Cecconi’s Mayfair

It’s ironic that six years after moving to London I’m finally writing about Cecconi’s. Considering the fact that it’s my favorite restaurant in London and ideally what my own personal Heaven will look like when I pass on, I’ve been holding out for a long time on writing about Cecconi’s Mayfair – it’s probably due to the pressure of having to describe what makes it my favorite dining experience. Rather than try to articulate the magic that is CM, I’ll just say that the Venetian Bar is stunning, the service impeccable, the Northern Italian cuisine rich and flavorful, the prosecco intoxicating, and the there’s always an energized vibe. It’s the 2nd year in a row that I’m in the doghouse for traveling for industry events during V-Day so I attempted to compensate for my absence by taking M to brunch at CM followed by a play at the Young Vic later that evening. As expected, our starter (zucchini fritti) and mains (winter salad, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs) were delicious, but the highlight of the meal was the authentic tiramisu. Neither of us are ones to order desert that has any kind of coffee-flavoring or alcohol, but when in CM one should order in such a way as to play to the chef”s strengths – we weren’t disappointed.