Mercante Review

When life gives you lemons, especially in the summer, make limoncello! While summer is slowly winding down and everyone is getting in those last few weekends away we cant help but be jealous of all the Almafi Coast Insta posts we’ve been strolling through. Although we cant physically be transported to the Italian coast, we can do the next best thing. The glamorous Italian restaurant Mercante has an exclusive Summer Of Limoncello menu in partnership with the Limoncello brand Pococello. Situated inside the Sheraton Grand in one of the most luxurious areas of London, Mercante is a long standing London favorite, and with this new menu they are featuring nine new dishes in addition to a masterclass with Limoncello sommelier. 

Although limoncello is typically known as a post meal digestive, Pococello is turning that idea on its head to make it the next big aperitif drink. The evening began with the limoncello masterclass which explained exactly how the iconic drink is made and followed by a tasting of a variety of cocktails. Limoncello itself is extremely easy to make if you have the essential ingredients; lemons straight from the Almafi Coast or Capri. During the masterclass we were able to try a few signature cocktails, the first one being a twist on an Aperol Spritz, which had a very refreshing and zesty taste known as the Sunshine Spritz made of limoncello, prosecco and soda water. The second cocktail was my favorite, the Mercante Breeze, which had a delicious blend of limoncello, vodka, strawberry puree, lemon juice and soda water. 

The tasting menu was delicious and fresh, for the starter I had the tuna tartare with a cucumber limoncello granita, this entree was light but rich in flavour.

The main dish my guest and I both choose was the risotto and it was without a doubt one of the best risotto dishes I had ever tasted. It was in fact so delicious, when the chef came over, we told him how much we loved it, he then kindly brought us another risotto dish to share, of which we also finished. 

By the time dessert came around we were incredibly full but of course we still wanted to try the desserts, we choose the Sicilian lemon curd with the candied pistachio sponge cake. This was the perfect summer dessert because it was fresh and zesty especially with the sorbet. 

Overall, the menu was both original and incredibly tasty and the decor made me feel like I was spending the summer in Italy. I look forward to revisiting Mercante with friends and family and tasting the main menu. 

Website: www.mercanterestaurant.com

Address: Sheraton Grand, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BX

Written by Lisa Leroux