Il Gattopardo is a Mayfair centrepiece of modern Italian design
Mayfair's new restaurant Il Gattopardo celebrates the golden age of Italian decor and cuisine
To walk into Mayfair restaurant Il Gattopardo is to step back in time to 1950’s Italy when the country was at a height of opulent design. Located on Mayfair’s Albemarle Street, Il Gattopardo represents a classic Italian take on its Golden age with an interior inspired by Gio Ponti and Carlo Mollino’s apartment in Turin.
Mayfair's Il Gattopardo celebrates Italian design
The restaurant the exterior is a perfect execution of the fashionable ‘quiet luxury’ lifestyle, forming an effortlessly chic entrance and outdoor seating, with dark glossy wood and gold detailing.
Upon entrance you feel part of an old Hollywood set design, with timeless décor and rich textures. Il Gattopardo meaning ‘The Leopard’ in Italian, provides subtle hints throughout the interior via carefully painted blue leopard motifs peering around each wall.
Although the interior seemingly emulates luxury, Parisian design duo Dion & Arles intertwined the seduction and frivolity of bygone Italian summers, blending classical design references with mid-century modernism.
Overhead, hanging vines with a vineyard colour palette embrace the geometric wall design, with the mirrored ceilings elongating the area as if on a Mediterranean veranda. The angled skylights allow for a slice of light in this cosy setting, perfect for extended lunches that drift into the late afternoon.
The heart of the restaurant reflects typical Italian family values shown by the soft furnishing and grouped tables, garnished with individual lamps casting a centrepiece of warm lighting. Each table topped with sepia drawings inspired by artist Piero Fornasetti, expands the intimate attention to detail.
Nonetheless, the sophisticated Italian stone topped Crudo bar occupying a corner, is the pinnacle of 1950s exuberance, with dark wood fittings mimicking the dashboard of a vintage Fiat coupé, and frosted glass dividers allow for an intimate setting.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
For a more private dining experience head down the staircase, lit up by a handmade stained-glass window reflecting the geometric shapes consistent throughout the restaurant interior. This private dining room blends heritage and modernity, while intertwining their iconic leopard motifs through the carpet, inspired by the late antique dealer and exotic interiors muse, Madeleine Castaing.
To end your evening, a hidden terrace offers golden hour dining, in a hazy amber setting. A diamond, lattice trellis reimagines a classic Italian pergola perfect to sit back and relax with an Aperol spritz.
Il Gattopardo
27 Albemarle St
London W1S 4HZ
Tianna Williams is the Editorial Executive at Wallpaper*. Before joining the team in 2023, Williams taught scuba diving for three years before heading into journalism. Previously she has been involved covering social media and editorial for BBC Wales, Ford UK, SurfGirl Magazine, and Parisian Vibe, while also completing an MA in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. Her work covers writing across varying content pillars for Wallpaper*.
-
A new limited-edition Rhodes piano and Gibson doubleneck guitar aim for the stars
The new Rhodes Mk8 Earth Edition piano and Gibson Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck guitar revisit classic instruments at a price
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new interior design trends we spotted at Salone del Mobile 2024
These are the interior design trends to look out for in 2024 and beyond, from soft upholstery to conversation pits and low dining
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Tiffany & Co nods to its theatrical history with a surreal new campaign
Tiffany & Co campaign ‘With Love, Since 1837’ sees Dan Tobin Smith and set designer Rachel Thomas create an offbeat set
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, in Clapham, is a feast for all the senses
New restaurant Crispin at Studio Voltaire is the latest opening from the brains behind Bistro Freddie and Bar Crispin, with interiors by Jermaine Gallacher
By Billie Brand Published
-
Step inside Juno Omakase, London’s smallest counter dining experience
Juno Omakase, inside Los Mochis Notting Hill, offers a one-of-a-kind tasting menu in which Tokyo meets Tulum
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Revel in 007 glamour at Raffles London at The OWO
Raffles London at The OWO opens its doors after a majestic six-year restoration
By Daniel Scheffler Published
-
Edinburgh fine dining restaurants: we took a gourmet tour
Discover our pick of Edinburgh fine dining restaurants and their specialities, as tried and tasted by Wallpaper* travel editor Sofia de la Cruz
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Mimosa at The Langham brings French Riviera flavour to London
Mimosa, the new restaurant at The Langham hotel, London, boasts a menu and interiors infused with Riviera style
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Mayfair’s Murano offers beautiful design and incisively cooked food
Angela Hartnett’s Murano celebrates 15 years of Italian supremacy in London with a fresh look by Fabled Studio
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Dine amid old-school glamour at The Dover in London’s Mayfair
The Dover, founded by Martin Kuczmarski and designed by Quincoces-Dragò & Partners, is where 1970s Brooklyn meets classic Italian charm
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Morchella, in Clerkenwell, serves Mediterranean classics and Old World wine
Morchella restaurant and wine bar brings finely crafted cosy chic to a former bank near Exmouth Market, London
By Billie Brand Published