Motorino

 Premium Italian offering but off the mark

Tuna, tomato and capers

There is a certain irony that Stevie Parle's return to Italian cooking arrives at a moment when London hardly lacks for pasta restaurants. Yet Motorino, the latest opening from Parle, never feels like an attempt to chase a trend. Instead, it feels like the work of a chef revisiting familiar territory with the confidence gained from years of experience. Parle, whose recent success at Town demonstrated his commitment to British produce and thoughtful, ingredient-led cooking, has teamed up with head chef Luke Ahearne to create a restaurant that borrows the soul of Italy without becoming trapped by convention.

Yellowtail and tomato curdo

Pasta cooked in tomato and gin, fennel sausage

Strozzapreti duck ragu

The lamb dish was the star, the rack itself is beautifully blushing, deeply savoury and cooked with impeccable precision, while the accompanying lamb belly introduces richness without tipping into heaviness, its soft, yielding texture providing a luxurious counterpoint to the leaner cut. Sweet roasted carrot lends an earthy warmth that cuts through the fat, while the sheep's milk element, delicately tangy and creamy, ties everything together with remarkable elegance. Less successful is the steak, which never quite reaches the same heights despite carrying a similarly ambitious price tag. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it. The meat is of respectable quality, cooked accurately and presented attractively, but compared with the imagination displayed elsewhere, it feels surprisingly ordinary.

Grilled rib eye

Lamb rack, lamb belly, carrot and sheep yoghurt

Tomato salad

The issue with Motorino is very expensive, considering so many Italian restaurants offer similar quality food at a lower price point. Not outrageously so by modern London standards, but sufficiently so that every course arrives carrying heightened expectations. While some dishes justify their tariffs, others leave diners wondering whether the final bill slightly outpaces the experience itself. One leaves admiring the ambition, respecting the technical skill and genuinely enjoying much of what has been served, while simultaneously questioning whether the overall value quite aligns with the cost. That tension defines the restaurant more than any individual plate.

Food 3/5

What I paid: £80 per person 

Average cost without drinks and services: £75

1 Pearson Square, London W1T 3BF

https://motorino.london/