Massimo Embankment
10 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AE
(0) 207 321 3156/tables@massimo-restaurant.co.uk
www.massimo-restaurant.co.uk
Massimo is an Italian restaurant in the Corinthia Hotel near the Embankment that has been around since the the hotel opened in 2011. It features one of the the most stylish interiors in London dating from its Victorian heritage as the impossibly glamorous Metropole Hotel, and its Corinthian design reinvention by the late great designer David Collins. The joint was named after its initial chef-patron, Massimo Riccioli-a big shot chef from Rome with the emphasis being firmly on seafood. However whilst the nosh was brilliant at times and reviews were good there were problems with service and somehow the place never quite caught alight in the way it should have. I’ll never forget the chef asking me about a dish of sole which had just arrived at the table-it was undercooked and as soon as he realised he picked it up and ran screaming to the kitchen… The hotel then brought in another chef called Massimo from Heinz Beck’s much missed Apsley’s restaurant in The Lanesborough…when the second Massimo didn’t work out and no other chefs called Massimo could be located in London, Giorgio Locatelli was brought in to steady the ship which he did effectively. For the last year one of Locatelli’s ex-lieutenants, Andrea Cirino, has taken over the helm under his own name as head chef and it is his cooking that Fiona and I have been invited to review.
First up were some aperetivi-the restaurant runs an ‘aperitivo hour’ between the hours of 5 to 7pm serving complimentary delicious morsels with each drink. We grazed on tasty pizzete, two types of arancini and burrata stuffed courgette but the real eyeopener for me was the glass of Franciacorta DOCG Cuvee Prestige, Ca’ Del Bosco which was really delicious. It’s a blend of 75% Chardonnay 15% Pinot Nero 10% Pinot Bianco grapes and is a sparkling white made by the‘methode champenoise’. Way more sophisticated than any prosecco it’s the perfect way to start the evening.
Then we moved onto the serious business. Marinated swordfish came with pink peppercorn, grapefruit and fennel (£14)-the raw ‘cooked’ fish artfully lifted by the citrus and aniseed flavours and given a gentle poke by the peppercorns. It was a playful blend of contrasting textures and tastes.
Scallops came with a saffron dressing, an apple and celeriac salad and a wonderfully light and creamy celeriac mash(£16). The saffron scallop combination was new to me and one I will happily repeat, with the subtle spice not overpowering the delicate and perfectly cooked bivalve.
Fritto misto di Pesce (£24) was a perfectly battered battalion of courgette, cod, prawn, scallop, polenta and squid all standing crisply to attention on the plate. This has to be the best value fritto misto in town and certainly one of the best.
The London Italian restaurant scene has undergone a shift recently; Theo Randall’s has been refurbished, Francesco Mazzei has moved from l’Anima to Sartoria and there are new voices coming through such as Alessandro Bay at Diciannove, another Locatelli trained chef, and now Andrea Cirino at Massimo who is showing he can compete with the big boys. It is brilliant to see this great room finally getting established as a reliable top-end food destination to match the brilliance of the decor.
Andrea is clearly serious about what he is doing and has a large kitchen brigade making everything in-house including breads and pastas. So finally it’s great to be able to recommend Massimo as a wonderful place to eat as well as being an iconic space. If you want to check it out you can always pop-in for an aperitivo or if you’re Brad Pitt why not hire the private dining room!