A global feel to this new Chelsea Italian
Recently opened on Sloane Streetis Azzurra, a large, glamorous eaterie with an Italian slant and a focus on seafood. If it feels international, that’s down to David Yeo, the corporate lawyer-turned restaurateur whose Aqua group operates restaurants in Hong Kong, New York, Miami, and Dubai. He’s behind Aqua Shard and Hutong at The Shard, plus Regent Street’s Aqua Kyoto and Aqua Nuevo in London.
This Chelsea opening has a modern global vibe with its spacious interior, atmospheric dim lighting, comfortable seating, and crisp electronic soundtrack. You could imagine yourself anywhere in the world. The menu is firmly located in Italy, and there’s an impressive seafood counter. We start with glasses of Franciacorta sparkling wine– a northern Italian treat that’s rarely exported – and examine a menu of Crudo, Antipasti, Pasta e Risotto and Secondi.
This Chelsea opening has a modern global vibe with its spacious interior, atmospheric dim lighting, comfortable seating, and crisp electronic soundtrack. You could imagine yourself anywhere in the world. The menu is firmly located in Italy, and there’s an impressive seafood counter. We start with glasses of Franciacorta sparkling wine– a northern Italian treat that’s rarely exported – and examine a menu of Crudo, Antipasti, Pasta e Risotto and Secondi.
It’s our fault entirely that we end up overordering, anticipating wrongly that dishes would be elegantly tiny. Spoiler alert: they’re not. To start, red mullet comes lightly torched with a green, herby, breadcrumby sauce and is lovely, while red snapper with pear and Calabrian chili is excellent: subtle, sweet, and refreshing.
Next is linguini alle vongole, a classic that lists Sicilian olive oil and Calabrian chili – and it’s just as good as I hoped. Juicy clams, lots of lemon, garlic, and parsley – and portion size is generous. A plate of fritto misto is equally generous, with lots of moreishly salty seafood and courgette that transports you to a Sardinian beach bar. We could have stopped there, but we ordered Secondi too: catch of the day is a winning sea bass served with a high-class caponata.
Verdict A glamorous Sloane Street destination
Price
Primi £14- £36
Secondi £31- £130
Decor Dark, atmospheric, spacious Food Italian seafood luxe
AZZURRA
127-128 Sloane Street, SW1
