Part of Mayfair’s old school restaurants known locally as the sole of Dover Street, Pescatori is a Mediterranean seafood restaurant ranked amongst some of London's finest.

The Venue
Located in the heart of elegant Mayfair, conveniently close to the delights of Bond Street, this fabulous eatery subtly blends into the local area. The nice blue sign outside makes it recognisable from all the other restaurants nearby. Wonderful starched white linen tablecloths adorn the tables which are flanked by beautiful oak panels. There are also original oak beams holding up the ceiling and a traditional cast iron fireplace which can be lit on request. The restaurant is light, fresh and airy, with a perfect harmony of old and new and a very welcoming vibe about the place.

The Atmosphere
On weeknights expect the restaurant to be quiet at first, but after an hour or so the room fills up with what looks like local businessmen and couples. There are a lot of regulars which is always a good sign, and the staff predict their orders before reeling off the list of specials. The Italian influence is felt immediately as the staff welcome you as if you’re their long lost children.

The Food
Pescatori’s love for fish is obvious and all their fish is locally sourced and caught from British waters. As you’d expect from a top seafood restaurant, staff are fully aware where all the fish comes from. The menu is seasonal so there’s no need to buy produce from abroad.

The a la carte menu is mainly fish but there are options for vegetarians and meat lovers as well. For starters you can have a choice of six, nine or 12 Jersey Rock Oysters served properly on crushed ice. This seems to be the starter choice of many and one of the reasons Pescatori is so popular. Other options include fresh lobster bisque served with crusty Italian bread (£6.95) and enormous char grilled tiger prawns (£8.95). The Devon crab with avocado, ginger and chilli (£8.95) is heavenly. A large portion arrives on a huge white plate and looks too good to eat. The avocado is pureed and has a wonderful texture, whilst the crab is fresh and sweet and totally delicious. The ginger and chili dressing delicately arranged on the side isn’t overbearing, making it the perfect addition to this subtle and elegant dish. Homemade lobster ravioli (£7.95 for a small portion) is served in a tangy and light tomato sauce with fresh clams, mussels and fresh coriander. The flavors melt into each other perfectly and the portion size is just right.

Main courses include a selection of homemade pastas and risottos, such as the traditional linguine with clams (£13.95), hand twisted pasta with homemade pesto, green beans and potatoes (£11.95) and squid ink risotto with scallops and marscapone (£14.95). Veal escalope (£16.95) and Angus beef steak with chicory (£21) are just two of the seasonal meat dishes available in this fine restaurant. A large selection of fish and shellfish features oven baked halibut with grappa and parsley potatoes (£18.95) and roast salmon with horseradish (£14.95). Pan fried fillet of sea bass is served on mashed potatoes with basil and cooked in a lemon butter sauce. The fillet is fresh and smooth and there’s not a bone or piece of skin in sight. Order a side of zucchini (£3.25) to round it off. The fish stew is made from a secret Tuscan family recipe and includes clams, mussels, swordfish and prawns. Spicy tomato sauce, thick with fresh herbs and garlic, makes this a very tasty and simple dish. Order plenty of bread to mop up the sauce or you'll regret leaving it behind.

If that wasn’t enough there’s a tempting pudding menu to choose from, including an Italian cheeseboard served with fresh baked bread, Italian cheese, and honey (£6.95) and homemade sorbets in all the flavours you could imagine. If you fancy some pastries, caramelised lime and passion fruit tartlet with creme fraiche costs £6.30 whereas the classic tiramisu with coffee soaked Savoiardi biscuits is £6.30 as well. For something more unusual, however, try the steaming chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream. Like it says on the menu, steaming hot chocolate spills out onto the plate when you push your spoon inside - truly heavenly.

The Drink
A wide range of Italian and new world wines all with the usual London markup. The bar is loaded with all the spirits and beers you could hope for and they make especially good dry martini cocktails. There is a good choice of white, red and rose wines as well as some very nice Champagne. The recommended white is the Italian Sauvignon at £23 a bottle or £5.80 for a large glass. It’s pale in color with a dry and full character, a great choice to have with fish.

There is also a rather expensive Italian Cortese for £30 which is fruity but with a longer lasting aftertaste. The red wines range in price from £42 to £240 for a Cabernet Sangiovese - one of the Italians’ most famous wines as it’s so rich in taste, and obviously you have to be pretty rich to drink it! Make sure you finish your meal with an ice cold shot of limoncello, the citrus flavours are a brilliant way to finish a great meal and cleanse your palate.

The Last Word
A fine Mediterranean and Italian seafood restaurant which does its utmost to provide good quality, seasonal produce. It’s worth visiting any night of the week for some delicious, flavoursome, homemade food.

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