With regulars including the Beckhams and Madonna, Cipriani executes glamour and exclusivity rather better than their traditional Italian menu.

The Venue
A short walk from St James or Bond Street underground stations on Mayfair’s Davies Street, Cipriani is easily found thanks to its glamorous black signage and the ever-present paparazzi camping outside. Once inside, you’ll be confronted with an interior that was built in Hong Kong and shipped to London piece by piece, with low compact tables and small chairs, gleaming Murano chandelier and a lacquer wooden bar. It’s really not very suitable for tall people, and the small cutlery, tiny wine glasses and clunky patterned crockery are all very old fashioned and slightly odd in this setting.

The Atmosphere
If you’re very lucky, you may spot Arrigo Cipriani himself wandering around dispatching bellinis and desserts, as he makes his way around his group of Harry’s Bars and Cipriani venues in Venice, New York, Hong Kong and London among other locations. Your neighbouring diners could be Naomi Campbell, Simon Cowell, Stella McCartney or any number of WAGs or reality TV stars who think coming here elevates them to A-list status. The businessmen that flock here during the day peter out at night to leave room for the glitterati, so be sure to book early and bear in mind that turning over 400 covers a night means that they’ll be eager to move you on from your table once you’ve finished eating. Indeed, the white jacketed waiting staff can border on aggressive with their reminders of how busy and successful they are, and could perhaps pay more attention to the food they’re serving if they want to stay at the top of their game.

The Food
Serving a traditional Italian menu, Cipriani has a proud heritage as part of the Harry’s Bar Venice family, the birthplace of beef carpaccio and peach bellinis. A great way to kick off the meal is with the cheapest option – the £8 minestrone soup is filling and plentiful, with strong meaty flavour and plenty of pasta. The beetroot, goats cheese and asparagus salad, priced at £12, is a great combination of the tangy and sweet with the creamy, and has fresh flavours and makes a light start to the Italian feast that will follow. You’ll enjoy the bread baskets that come with your starters, too – the smoky flavoured grissini and Italian soft breads with that homemade flavour are deeply tempting, so be careful not to indulge too much so as not to ruin the main event!

The main courses are all huge, with a choice of fish, meat and pasta dishes. A popular, oft-praised choice is the £19 pasta and veal ragu. This tastes like a glorious spaghetti bolognese, with meaty flavours and a heavy tomato sauce – it’s perhaps not as special as it should be for the price, but it is satisfying and filling. The calf’s liver a la Veneziana is another satisfying choice, served with perfectly sweet red onions and shallots, but at £25 it does seem overpriced for the rather small portion.

Desserts are a big event here, almost embarrassingly so – a gang of the white jacketed waiters will gather around your table holding onto the cakes and gateaux on offer, rather like a 1980s dessert trolley display. It’s totally cringeworthy, and the selections are rather shameful – a passable layered chocolate cake costs a ridiculous £11 for a tiny sliver.

The Drink
Expect the staff to offer bellinis as soon as you arrive - a tasty peach juice and prosecco combination priced over £10. This is the highlight of the drinks list, though the wine list is lengthy if unexceptional. There’s an obvious Italian focus, with a highlight being the intense 2000 Allegrini La Grola red wine if you can stomach paying the £40 price tag.

The Last Word
Cipriani offers a glamorous night out, but don’t expect the best Italian food in the capital, good service or value for money. It’s worth a try when you fancy a ritzy night out.

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