Murano * | London (UK)
Neatly balancing a fine-dining formality with a Roman food fest ambiance.
Delicious and refined Italian-inspired dishes of seasonal tastes. Molto Bene!
Nestled within the comfortable environs of affluent Mayfair, London (UK), Murano is a well established Italian fine dining restaurant with a rock solid reputation. Executive Chef Patron and tv celebrity Angela Hartnett oversaw the opening of Murano in August 2008, when she still worked under Gordon Ramsay. It was awarded a Michelin star the following year. The year after that Hartnett went on to purchase the restaurant from Ramsay when she parted ways with his company. The Michelin star was retained and they still hold it today.
Head Chef at Murano since June last year is Emily Brightman. Emily joined Murano as a junior Sous Chef two-and-a-half years ago, having previously spent three years at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay***, where she was a senior Chef de Partie. Along with spells at Petrus* in Knightsbridge and Yauatcha in Soho, Emily also undertook stages in New York: at Per Se***, Eleven Madison Park*** and Gabriel Kreuther**.
Murano is open on Tuesday to Saturday for both lunch and dinner. During January they offer a Set Winter Menu with 3 options per course and 6 different desserts (3 courses at £55 or £45 for lunch, 4 courses at £70, 5 courses at £80 and 6 courses at £90).
They also open every 3rd Sunday of the month for lunch with a set 4-course menu (at £40 including a bellini). We tried this last November to find out it’s totally different from the normal menu. Kitchen staff get the opportunity to try out their own dishes. I’m sorry to say, we were not impressed. It was more like home cooking than restaurant dishes and it didn’t feel representative of Murano. Restaurant manager Laura Harris understood our disappointment. She felt that expectations were not set correctly and she didn’t charge us for the lunch (we didn’t expect that!). Very hospitable!
We wanted to come back and experience Murano’s normal menu, which we did last Friday. We had dinner and chose to go all the way with 6 courses. Joanne and I had different dishes for each course (except dessert), so we could taste as many dishes as possible!
After being greeted by the extremely friendly staff and led to our table, we were offered a complementary glass of champagne. Thanks Laura, really appreciated that!
Some canapés arrived to go with our champagne, Parmesan churros coated with grated Parmesan. And a delicate tartlet with spiced pumpkin with ricotta and some pumpkin seeds. Both very nice!
Brown bread, flavoursome crissinis and delicious focaccia with roscoff onions. Olive oil from Tuscany with a bright green flavour. And scrumptious coppa bianco from Trentino of excellent quality. So tasty!
My first course was vitello tonatto. A classic dish with classic flavour of veal, tuna mayonnaise and crispy capers. Like this presentation very much, with the tuna mayonnaise underneath. And love the addition of pickled fennel as it nicely enhances the taste and texture of the dish. Excellent!
Croquette packed with beautifully seasoned duck meat. Pear and celeriac remoulade with mustard and some horseradish is delightful and gives a pungent kick that lifts the duck. Simply delicious!
House made pappardelle, cooked just right. Bold, serious wild boar ragù, that is to die for. Freshly grated Parmesan to finish it off. Simple dish, perfectly executed, with stunning taste. Absolutely joyful!
Risotto from carnaroli rice. A rice grown in the Pavia, Novara and Vercelli provinces of northern Italy. It has a higher starch content and firmer texture than the more common arborio rice, as well as a longer grain. You really taste the difference. Thin layer of risotto, served on a plate which wasn’t really hot, made the risotto cool down quickly and personally I would have liked it a bit smoother and creamier, but the level of saffron was just perfect.
Celeriac a la plancha and also as a purée. A ribbon of lightly pickled celery to counter the gently earthy flavours of the celeriac, enhanced by a touch of black truffle. Earthy, delicate yet bold, deliciousness!
Beetroot tartare with fresh vibrant taste. Bit of dill adds a nice flavour, together with the horseradish cream. Tapioca crisp not only adding texture, but very nice on it’s own. Yet another beautiful dish!
Beautifully seasoned flaky pollock, with a powerful herb crust. Comforting combination of lentils, Morteau sausage and succulent octopus. Lemony dill pesto lifting it up with nice green flavours. Delicious!
Although brill is quite a firm fish, this piece was nicely succulent and beautifully cooked. Some balsamic, for a bit of acidic sweetness, works lovely with black garlic and truffle. Rustic dish with clear flavour and great taste.
Medium grilled beef short rib. Perfectly pink with melting texture. Smooth puree with some crunchy salad leaves. The jus with smoked bone marrow is intensely delicious. Excellent!
Lamb as pink as you want it to be. Cavolo nero underneath the lamb is the perfect veg for this dish. Pomme Anna with cavolo mash is nice, but the swede puree with mustard is excellent. Love it!
We both chose the apple tarte tatin for dessert and it arrived as a lovely tarte for two. At the end of the dinner, we found out that dessert was complementary as well. What a treat. Thank you!
Generous sized tarte tatin with a thick layer of tangy sweet apple. Caramel helping with the necessary sweetness, Flaky pastry and lovely vanilla ice cream. Comforting classic!
Well made salted caramel macarons as an after dinner sweet.
We truly enjoyed the whole experience. Delicious and refined Italian-inspired dishes of seasonal tastes, with a convivial informality of presentation and mostly generous portion sized. Not a common combination for a Mayfair restaurant.
The waiting staff are great. They really bring that informality to the table and give you that special guest feeling, with attentive service that leaves no doubt about the restaurant’ credentials. Also like that, although all tables were occupied, it didn’t feel crowded as tables are well spaced.
Angela Hartnett managed to create her own style and showcase it at Murano’s. Neatly balancing a fine-dining formality and sense of special occasion with a casual and Roman food fest ambiance. Molto bene!
