Restaurant reviews often talk about letting the ingredients speak for themselves in dishes, but if you want to know what that really means, a visit to QP LDN is highly recommended. Just in case you might be wondering what QP LDN stands for, it is Quattro Passi in London. The Quattro Passi in Nerano, Italy famously has 2 Michelin stars courtesy of the fine cooking from Antonio Mellino and his two sons Raffaele and Fabrizio.
The restaurant decor is suitably high-end for the Mayfair location without being overly ostentatious and pretentious. The designs are contemporary including stunning centrepiece fibre-optic chandelier lights, smart leather wall finishes, illuminated marblesque bar and staircase as well as avant-garde sculptural artwork on the walls.
Part of the fun of dining here is working out what ingredients have been flown in from Italy and what items are sourced locally. When they first started out, everything was flown in from Italy daily, but in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint, some items are now supplied from local farms.
You really can’t get a stronger taste of the Amalfi coast than their plateau of mixed raw fish starter. There were 3 bowls of faultless raw fish: tuna, salmon and red snapper. You can strongly taste the richness from the fish oils and the flavours of the sea. The pearls in the plateau are the juicy, succulent red prawns: they are simply some of the freshest crustaceans you will ever taste, hence their relatively high market price.
It was hardly surprising, I chose the tasty red prawns, lagoustine and a fillet of sea bass for the main course as well. It was an uncomplicated dish, just excellent ingredients gently grilled to the right temperature. Portions are relatively petite, so I would recommend having a pasta course as well. My guest had a sumptuously cooked turbot dish with a potato crust, crackling, quinoa and cucumber. The meat was firm with a large flake and a refreshingly mild flavour.
Desserts were like most of the other dishes, beautifully plated and petite in size, so you don’t have to worry about your waistline. Traditional Neapolitan Babà Soaked in Rum was incredibly moist and inviting, although the rum taste was remarkably strong. Caramelized Pear Stuffed with Ricotta Cheese was comparatively lighter, more delicate and almost too picturesque to eat.
Our only regret was we didn’t get a chance to try the pasta dishes, so we’ve already made plans to visit again before the New Year. This is the kind of restaurant where you will discover hidden gems during repeat visits.
baldwin@townfish.com