Lita was one of our favourite launches of 2024; now Luke Ahearne, the chef who won the Marylebone restaurant its Michelin star for its modern Mediterranean cooking, has teamed up with Stevie Parle, chef-owner of Covent Garden smash-hit Town, for his first post-Lita role. Ahearne hasn’t strayed too far: Motorino is a bar and dining room in Fitzrovia serving loosely Italian cooking.
The mood: High-gloss hedonism
Anyone who has been to pop-tastic Town will recognise the high-gloss visuals, with Town’s red and orange swapped out for yellow and green. The look in the 150-cover space is inspired by British motoring companies of the 1960s and 70s (hence the name), though the sleek aesthetic is very much more Jaguar E-Type than Austin Allegro.
Other touch points for North End Design include post-war office furniture brands such as Knoll and Cassina, the psychedelic art of Alan Aldridge (who collaborated with The Beatles and Elton John), and the soft curves of jet-set furniture designer Willy Rizzo. 'Motorino is young and playful,' explains Samuel Hosker, North End’s founder and creative director. 'The sound system is fantastic, and the open private-dining space has been designed to suggest a recording studio, with comfy carpeted flooring enveloped by 70s timber panelling.'
The look of the restaurant reflects the menu, Parle believes. 'We cook simple but bold food,' he says, 'showcasing the best ingredients while purposefully restricting the number of them. It’s the same approach for the interiors: limit the number of finishes, use interesting, high-quality materials and colours, and use them confidently. It’s not minimalism, but there’s a restraint and appreciation for materiality coupled with a sense of fun and irreverence that brings it together.'
The food: Simple ingredients, maximum impact
Expect a classically constructed Italian menu of snacks, starters, primi, mains, sides and dolci, given some unclassical treatments. Fans of Ahearne’s cooking at Lita will recognise dishes such as the flavour bomb of bluefin tuna carpaccio with corno peppers, coriander and sudachi (a sour Japanese citrus), or the umami-rich chopped Dexter beef with fermented green chilli and porcini ketchup under a wigwam of shoestring fries.
New dishes are playful takes on Italian staples. Gigli al gin with fennel sausage, tomato and Fords gin is a London spin on penne alla vodka, while beef cheek slow-cooked to tenderness with peppercorns and polenta is Ahearne’s version of a Tuscan stew. And while the inspiration is Italian, the ingredients are British and Irish, sourced from Parle’s network of trusted suppliers.
The Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio at Motorino
You don’t need to eat here, though. As at Town, the bar is overseen by Kevin Armstrong, the owner of Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green (number 29 on the World’s Best Bars list). Things kick off with seasonal chargers on tap – think a Lampone made with vodka, raspberries, Campari and raspberry eau de vie – or there’s a trio or martinis and Negronis apiece. Just don’t drink and drive.
Motorino is located at 1 Pearson Square, London, W1T 3BF
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