Hats off
Martino’s (Chelsea)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Just as the nation’s publications were finalising their best restaurants lists for 2025, a late contender swept the board. Enter Martino’s, a buzzy all-day Italian spot in Sloane Square from Martin Kuczmarski, former COO of Soho House Group and the restaurateur behind The Dover. Two months after its November opening, it’s the most talked-about table in town.
The Vibe: Lively, old school, romantic. A large, circular bar is the focal point of the huge dining room, which occupies a former Hugo Boss store opposite Sloane Square tube. There’s a sense of luxury and opulence, with candlelit tables, servers in white suits and bowties grinding giant peppermills tableside, and trilby-clad customers sipping martinis at the bar. But it’s also unpretentious; you’re as welcome in trainers as you are in that hat, and despite the Chelsea address, it’s reasonably priced.
The Food: Classic Italian with a touch of Italian-American. From the antipasti, tonno tonnato is terrific, with its generous portion of thinly sliced, seared tuna in a rich, creamy and moreish sauce, while seabass carpaccio is fresh and mildly spicy. Among the pastas, the signature tagliatelle reveals huge chunks of braised beef short rib in a rich, meaty hug of a ragú. A main course of meatballs zuppetta is also generous, with plenty of beefy sauce to be mopped up with toasted sourdough. Roasted potatoes were a little on the dry side, but chopped greens brought a real assortment of avocado, lettuce and rocket in a zingy, three-citrus dressing. To finish, a light, fluffy tiramisu served in an elegant coupe glass.
The Drink: Italian-centric wines, old-school cocktails and aperitivi like Martino’s Shakerato, with Campari, gin and orange juice.
The Verdict: An instant classic for hearty Italian and buzzy vibes. –Laura Price
→ Martino’s (Chelsea) • 37 Sloane Sq • Mon-Fri 8a-4p & 530p-1230a, Sat 9a-4p, 530p-1230a, Sun 9a-4p, 530p-12a • Book.