What: An informal restaurant on Mayfair’s South Audley Street. Taking its name from the Italian for granddaughter or niece, Nipotina is open throughout the day offering breakfast and aperitivo menus alongside lunch and dinner.
Who: Nipotina is the latest launch from Samyukta Nair’s Mayfair-only LSL Capital joining Jamavar, Bombay Bustle, MiMi Mei Fair, KOYN and KOYN Thai. The kitchen is being led by Turin-born chef Somaia Hammad whose CV includes senior roles at White Rabbit Projects, Il Borro and most recently Bayswater-based Roman restaurant Garum. The wine list, meanwhile, is being overseen by Italian wine expert Luca Dusi of Shoreditch wine bar and importer Passione Vino.
The food: Hammad might have been born in the north of Italy but her family hails from the south, specifically Puglia. So while the menu ticks off staples from all over the country there is a slight bias to the more rustic cuisine of the south. The relatively brief menu is split into cicchetti, antipasti, primi, secondi, pizza and sides. Options include arancini stuffed with n’duja and mozzarella, fritto misto of calamari and shrimp with pink peppercorn; linguine with clams and bottarga; and roasted red mullet with capers, olives and tomatoes. Prices are surprisingly approachable when compared to the rest of LSL Capital’s portfolio with most antipasti dishes priced around the £10 mark and generously-proportioned pasta and pizza from £13. While there are some more premium dishes – including Bistecca Fiorentina and lamb cutlets served with potato gateau – that are priced accordingly Nair and team have clearly worked hard to keep prices in check.
To drink: Dusi’s wine list is exclusively Italian and is arranged by style with options including subtly brackish, juicy brilliance, and utter opulence. Alongside the 100-or-so-strong main list is a separate list of fine wine that tops out at £1,460 for a 1998 Ornellaia. Nipotina’s signature cocktail is an earl grey-infused Negroni that is served from a huge clay pot tableside. Other options include a sour made with gin, peach, pomelo and lavender and a Martini that’s flavoured with Parmesan.
The vibe: A former Majestic wine shop, the space has been designed by LSL Capital’s preferred agency Fabled Studio. Nipotina has a warm, homely feel with design details including light pink Venetian plaster walls, velvet-trimmed linen-curtained windows, herringbone flooring, pea-soup green banquettes, crimson tiling and Mid Century-inspired furniture.
And another thing: Available Monday to Friday, Nipotina’s £25 three-course express lunch menu undercuts the likes of Pizza Express, ASK Italian and Zizzi.
nipotinaristorante.com
49 South Audley Street, London W1K 2QD