Full throttle
Motorino (Fitzrovia)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: It’s not six months since Stevie Parle opened Town, a design-forward restaurant in Theatreland that immediately garnered raves. He’s followed up with Motorino, in a huge space in Fitzrovia, sporting the same retro-futuristic aesthetic and a modern Italian menu from chef Luke Ahearne.
The Vibe: Motorino’s glossy interior wouldn’t look out of place in an Austin Powers film, with its gleaming disco ball, polished wood floors, traffic-light lamps and bright yellow pill-shaped kitchen hatch. Along one side is the Amber Room, a massive, not-so-private dining room that looks like a recording studio, pitch-perfect for Christmas parties. It’s flanked by the Red Room and Green Room, two smaller, closed-door dining rooms ideal for raucous long lunches.
The best table looks through an archway into the Grade II listed Fitzrovia Chapel next door, and there’s a mix of American diner-style red booths and more exposed tables. The motoring theme continues in framed prints of cars, and there are playful touches like the ‘stand up/sit down’ signs for the loos. It’s not loud in volume, but the aesthetic feels distinctly party-ready.
I visited during soft launch, so slight chaos and long waits between courses were par for the course, and an accidental second portion of focaccia was a bonus. On this early visit, there was a lack of the knowledge I’d expect from Parle’s restaurants, though service was extremely friendly.
The Food: While the restaurant itself is glitzy and ostentatious, the menu is more down to earth: simple, modern Italian made with quality ingredients by Ahearne, who led Marylebone restaurant Lita to rapid success in 2024. It starts with wedges of that soft rosemary focaccia to drag through whipped butter and olive oil (it’s worth saving some of the bread to use as scarpetta later on). Grilled Cornish sardines are butterflied and partially deboned, and arrive with five types of tomato, carpaccio-style. Then there’s a winning dish that’s moved almost verbatim from Lita: a plate of vibrant bluefin tuna carpaccio with soft red peppers and sudachi citrus that I’d happily eat anywhere.
From the primi, pappardelle with beef ragù is comforting. Wild sea bass comes on a bed of melting caponata with a rich red pepper ketchup. A side of hispi cabbage lacks the texture and general wow factor of the hispi main at Town, but a tomato salad is fresh and vibrant. Some of the portions feel small for the price, but thankfully, a side of pink fir potatoes is delightfully large and drenched in green herb butter. Parle and Ahearne have nailed the desserts: tiramisu is laced with Irish whiskey and has a strong coffee kick, while Amalfi lemon meringue pie makes a sweet, zingy finish.
The Drink: Satan’s Whiskers bartender Kevin Armstrong is behind the cocktail list, which includes a faultless Negroni. Seven beers are on draught, plus a mix of old and new world wines with a naming system to match the cheeky interior: the second on the list is called ‘Second Cheapest Red’.
The Verdict: A bold, fun follow-up to Town with reliably tasty food, just in time for party season. –Laura Price
→ Motorino (Fitzrovia) • 1 Pearson Sq • Mon-Sat 12-245p & 530-945p • Book.