Luciano by Gino D’Acampo – Review

One of our favourite Italian chef’s Gino D’Acampo, has pulled out all the stops for his new Italian restaurant Luciano, named after his firstborn, 19-year-old son Luciano. Located at the five-star ME London hotel, with it’s very on private entrance… As you enter the restaurant, it’s hard not to marvel at the decor, you will find bold tropical wallpaper, marble surface tables, plush green seating, and big low hanging woven lamps, adding a little drama as it provides golden ambient lighting in the evening. It’s elegant, stylish with a laid back vibe.

The  à-la-carte menu, is designed by Gino D’Acampo and Executive Head Chef Lorenzo Minini. Such an impressive menu lead us to ask for a few recommendations from our waiter, who happily obliged. We opted for the calamari fritti, which came with a delicious garlic mayonnaise and the pan fried scallops, which was our favourite of the two starters. The scallops were delicate with a savoury crunch, the sauce had an acidic taste, which cut through the creaminess. Absolutely delicious, we could have happily ordered more.

For the main I choose the Linguine vongole, bottarga, which was our waiter’s favourite dish on the menu. The linguine comes with a generous splattering of mussels and cherry tomatoes, the grounded up fish roe, added flavour and the tomatoes added a pop of sweetness to the dish. A firm favourite, beautiful ingredients served up with simplicity.

For dessert I ordered the Bomboloni, Italian doughnuts with raspberry and white chocolate sauce. The doughnuts were soft and fluffy, the raspberry and white chocolate sauce hit my sweet tooth craving beautifully. It was the perfect dish to end our meal. The dessert menu boasts 7 different desserts, including Gino’s favourite Tiramisu.

Treat a loved one or gather up the special people in your life and visit Luciano, it provides a beautiful setting, the service is top notch and it offers up good Italian food. No overly fussy dishes, just simple and delicious, cooked with fresh Italian ingredients.

Luciano is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7am-1am daily.

Address: 336-337 Strand, London WC2R 1HA

For more information and to book visit: www.lucianobyginodacampo.com

Written by Nyla S.

Photography courtesey of Luciano by Gino D’Acampo