Probably the most lively establishment on any given night in Knightsbridge, Il Pampero is a quintessentially Italian eatery in central London. If popularity is indicative of success, then Il Pampero has all the makings of one of London’s staple restaurants.

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Il Pampero is the Italian restaurant arm of boutique hotel The Hari. We visited on a Wednesday night and both the bar of the hotel and restaurant were equally as packed (and no, there was no function on!).

The first ‘notable mention’ would go to the service. Typical Italian style, it never fails to be courteous, jovial and in a word, outstanding.

Our waiter persuaded us to initiate the meal with a bespoke berry concoction – a smooth and slightly tart mixture of liquer and tequila, topped with, you guessed it, berries.

We started with a smorgasbord of starters. The artichoke salad, sea food salad and sea bass carpaccio. The artichoke salad, with raw artichoke pieces interspersed between a mountain of delicious green, had shavings of cheese to turn an otherwise virtuous and slightly lacklustre dish into something bursting with myriad flavours. The seafood salad, not as extravagant, was a testimonial to the sophistication of simplicity – lightly drizzled with gorgeous Tuscan olive oil and with a smattering of spices, it needed nothing more to delight. The sea bass carpaccio was vertiably coated in olive oil, with a light drizzle of salt and lemon. All of the starters combined provided for a healthy and delicious induction.

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Our drink for the evening was the Il Pampero branded wine. A fruity wine, with a peach and apricot nose, it retained the peachy taste with a slight mineral complexion on the palate. A versatile wine to accompany almost any dish.

We progressed onto the mains – the salt encrusted sea bream and calf livers.

The sea bream was an experience in itself. Our waiter brought what appeared to be a mountain of salt and assiduously carved the sea bream from under. After the performance, we were presented with a tender fillet of fish, lightly drizzled with olive oil and with baby cherry tomatoes and olives – evoking a real Mediterranean-style dish! The fish, infused with olive oil and salt was irresistible and our only regret was that we couldn’t finish it down to the bone!

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The calf liver was equally delicious. Offal can often have a very pungent taste, however, as is often the case, the Italians know best! Velvety smooth, with a slight wine sauce and vegetables to accompany, it is a dish that was perfected.

The finale was the gluten-free meringue, upon recommendation of the waiter. Continuing the theme of virtuosity, the light texture of the meringue, combined with a smattering of berries, made the indulgent us feel like we were in fact, taking care of our bodies rather than abusing them! 10/10 for the health-indulgence factor.

 

DSC7599Afterwards, we proceeded to have a couple of drinks at the bar upstairs. The Hari is one of the swankiest hotels we’ve been to and we commend the hotel on its decor. The contemporary art, combined with the easygoing jazz music, makes this one of our favourite places to relax in.

Address: 20 Chesham Pl, Belgravia, London SW1X 8HQ Chesham Pl, Belgravia, London SW1X 8HQ
http://www.ilpampero.com/

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