If I am honest, I don’t usually frequent Italian restaurants in London, as I spend so much time in Milan and Florence, where I can ensure an authentic fix. But I decided to try out Nipotina, which opened earlier this month in South Audley Street, Mayfair, and it did not disappoint. We were really the toughest crowd to try out an Italian – two residents of Florence and one very regular visitor.
Nipotina: plenty to please Italophiles in London
Nipotina is a good size. We sat in the front room with velvet-trimmed linen-curtained windows on two sides. I loved the inlaid marble floor in red, the use of timber and the Thonet chairs, as they reminded me of the fabulous Paper Moon in Milan that sadly shuttered a few years ago. The pink walls in a sort of Venetian plaster gave my fellow diners Isabel and Gigi a Florentine Harry’s Bar vibe, which they loved, and the acoustic felt that lined the underside of the table was noted and appreciated by all.
I love a well-edited menu, and after so long eating in Italy, I expect it to be structured in the classic order of antipasti (appetizer), primi (first course), secondi (main dish) and contorni (side dish) – which this one was. We enjoyed a Fritto Misto of pink peppercorn as a starter, followed by Crispy Calamari and Shrimp, and Fegatini di Pollo in Padella (chopped chicken livers, balsamic nectar and pancetta).
There is pasta, and then there is pasta, and when you have had the good stuff you can tell the difference
The fresh and dried pasta highlights on the menu include three of my favourites: Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa, the little ‘ears’ that the Puglian nonnas form by hand; Pici Cacio e Pepe, that thick spaghetti type adorned with aged pecorino and black pepper; and a dish that’s already a star on the menu, Triangoli all’Aragosta, lobster tortellini in a spicy tomato and vodka sauce, which was just perfection. There is pasta, and then there is pasta, and when you have had the good stuff you can simply tell the difference.
Also on the menu is a selection of eight pizzas, including Somaia, which features spicy nduja, the red spreadable sausage from Calabria, Gorgonzola and red onion, bresaola, rocket and shaved Parmesan; and Quattro Formaggi with Taleggio, Gorgonzola, mozzarella and Parmesan. We did not have room for the secondi or the corntorni, so we will have to save that for the next time, but we shared a tiramisu.
Behind the cuisine is Turin-born chef Somaia Hammad, who, as a child, spent a lot of time with her grandmother in Puglia, so her culinary upbringing encompasses the full gamut of both north and south Italian food. The name Nipotina means ‘granddaughter’ in Italian, so you can tell the importance of her nonna’s influence on the food.
The wine list is curated by Luca Dusi of Shoreditch-based Passione Vino. We shared a 2023 bottle of the house white, Gavi La Raia from Cortesi in Piemonte, which was delicious.
Nipotona is restaurateur Samyukta Nair’s sixth location in Mayfair; I am a regular at Jamavar, the Indian in Mount Street, and Koyn Thai, Rosa Chalalai’s exceptional restaurant, which opened in June 2024, and which I’ve visited more than once a month.
All of our party gave Nipotina a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Everyone will be ordering the Triangoli All’Aragosta again, and a bonus is we now have a neighbourhood pizza joint to frequent.
Nipotina is located at 49 South Audley Street, London W1K 2QD; nipotinaristorante.com
-
Fluid workspaces: is the era of prescriptive office design over?We discuss evolving workspaces and track the shape-shifting interiors of the 21st century. If options are what we’re after in office design, it looks like we’ve got them
-
This collection of slow furniture is a powerful ode to timeA serene exhibition of David Dolcini's 'Time-made' collection has fast-tracked its place into our hearts and homes
-
Is the Pragma P1 the most sustainable watch yet?Geneva-based brand Pragma combines industrial design with real sustainable credentials
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s ChelseaPachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
-
At The Lavery, Anglo-Italian cooking caters to London’s design obsessiveThe former residence of Irish painter Sir John Lavery now houses an elegant restaurant where Georgian classicism meets 20th-century design favourites
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East LondonChef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
-
New London restaurant Alba is a sun-soaked affairIts name meaning ‘sunrise’ in Italian, Alba is a new Amalfi-inspired restaurant set to shine in Knightsbridge
-
Now boarding Air Anya: Anya Hindmarch’s ode to aviation’s golden ageAnya Hindmarch’s new London concept store and travel accessories collection celebrate the glamour of 1970s air travel
-
‘A place for carnivores’ – Ibai is a London restaurant that celebrates Basque Country beefA Clerkenwell restaurant where unhurried steak is the star of the show
-
La Môme London finds its home at The Berkeley hotelAll the razzle-dazzle of Cannes and Monte Carlo is wrapped up in this one fabulous dining room and terrace in London
-
The new dawn of the London sandwich shopThe appeal of a quick meal between two slices of bread has long held sway in the UK. We look back on the rise of the sandwich shop and explore the new wave of London venues that are making it a more stylised experience
