Amazonico London - Mayfair, London

Often when extremely popular restaurant concepts from other cities launch in Britain's capital, they're met with a bit of scepticism. This is patently not the case with Amazónico - the Madrilleno import, courtesy of husband-and-wife duo Sandro Silva and Marta Seco - which has made quite the splash in Mayfair. Borrowing inspiration from a journey into the upper regions of the Amazon, this Latin American restaurant has enough élan and greenery to make you feel as if you're on holiday. 

The dining room is quite exquisite. The massive space on Berkeley Square was designed by internationally renowned artist Lázaro Rosa-Violan and is quite literally packed to the rafters with intense foliage. There are open-plan kitchens, cocktail counters, Peruvian sushi bars and even a tipsy-cake station with rotisserie pineapples interspersed throughout various rooms to lend it dynamism. Underlit tilework, soft fabric lamps, deep green velvet banquette booths and light wooden floors all imbue Amazónico with a living warmth. 

Silva's menu borrows inspiration from Brazil, Peru and Colombia and the culinary influences of immigration from India, China and Japan. After a flute of champagne, we were inclined towards the latter, and ordered and array of Nikkei-style dishes, including Hamachi tiradito with passion fruit and shiso leaves and an exceptional stone bass aguachile bathed in avocado cream and piquant jalapeno. From here we went straight sushi. Langoustine pibil maki paid homage to Madrid, with prawn tempura spiked with achiote miso and teriyaki sauce. Sashimi and nigiri moriawase (a mix) was exceptionally fresh, particularly neon pink ribbons of salmon that were deliquescent on the tongue. We wrapped up the meal with Chocolate al Montezuma: an unbelievably unctuous chocolate fondant with a generous orb of avocado ice cream nested in its centre. 

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