Review: Pescatori Mayfair

I am very rarely a fan of a brightly lit restaurant. However there was something reassuringly warming about the glow from Pescatori on Dover Street as we stepped away from the dark rainy evening outside.

We were welcomed by reassuringly Italian waitresses and seated at a cheery little table complete with vine tomatoes to taste while we perused the menu. We settled on the fresh crab salad and the goat’s cheese and chicory to start. The crab was plentiful and very fresh (as one would expect in a seafood restaurant). The goat’s cheese, chicory and walnut salad was delicious and just the right amount for a starter – although I could have eaten plenty more of it! I went for the salmon for main course (I’m a little bit of an amateur when it comes to fish so I play it safe for the most part) while he chose the wild sea bass. Both were delicious – as was the spinach accompaniment. We washed it all down with a bottle of Soave Classico, a decent mid-price bottle which complimented the food.

We rounded off the meal with a cheeseboard – these can be hit-and-miss – especially when you don’t have the opportunity to pick the cheeses yourself. Served with a tiny bowl of walnuts, honey and some crackers, these were a lovely way to end and perfect sharing food for a date (an easy point of discussion when your date’s conversational skills are otherwise lacking).

The bill was reasonable and the buzz of the restaurant combined with good food would entice me to return. The lack of personality in terms of the decor and ambiance is the only factor which lets down this otherwise very competent Italian – a safe bet on an otherwise risky Dover Street.