In a city where restaurants come and go, longevity is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Standing the test of time is a mark of quality, loyal customers, and providing an experience youād be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
For the past 12 years, Bocconcino Mayfair has been a fixture on Berkeley Street, earning its place among the neighbourhoodās established dining destinations through regional Italian cooking, more than 300 exceptional wines, and an intuitive style of hospitality that turns first-time guests into warmly welcomed regulars.
Set across two floors which house two very distinctive and contrasting dining experiences, Bocconcino has become the go-to restaurant in the prestigious neighbourhood for business lunches, intimate dinners, weekend gatherings, and big family celebrations where guests bask in the generosity of Italian hospitality, delivered with the polish expected ofone of Mayfairās longest-standing restaurants.
Two floors, two moods
Set across two levels, the Berkeley Street restaurant has the best possible kind of split-personality. Upstairs, a glass walkway leads into the heart of the ground floor restaurant, where polished marble, crisp white tablecloths and sculptural lanterns create an elegant setting that radiates with a beautifully flattering glow.
Rich terracotta walls, tan leather banquettes, and glimpses of gold, give the warmth of an Italian trattoria, with a touch of Mayfair elegance where the atmosphere lends itself just as naturally to business lunches and client entertaining as it does to date nights and celebrations. Chefs hand-roll fresh pasta, the wine flows, and dishes arrive with tablesidetheatre that makes great service part of the performance.
Bocconcinoās twist comes in the form of a dramatic iron spiral staircase that leads downstairs, where understated elegance is swapped for something more spirited.
The flicker of the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen where pizzaiolos stretch and shape dough is joined by a bustling bar and an abundant seafood counter piled high with the dayās catch. The open plan space filled with large tables and regular live music and DJ sets create a heady energy within a vibrant setting for everything from milestone birthdays to corporate celebrations.
Regional Italian cooking
Under the direction of Head Chef Marco Corsica, a Napoli native, Bocconcinoās menu celebrates Italyās regional diversity, taking inspiration from the rich comfort of Rome, the seafood traditions of Sicily, the produce of Tuscany, and the vibrant flavours of Campania. Fresh pasta is rolled in-house every morning, while Roman-style pizzas emergeblistered from the wood-fired oven throughout the day.
Across the menu, regional classics sit alongside dishes designed for sharing and celebration. Delicate crudi, burrata and antipasti give way to handmade lobster linguine, wild boar ragĆ¹ tagliatelle, ravioli
filled with crab or king prawns, pan-fried Dover sole selected from the dayās fish display, slow-cooked beef short rib with truffled potato and beautifully grilled Scottish steaks.
Seasonal specials follow the Italian calendar, from Sicilian seafood and citrus in the warmer months to black truffle dishes that become a highlight each autumn. And the final course delivers the sweet taste of Italian classics including tiramisĆ¹, vanilla soufflĆ©, pistachio fondant and lemon tart with Italian meringue.
Service worth watching
A key element of Bocconcinoās success is the way in which service naturally becomes part of the experience. The choreography begins in the kitchen where chefs hand-roll fresh pasta and throw pizzas, and continues at your table where some of the restaurantās signature dishes are completed with extra flair.
The deliciously earthy Beef Fillet Tartare is assembled from start to finish tableside, with egg yolk, Dijon mustard, truffle oil, chives, shallots and seasoning folded through hand-cut beef before itās carefully shaped onto the plate and finishedwith generous shavings of fresh black truffle. Meanwhile the Branzino al Sale (salt-baked seabass) makes an eye-catching entrance encased in a dramatic salt crust, which is cracked open before the fish is expertly filleted and served.
An Italian cellar
Great Italian food deserves great Italian wine and Bocconcinoās cellar spans more than 300 bottles, built around the countryās greats. From the rolling hills of Piedmont and Tuscany to the volcanic slopes of Etna and the vineyards of Campania and Sardinia, the list journeys through each regionās most celebrated appellations alongside lesser-known indigenous varieties waiting to be discovered. Prestigious names including Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino,Amarone and Super Tuscans sit shoulder to shoulder with organic and biodynamic producers, while a carefully curated French selection completes the picture.
For those looking to explore beyond the familiar, the extensive by-the-glass programme and Coravin selection make it possible to enjoy everything from a crisp Alto Adige Pinot Grigio or mineral Etna Bianco with crudo, to a beautifully aged Barolo or Brunello alongside dry-aged beef or slow-cooked short rib, all without committing to a full bottle.
Whether recommending the perfect bottle for a celebratory dinner, introducing guests to an unfamiliar indigenous grape, or suggesting a Coravin pour to accompany a single course, our sommelier approaches wine with the same philosophy that underpins the kitchen: generous, knowledgeable and never intimidating.
Reasons to return
Once youāve fallen in love with Bocconcino, thereās always a reason to come back.
Weekday lunches have become a favourite with Mayfairās business crowd, where polished yet relaxed service and seasonal lunch set menus satisfy all the crucial elements for impressive client entertaining or more casual catch ups with colleagues over fresh pasta and a glass of wine.
As the weekend approaches, things go up a notch. Friday and Saturday evenings see the lower ground floor come alive with live music and DJs, bringing an extra layer of atmosphere without ever distracting from the restaurantās food-first approach.
Saturdays are all about Brunch Esclusivo ā a lively affair of generous sharing dishes, free-flowing drinks and a DJ. Meanwhile Sundays embrace those long, leisurely mealtimes that define Mediterranean dining with Il Grande, an indulgent Italian buffet brunch featuring the likes of lobster,
mussels, a kaleidoscopic array of salads, and decadent choice of desserts ā all accompanied by live music.
12 years of service
In London there are plenty of restaurants you visit once but only a few that earn a regular spot in your dining out diary. Twelve years after opening on Berkeley Street, Bocconcino continues to do what itās always done best: welcome people in, feed them well, and make them want to come back.
Related
