How many London Italian restaurants are there? Well according to a few minutes research on Google, in 1998 there were some 5000 Italian restaurants in Britain and 39,000 Italian-born people living in London. It does not take a genius to work out that there are literally hundreds of Italian restaurants gracing London’s streets.

With such a vast amount of choice on offer, how could we possibly ever decide which one to choose? Well that’s easy, go to the swankiest, grandest and clientele ‘prestigious’ Italian restaurant the capital has to offer.

Tempo in Mayfair fits the criteria perfectly. Attention to detail is at the vanguard of this exclusive Italian restaurant. The wine glasses are wonderfully huge, Martinis are served in frozen Martini glasses and a truly divine selection of bread is served in beautifully hand-crafted olive wood bowls. With its profound turquoise velvet seating, mushroom walls hanging magnificent mirrors, Tempo’s ambience is as grand as its cuisine.

What makes it stand out from the rest is to find a Japanese chef running an Italian restaurant. With  the truly dynamic Yoshi Yamada bringing his cooking creativity to Mayfair, you get a real sense of unique, something slightly different.

The food at Tempo has been described as “rich with an astonishing depth of flavour” – And isn’t rich, creamy, flavoursome food what Italian cuisine is all about? Tempo dishes that particularly deserve a mention are the seared octopus with pomegranate and apple, the butternut squash risotto, the wholly aromatic rabbit and the mouth watering pistachio tortelli.

Although Tempo, with its sleek ambience, delicious food and devout attention to detail, has justifiably built up a repertoire of wealthy clientele, its prices are fairly modest. Dinner for two with water, wine and service costs approximately £100.

Great praise for this highly exclusive and unique Italian restaurant in London’s Mayfair.