'The room wows, staff are lovely and I couldn’t fault the classic Milanese food'

Savini at Criterion

Open daily from 8am until midnight

The blurb

Located next to the statue of Anteros (better known as the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain) in the heart of frenetic Piccadilly Circus, Savini at Criterion celebrates 150 years of Italian and English history. Savini is the grande dame of Milan, playing host to the likes of Verdi, Puccini, Callas and Sinatra. Owned by the Gatto family, who own five other acclaimed grand cafés in Milan, the restaurant arrived at London’s stunning neo-Byzantine dining room and bar – designed by Royal Albert Hall architect Thomas Verity – at the end of last year.

The style

I arrived amidst a protest – ‘Take foie gras off the menu!’ – which the staff seemed to find, among the other Piccadilly happenings such as a reveler climbing Anteros, amusing. Savini at Criterion isn’t just a place to escape the hordes, though. Boasting a gold leaf ceiling from which hang magnificent chandeliers; imposing marble columns; marble walls formed into blind arcades and decorated with a mosaic of semi-precious stones including jade, mother of pearl and turquoise, the Grade II-listed building is a show-stopper. A photo of Rome’s Colosseum on one wall seemed fitting.

And it only seemed fitting to start the evening at the long bar – where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle staged the first meeting between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson – for a G&T (served with olives and chunks of parmesan). The staff were everything you would expect from Italians – naturally charming, hospitable and fun.

The crowd

I may have picked a tunnel-and-bridge evening (Friday), which accounted for a sparsely populated room of mainly American families and groups of friends on holiday. I’m guessing that Savini at Criterion is one of the restaurants recommended by nearby five-star Le Méridien Piccadilly.

The food

The kitchen is headed up by Milanese-born Giovanni Bon, who has worked in some of the best restaurants in Milan as well as working with Alain Ducasse at Spoon in Paris. Standards are high – everything, from the bread and pasta to pastry and biscuit, is made in-house.

Bread rolls were served with Savini-branded olive oil and balsamic vinegar (there’s a retail section selling Savini goods at the front of the restaurant). The vegetable and multi-grain soup (£10.50) was hearty and perfectly seasoned. The sautéed king prawns with browned butter and marinated anchovies with toasted bread, goat cheese and chives was a beautiful dish but £25 for a starter is steep even by five-star hotel standards.

Risotto with aubergine caviar, tomato concassé, basil and mozzarella cream (£15.25) was rich and creamy without being heavy. The ravioli filled with king crab, guacamole and cardamom hollandaise sauce (£22.75) was also spot on. A side of fluffy rosemary-roasted potatoes (£5.50) was fought over. And we didn’t go wrong with our choice of a classic tiramisu (£8.50) to share for dessert, either.

The drink

We sniffed a few bottles of gin before settling for our bartender’s recommended Gin Mare and (Fever Tree) tonic (£13.50) at the bar. Our charming Hugo Lloris-look-alike waiter, Giovanni, recommended a full Italian chardonnay, Cà del Bosco 2011 (£105) – ‘I drank it and I fell in love.’ I didn’t ask him to clarify whether he was referring to the wine or his drinking partner, but it was certainly a good choice of wine.

In a nutshell

The room wows, staff are lovely and I couldn’t fault the classic Milanese food though some of the dishes on the menu were extravagantly priced (along with a pretty pricy wine list). My bugbear was that the cavernous room lacked atmosphere. The lights of a Piccadilly screen streaming through the windows gave the main restaurant a surreal Las Vegas feel – we couldn’t tell what time of day it was. Admittedly, it’s a challenge for anyone to make this a buzzy spot.

Savini at Criterion, 224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP; www.saviniatcriterion.co.uk; 020 7930 1459

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