Massimo Restaurant & Bar - Covent Garden , London

It's been a while now since we first popped our heads into the dining room at Massimo Restaurant & Oyster House, but it still has the same stunning effect. Situated in a grand chamber in the heart of the Corinthia Hotel in Whitehall, Massimo was designed by the late, lamented David Collins - one of the greatest talents of his day. Bursting at the seams with Corinthian columns, miles of marble, lustrous lighting, beautiful banquettes and marvellous mosaics, the room recalls the heyday of 1950s Roman glamour, with all of the pomp and grandeur of Victorian architecture. We'd be remiss to leave out the private dining room which is easily one of the most striking in London, with a cooking island where chefs can prepare dishes whilst guests relax at the table.

Speaking of chefs, Andrea Cirino has taking the reins to helm the kitchens. He's created a menu that straddles a variety of southern Italian cuisines to create something well suited for the international traveller. During our Thursday evening visit a cadre of sophisticates were perched along marble, gold and green leather and brass bar. We joined them for a flute of frigid Laurent-Perrier and big plate of charcuterie for aperitivo hour. After finishing, as we moved amongst the high ceilings and pillars to our table, we felt as if we'd arrived somewhere truly special. It had all the majesty of a famous ballroom.

We ordered an excellent bottle of Centopassi Bianco made with lesser known Italian grape varieties like Cattarotto and Grillo, which sat very well with the light Italian flavours. Dishes soon began to arrive on our crisp starched white tablecloth. A classic parmigiana di melanzane was just what you'd expect from your favourite trattoria, the aubergine sliced thinly and deep-fried to a nice crispness, then layered with smoked provola cheese and a rich, homemade tomato sauce. A salad of buffalo mozzarella with rocket, caponata and a wide array of breads was high-quality and toothsome.

Moving on, we enjoyed a couple of glasses of Montefalco Rosso Sangiovese with Guazetto di Pesce, which is sort of like the Italian version of bouillabaisse, brimming with scallops, mussels, clams, prawns and whitefish. The stock was a force of nature, rich and seductive. Al dente spaghetti with tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes and aubergine was dotted with hefty chunks of smoked ricotta which melted in the heat. We finished things off with a Mousse di Cioccolato con Amarene e Rabarbaro: a dark chocolate mousse was encased within a darker shell of chocolate, with the rhubarb served to the side.

Massimo is both a special event restaurant and a place where you can go when you want a little intimacy and seclusion. Its grandness in design is easily matched with its dishes. 

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