Old school glamour returns to The Langham with Sale e Pepe Mare
From champagne trolleys to tableside theatre, Sale e Pepe Mare at The Langham shows hotel restaurants can be fun and fabulous
White tablecloths are back, baby! After nearly two decades of small plates and corrugated iron, a shift is afoot in the London dining scene, and it’s all about oldy-worldy glamour. Think fewer foams, more bow ties. From glitzy New York import Carbone to the lauded reopening of Simpson’s on the Strand, there is a sense that London diners once again want splendour, beauty and, perhaps more than anything, simply a sense of occasion.
It may well be a recession indicator but I for one welcome the shift, and Sale e Pepe Mare, the newest resident at London institution The Langham hotel, is the latest opening to bring fabulousness to the fore.
The vibe: Laidback but ultra glamorous
Launched by the team behind the original Sale e Pepe in Knightsbridge, which became an A-list magnet after its 1974 opening (not least thanks to its convenient location by Harrods). The Langham’s iteration brings the same spirit of Italian luxury, but with a seafood focus as well as a whole lot more theatre – think roaming champagne trolleys and tableside service.
Set in the space formerly occupied by Roux at the Landau and then Mimosa (the latter of which only lasted five months), Sale e Pepe Mare is proof that even the prettiest of rooms can be ruined by bad interior choices. Stripping out the mottled burgundy carpets installed for Mimosa was perhaps their easiest and most effective fix. Replaced with light woods and soft blue accents in the upholstery, the space feels brighter and airier than either of its predecessors. Big, beautiful arched windows line one side of the restaurant, and are mirrored in the curves of the statement bar that makes the room’s centrepiece opposite.
There’s a laidback yet glamorous atmosphere that feels special without being stuffy. When one laden waiter almost stumbled into a table (lots of roving trolleys after all), it was laughter and cheer rather than stiff apologies. I visited on a Thursday night, and it was packed and buzzy.
The food: Comfort Italian dishes with a side of theatre
The menu is classic but not boring, featuring favourites from the original Sale e Pepe restaurant along with a range of new fishy dishes inspired by the Italian coastline, from the Amalfi to Puglia. For way of starters, the Otoro Toast is tried and tested from the original menu, featuring fresh bluefin tuna atop mini brioches garnished with confit garlic, chilli and tomato, that make for a refreshing cichetti before some heartier antipasti. I went for the cast-iron grilled prawns, served fat, pink and deliciously seasoned, along with the Josper-baked scallops, cooked to be tender and sweet in the middle with a smoky, caramelised crust, and cutely served on the shell – these were as delicious as they were pretty, though you would hope so for nearly £15-a-pop.
Onto the pasta, where it’s the classics that shine. The king crab tagliarini is delicious, but save sixteen quid and go for the cacio e pepe instead. Not only is it rich and tasty, it also comes with a nice white-blazered man to toss it in a pecorino wheel for you tableside. The theatre comes at no detriment to the dish; indeed, my very snobby guest, a well-raised Londoner who cringed as I filmed, said it was the best pasta he’d ever had. All pasta dishes can be served as a starter or a main, and I have some regrets at not trading up for the larger size.
Instead, I opted for the grilled tuna steak for my main, which was fine but nothing to write home about. Maybe try the fish of the day instead, or throw out the seaside thing altogether and just get the wagyu ribeye (who ever regretted getting the steak).
To close the show, it’s a sure crowd pleaser with the restaurant’s big, famiglia-style, homemade tiramisu. It’s served tableside again, dolloped onto your plate from a massive serving dish. I reckon about 80 per cent of the room opted for this when I visited – it’s the kind of dessert that spreads due to the envy you feel when you see someone else eating it. True to form, it was velvety, sumptuous and the perfect finisher for a marathon sitting.
Sale e Pepe Mare can be found at 1 Portland Place in The Langham hotel