Drinks overlooking the Tower of London, a new Marylebone Italian and Sticky Mango grows out of Waterloo...
Lavo, Marylebone
The London incarnation of LAVO, an Italian restaurant from Tao Group Hospitality, opened at the BoTree in September.
The menu, created by the group’s Chief Culinary Officer Ralph Scamardella, is executed by Culinary Director Stefano Lorenzini. Hailing from San Severino Marche in Italy, Chef Stefano has more than 24 years of experience in the culinary world, working at venues such as Santini, Cecconi’s Mayfair, Shoreditch House, and ME London Hotel before moving to New York and becoming Executive Chef for Tao Group.
Signature dishes include fresh homemade pasta such as Tagliatelle al Limone infused with marjoram, sweet butter and Kaluga caviar, whole grain, single-source flour pizzas, a showstopper Wagyu meatball topped with whipped ricotta, a delicate Salt-baked Mediterranean seabass and an indulgent 20-Layer Chocolate Cake. The cocktail program features dramatic iterations of classics and bold signature drinks, such as the LAVO Negroni, which allows guests to put their own twist on an iconic tipple alongside a curated wine offering, completing the dining experience.
The BoTree Bar also launched in September and provides a vibrant space illuminated by a colour-changing light feature that expands across the ceiling. Guests can indulge in the BoTree Bar’s extensive drinks offering and sit at the teal-marble bar, which curves across the space and admire the golden walls laden with bottles. The bar menu, also curated by Lorenzini, features luxurious dishes such as the Oyster on the half shell with limoncello mignonette, the Caviar sandwich with egg salad, caviar, and homemade chips, and theTruffle grilled cheese with hot honey.
taogroup.com
Sticky Mango, Tower Bridge
A second Sticky Mango restaurant has opened in Tower Bridge - with a third set to soon soon in Islington.
Peter Lloyd opened his first Sticky Mango in Waterloo (the one with the impressive Anthony Bourdain mural) back in 2016, fuelled by his love of the cuisines tasted on his travels. The 100-cover restaurant includes a 10-stool sushi bar serving the likes of crispy shredded crab roll or omakase platters. There's also the 18-seater Blossom Island beneath the blossom trees and chandeliers to really feel you’ve travelled afar from London.
At Sticky Mango Tower Bridge, there's broad selection of culinary influences – Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia, for starters. It’s taken over the former site of Cantina del Ponte, so has uninterrupted views of Tower Bridge from its terrace. Lloyd is also fond of creating a bit of theatre for diners, so there are lots of dishes prepared tableside too.
There’s also another nod to Anthony Bourdain at this restaurant. This time, it's not a mural but a quote emblazoned on the floor: “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride!”.
stickymango.co.uk
Our new favourite discovery...
While we're on the subject of sights not to be missed, CloudM Tower of London has panoramic views of the city below. With both comfy sofas and decent worktops with stools looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows it's the ideal place to plot up with a glass of sparking wine (£12.50 a glass) and check your emails or simply chill before jumping on the tube at Tower Hill seven storeys down.
citizenm.com/cloudm/tower-of-london
