Last updated: August 20, 2024
Sartoria is an elegant Italian restaurant in Mayfair, just off Regent Street and stands proudly as the only restaurant on Saville Row. Despite the street being famous for tailoring, the presence of a fine-dining Italian restaurant suits the area due to its glamorous interior by renowned designer David d’Almada and inspired by 20th century Italy. The first thing we noticed upon entering the restaurant is the long bar and lounge area, The Libare Bar ‘to make a toast’ in English, certainly encourages guests to do so and is the ideal place to enjoy a relaxing pre-dinner aperitif such as a spritz or Negroni while taking in the striking marble bar. The main restaurant has a bright theme with classic artwork adorning the walls and golden pillars surrounded by comfortable banquette seating with private members club-esque small table lamps.
Sartoria means Tailor in English, and that is perhaps because Chef Patron Francesco Mazzei has tailored the menu after dishes he enjoyed from his home region Italy’s sun-soaked south Calabria, famed for its spicy ‘Nduja.
Upon being seated on two comfortable leather bound armchairs, we were presented with the Summer Italian Feast Set Menu, which is a three-course selection of the restaurant’s ideal summer dishes and was ideal for a lighter dinner during the Summer heatwave. For the antipasti we enjoyed the Pecorino Romano Tagliolini cacao e pepe; many do not know that Pecorino Romano is a Roman Sheep’s milk cheese. We also tried the creamy Burrata, which was large enough to split between two people and served with fresh, juicy tomatoes. The sommelier gave us a choice of two Italian wines, a glass of which comes included with the set menu, we went for the I Maestri Verbacoli, Cavit Pinot Grigio, which was a refreshing and dry white.
For the mains or as they call it Secondi, we shared the roasted Baby Chicken and Risotto with tomato and zesty Amalfi lemon. The baby chicken was succulent and fell easily off the bone and as I requested it came with a fresh rocket salad which complemented the dish well. The chicken was well seasoned with herbs and a hint of lemon and was an enjoyable light dish for the Summer months. The risotto was also greatly enjoyable and the Amalfi lemon really came through amongst the rich and velvety cream sauce.
Moving onto dessert ‘dolci’ we shared an Amaretto tiramisu which tasted more nutty than usual due to the generous splash of almond liquor. To accompany the tiramisu, we chose the selection of ice cream, although the Tartufo di Pizzo did also look tempting when spotted on another guest’s table, especially being a dessert originating from Pizzo, Calabria. The dessert is a ball of two flavours of gelato dusted with chocolate with a delicious melting creamy centre.
Overall we greatly enjoyed our experience at Sartoria and the whole evening felt elegant and understated due to the attentive staff who knew when to appear so as not to interrupt the flow of conversation and the restaurant’s classic interior. The restaurant is well suited to intimate romantic dates due to its classic large menus and classic interior. It is also a little bit off the tourist track which is ideal for a quieter environment.
The Italian feast menu we had includes three courses and a glass of wine for £35, the menu can be viewed here. The full a la carte menu can be viewed here.
To book Sartoria please click here
Address: Sartoria, 9-10 Savile Row, London W1S 3PF
