Locanda Ottoemezzo

Gourmet Italian Delights in Cozy Ambiance

Ah, the great eternal promise of Italian cuisine: warm, rustic, unabashedly aromatic, and oh, so wonderfully comforting, particularly on an unusually crisp London day. Stepping inside Ottoemezzo—sequestered safely from the trundling hustlers of Kensington—you’re greeted by the eclectic yet homely decor derived perhaps from a quirkily inventive mind rather than a straight-laced restaurant designer. This isn’t just dining; it’s Giuseppe Tornatore meets Federico Fellini - a fusion of celluloid dreams with mountainous servings of genuine Italian hospitality. Delightful details ensnare your attention, whether it’s antique movie posters bathed in soft, romantic lighting or the charming ceremony of records spinning old tunes in celebration of those once-in-a-lifetime strings of joy—happy birthdays serenaded by vintage vinyl.

But let’s not ignore what you actually came for—the food. And splendidly rendered it is, justifying its praise as one of London’s best Italian joints. Despite the odd bureaucratic foible around aggravating menu omissions (partial to specific risottos served theatrically from cheese wheels like a farewell tour encore), their unassailable classics were plentiful. A carpaccio laden seductively in truffles was divinely theatrical, and followed in quick sensational odyssey by daring black ink pastas and paccheri drenched lovingly in ragù. There was a sense of being waited upon as they do in that abridged fantasy of Italy we all secretly foster. Service suave and conspiratorial, ready to intermingle hints of espresso providence equal to enthusiastic vinous suggestions, crank the evening into something memorable. Ignore naysayers peppering horror stories of escapades quintessentially Fawlty Towers; everything melting-soft, smooth, and beautifully salty mirrored placid serenity antecedent to good Italian eating. Certainly not ‘cheap’, but when solace beckons taste buds revelling amongst Tuscany’s saturated auras, each shifty penny dithers far beyond mere culinary relevance. With every forkful echo, you realize some places aren’t just stumbled upon—they're whispers invitation from trusted taste innovators enriching borrowed light across decidedly continental skies. Grazie mille, Ottoemezzo...frankly, grazie mille indeed. — Milo Tastemaker