This Italian seafood specialist began life on Milan’s Via Savona in 2007 before expanding to two further sites in Italy’s fashion and design capital, then opening outposts in the favoured grazing spots of the international jet-set: the Cheval Blanc Paris; Porto Cervo on Sardinia and Paraggi Bay on the Italian Riviera; a mountaintop in St Moritz. Now it’s arrived at The OWO, the former Old War Office reborn as a Raffles hotel, but with its own dedicated entrance on Whitehall Place so you never feel like you’re actually in a hotel. It’s proved to be an instant hit with London’s Italian expats; needless to say, you should dress up as if for Milan Fashion Week when dining here.
Wallpaper* dines at Langosteria London
The mood: Whitehall’s Italian job
(Image credit: Courtesy of Langosteria)
Italian architect Carlo Samarati was also behind the look of the Langosterias in Milan and Paraggi and died before he completed the London outpost. The group’s founder, Enrico Buonocore, describes Samarati as ‘a dear friend of mine whose untimely passing left a deep void,’ though Langosteria London stands as a fitting tribute.
A travertine and Italian walnut counter in the bar sets the tone, with bottle-green Verde Alpi marble floors flowing through into the more casual of the two dining rooms, with alcove seating along one side and a wine wall dividing the space from the Historical Room beyond. This is the former meeting room of the Old War Office, where original stone fireplaces and stucco ceilings contrast with hand-painted, hand-embroidered silk wallcoverings by Misha. Guests sit on custom-made chairs by Medea and dine at Molteni tables, flatteringly lit by bespoke Venini lamps.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Langosteria)
‘We wanted to respect the architecture of the Old War Office while injecting it with a sense of Italian hospitality and effortless elegance,’ Buonocore says. ‘The core intention was to marry the excellence of Italian design with Britain’s majestic historical legacy.’
The food: A taste of Milan
(Image credit: Courtesy of Langosteria)
While the menu features classic Italian fish and seafood of fritto misto and sea bass in a salt crust, the kitchen goes beyond the familiar with signature dishes imported from Milan: chateaubriand of black grouper, say, or orecchiette damare, a dish so well-timed it is almost impossible to differentiate between the springy texture of the sautéed seafood and the al dente pasta.
It is simple cooking constructed from high-quality Italian ingredients – Sicilian langoustine, Mediterranean yellowtail – and presented with a creative flourish. A carpaccio of tonno rosso has ruby-fleshed tuna sliced into ribbons and folded like the petals of a rose, with an almost liquid centre of candied tomato and basil. The Sardinian speciality of Mazzancolle prawns ‘alla catalana’ has a pair of fat pink prawns on a bed of Camone tomato, celery and red onion: an eye-catchingly alluring assembly of fresh, vivid flavours and vibrant colours.
(Image credit: Alberto Blasetti)
Finish with a wobbly tiramisu; its creaminess is more at the macchiato than espresso end of the coffee spectrum. For something equally sweet but with considerably more kick, order a Prince Alfonso, an in-house cocktail creation that combines Zacapa 23 rum with Dubonnet and aged cherry: truly the cherry on top of a very glamorous cake.
Langosteria London is located at Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD, United Kingdom
