prawns with spicy mayo), with the latter being served in a copper martini glass for a humorous touch of nostalgia.

There followed an excellent ravioli tartufo and pecorino – three al dente pasta parcels served in a luxurious truffle cream sauce. It was so delicious that I wanted more, but my digestive system thanked me for resisting. I have to admit that it outshone our risotto gamberi asparagi which made-up for its lack of asparagus with a big beast of a prawn that almost outsized the plate. Thankfully, the zucchini fritti were to die for – shoestring strips of courgette in a delicate tempura batter, they took me right back to The Ivy.

We were saved from the pudding choice paradox by a genius invention called dolci cicchetti: a selection of mini cakes spanning pale green pistachio torte, perfectly homemade tiramisu, chocolate and hazelnut cake, and a deliciously dense cheesecake with a hint of citrus. All served with a heap of one of best vanilla ice creams I’ve ever tasted and two shots of limoncello. An absolute show-stopper… and an absolute steal at a mere £16.75. It’s worth going to Cicchetti Piccadilly for this dish alone.

Website: sancarlo.co.uk

Instagram:  @sancarlo_cicchetti