Fresh, modern Italian food with a twist, along with service with a smile.

The Venue
Citrus is situated on the ground floor of the Park Lane Hotel, overlooking the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly and Hyde Park. It has a large outside dining area perfect for the warmer months and is conveniently located a few minutes’ walk from the glamorous shops on Bond Street and Green Park tube station. The restaurant has traded its Mediterranean looks for Italian style. Cleverly, the hotel surveyed passersby and hotel guests to see what sort of food they would want and 70 percent said Italian.

The Atmosphere
Trendy marble floors and sleek lighting give Citrus a modern look but it almost lacks a buzz or atmosphere. The restaurant itself is quite small but with the stark black and white wall paper and modern furniture it doesn’t feel warm and cosy, almost like an Italian should. It feels a little cold, slightly more like a chic cafe than a restaurant. The restaurant fills up nicely, however, and what the venue lacks in atmosphere it certainly makes up for in service. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the cuisine.

The Food
The menu has something for everyone. There is a huge range of antipasti to start off, and it’s traditional to choose a few and put them in the middle of the table and share. The antipasti are all priced under £3, which is very reasonable. Garlic prawns are succulent and juicy and cooked in oil, chilli and garlic - really tasty. The salt and pepper calamari is freshly cooked and light. The batter is very delicate and not too thick or over the top, just as it should be. The selection of Prosciutto is generous and served with a piece of toasted ciabatta. Baby artichokes (of which there are only three so a fight over the last one may be a problem) are cooked in oil and herbs and well flavoured. Everything tastes very light and fresh. If you don’t like sharing, though, there are plenty of more traditional starters for one, such as crab and lobster minestrone, roast asparagus with Prosciutto and summer trifle and a large selection of other seasonal treats.

The main courses range from delicious looking thin and crispy pizzas and fresh pasta to winter warmers like risotto and home cooked lamb. An asparagus and pea risotto (£10) arrives a little overcooked, but the asparagus is crunchy and perfectly done and the peas are sweet and moreish. Veal piccata with lemon capers and spaghetti (£17.50) is beautifully served, tender and nicely cooked but the capers are slightly too overpowering; the dish needs to have slightly less powerful flavours to let the tastes of the more subtle ones come to life. Puddings (£4.75) include a flawless homemade limoncello ice cream and baked lemon and mascarpone tart served with a raspberry coulis. The tart is light, fluffy and bursting with flavour and the addition of the mascarpone helps with the tartness of the lemon.

The Drink
There’s a large wine selection, beer selection and a huge cocktail list. The mojito is spicy and strong, a nice end to a rather dull day. The house rose, a Pinot Grigio Corte Vigna, is fantastic, a delicious accompaniment to the food.

The Last Word
Open for lunch every day and supper every night, this would be a perfect summer venue. The chef has thought long and hard over the food, perhaps a little too hard, as the most simple items on the menu are, in fact, the most tasty. The lack of atmosphere is totally compensated for with the helpful and nice staff. All in all, Citrus is a refreshing and nice place to go.

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