Beck at Brown’s - Mayfair, London

Heinz Beck, he of the mighty three Michelin-starred La Pergola in Rome, has brought his deft touch to one of London's most revered hotels - the staunchly British Brown's. However, he will be eschewing his finely wrought molecular gastronomy for a more casual approach to the food, letting the ingredients shine in the traditional Italian fashion. This being Mayfair, Beck at Brown's is quite a few rungs above your neighbourhood trattoria.

The dining room is case in point. Orchestrated by design doyenne Olga Polizzi, it offers a masterclass in subtle elegance, most noticeably offsetting the stiff-upper-lip dark wood panelling with playful wallpaper with an arboreal motif. It's no slouch. Each table is clad in virginal white and illuminated by a miniature banker's lamp from below and a vintage chandelier from above. On a Thursday night, it was thrumming with energy as attentive waiters circulated through the well-dressed room.

Beck prides himself on using the finest quality ingredients with a minimal amount of oil or butter. We found his ethos put into practice with a starter of grilled Scottish scallops with green and white asparagus - the freshness off the shellfish and the spring succulent played off each other to create a harmonious tune. Crab chips were curious and delicious - the tender crustacean's meat was fried in a helium-light batter without a whisper of grease. Linguine was similarly salubrious, laden with redfish, red pepper and courgette.

Mains were masterful. Pan-fried Dover sole with green asparagus flirted with perfect, the delicate fish was sensitively seared - a crisp crust gave way to reveal deeply tender white flesh. Roast veal was on the heartier side, cooked with a pistachio crust and braised onions. Sides of sautéed spinach and agretti bedded down well with both. We wrapped the meal up with the airiest tiramisu that we've ever had, so much so that it seemed as if it had suddenly evaporated, as well as a brilliantly spongey chocolate tart served with ice cream.

Brown's is certainly on to something good with their Italian reboot.