"L'anima", un ristorante per il cuore

WELCOME TO LANIMA

L'ANIMA REPRESENTS THE HUMAN INSIDE. Welcome to L’Anima, London’s award winning Italian restaurant in the heart of the City. L’Anima offers the finest of contemporary Italian cooking in surroundings nothing short of sheer elegance.  Translated L’Anima is Italian for soul. This essence has been incorporated in every detail of this charming and sophisticated restaurant and bar; from Francesco Mazzei’s creative Italian menus and selected wine list, to the inviting interiors providing comfortable, intimate and memorable experience.  FOOD Francesco’s philosophy and passion for food was cultivated at childhood and developed while working for some of the most renowned establishments in the world. Francesco and his team strive to make dishes that fulfil a true Italian’s most essential senses - exceptional tasty but simple food, beautifully presented in austere but welcoming surroundings. Ingredients are sourced from around Britain and Italy interpreting dishes from Calabria, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia, and reach further into the Mediterranean with Moorish influences revealing dishes with bold yet clean and distinct flavours. Please note that the below menus are sample menus only as our menus change on a regular basis. FRANCESCO MAZZEI   -   EXECUTIVE CHEF From early childhood, Francesco could always be found in the kitchen cooking with his mother, making their own olive oil, tomato sauce, salami and bread. With the determination to buy his first Levis jeans with his own money, he started working in his uncle’s Gelateria in Calabria at the age of nine, learning to make ice cream and cakes. At 14 he met renowned Italian chef Angelo Sabetta who recognised his talent and encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. After catering college and opening his first restaurant before going into military service, Francesco moved to Rome in 1992, where he worked a short stint at the Jolie Hotel before joining The Grand Hotel et de Roma. He moved to London in 1996 to learn English and worked at several restaurants before starting to work at his dream hotel The Dorchester. A move back to Rome offered a position at the Michelin starred restaurant Eden Terrazza on the top floor of the Eden Hotel overlooking Rome. In 2002 Francesco was approached by the Santini family to open ‘Santini’ restaurants in both Edinburgh and Milan. Moving back to London Francesco worked with Alan Yau as Head Chef at Yau’s Italian restaurant in Marylebone, Anda; he also worked with the pastry sections of both Hakkasan and Yauatcha and then moved to Bangkok to launch an Italian restaurant at the Royal Sporting Club. In September 2005 Francesco opened Franco’s on Jermyn Street for the Hambro family to acclaimed reviews. Francesco then moved on to open the kitchen of renowned restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King’s latest London venture, St Alban in September 2006. In June 2008 Francesco Mazzei opened L’Anima.    Francesco’s recipes have appeared in magazines and newspapers wildly across the world and he demonstrates regularly on TV shows in the UK. His consultancy work has seen him and his team work with Alan Yau in the launch of Princi, consult on Italian concept for Istanbuldoors and prepared the Gala Dinner at the Italian stand during the Expo in Shanghai 2010 as well as the Gala Dinner for the Calabrian stand at Vinitaly International Wine & Spirits Fair. Francesco together with Giorgio Locatelli has been the testimonial of the Salumiamo campaign to create greater awareness and promote the wide range of Italy’s finest cured meats to the British market and is also an Ambassador for Slow Food UK and the Welsh Lamb Club. He has taken part in many other TV shows including Celebrity MasterChef, Market Kitchen and Saturday Kitchen. DRINK BAR Relax on the white leather banquets or on the high stools & tables in the bar area for an informal lunch, an aperitif before dinner or for cocktails in the evening. The bar serves a selection of Prosecco, Champagne and Italian Wines by the glass as well as by the bottle. The bar offers the restaurant's A la Carte menu as well as a special set menu for both lunch and dinner bookings. Two courses at £16.50 and three courses at £19.50 including a glass of house white or red wine. The Aperitivo, a consolidated Italian tradition of enjoying appetisers with your pre-dinner drinks, is upheld at L’Anima by offering a range of aperitivi cocktails, which are served with one specially prepared small plate with compliments from the cheCOCKTAILS By using top quality ingredients, our cocktails are made with flair and elegance to provide a memorable experience to our guests.The cocktail list at L'Anima offers a selection of Bellinis, renowned Italian aperitifs such as Aperol Sour and Negroni as well as the liquid legacies from cocktail's golden era. Aperitivi men L’Anima won the Italian Wine Restaurant of the Year award at the Drinking Out Excellence Award 2011