Think of Nipotina as a homage to all things Italian, but spruced up for the Mayfair dining crowd, with prices to match. The restaurant is a class act, but only to be expected given the success of nearby dining venues Jamavar and Mimi Mei Fair, owned by the same group. At Nipotina, a chef from Turin is installed to prepare food with an emphasis on home-cooked classics, particularly from the south of the country.
For those less familiar with the term ‘nipotina’ it is an affectionate one for granddaughter in Italian. Its choice as the restaurant’s name reflects the fact that many of the recipes are apparently inspired by the chef’s grandmother. Whether truthful or apocryphal, the cooking certainly delivered. While it may seem somewhat surprising to see £16 pizzas on a Mayfair menu, the angle at Nipotina is on comfort cooking, albeit in an elevated form. At the opposite end of the spectrum to a Margherita from the oven is a veal Milanese almost treble the price. Of course, there are truffles which can be shaved onto anything for an additional charge. In between sits a range of classics across pasta, fish and other meat-based offerings.
Since the day was sunny, our group of three chose to sit at one of Nipotina’s few outdoor tables, always a delight for people-watching. Had we opted to dine inside, then we would have had a chance to experience the beautiful dining room. It is a mellow space coloured in primarily olive and terracotta hues. There are no hard corners. The idea is to create an impression of comfort, akin to being in a (very expensive) home.
We shared three starters across the table: a pair of carpaccio offerings (beef and fish) and a fig salad. While none of these dishes comprised a ground-breaking dish, the quality of the ingredients was abundantly evident with the thin slices of protein being wonderfully delicate and moreish. The sweet and bitter notes of the salad worked as a perfect foil too. Onto the mains and two of our trio opted for braised octopus with salsa verde and baked black olives. The plate tasted as good as it looked – see picture – with the meat both tender and juicy. The dressing was a thing of perfection. The other diner in our group polished off his Milanese with gusto. All the above was paired with a lovely Sicilian red blend, which showed superbly once it had reached the right temperature.
Do save space for dessert as the Nipotina tiramisu is not to be missed. Another classic Italian dish for sure, but executed superbly here, both in terms of presentation and taste. The pudding was light and not too boozy yet remained decadent. The bill does of course add up in a place such as Nipotina, but the venue is a worthy addition to the Mayfair dining scene.