Corinthia Hotel, London occupies one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Whitehall, just a short walk from Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery and Buckingham Palace.
With two bars and two restaurants, the Corinthia is much more than a 5 star establishment in the heart of the city, however – it is an elegant culinary destination in its own right.
We dined at Massimo which offers traditional Italian cuisine with contemporary twist. The restaurant room is vast and imposing and would appeal to diners with a taste for clean lines classic opulence.
We started with Scallops with Saffron Dressing, Apple and Celeriac Salad and Insalata Primaverile.
The scallops dish exceeded expectations because of the delicate dressing and perfectly soft cooked scallops, with shavings of celeriac and apple on the side.
The plainly described Spring Vegetable and Leaf Salad was a revelation with its pomegranate seeds and tiny flageolet beans, an unusual but utterly delicious combination accompanying the green leaves.
For the mains, we opted for two variations on a theme. The Frito Misto di Pesce was a generous and robustly flavoured portion of mixed fried fish, including shellfish, and did not disappoint.
The piece de resistence, however, was the Misto di Pesce (Grilled Fish Selection) presented on a platter and looking just too good to disturb. Having photographed it, we tucked in.
Charcoal-grilled fresh octopus and prawns competed on the palate with cooked to perfection sea bream fillets and wild salmon, neither winning but all delighting in equal measure.
This is a tour de force dish for two that is often unremarkable because of its simplicity, but the superb execution and presentation make it truly eventful at Massimo’s.
Our Pinot Blanc was fresh, with just enough acidity to complement the fish.
On the dessert list, the Tiramissu was divine and worth a visit just for that. All we had room for before repairing to the live music bar of the hotel was a glass of chilled and delicious Vin Santo.
Simply outstanding!
Massimo at Corinthia Hotel London
Whitehall Place
London SW1A 2BD
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