Azzurra Chelsea — Restaurant in London

The moment we stepped out of our cab at 127-128 Sloane Street, we received a warm welcome as the door to Azzurra was opened to us with a charming smile and we were instantly engulfed in that glorious Italian hospitality that always feels like a hug. Evidently, the owners have spent a lot of thought (and no doubt money) on the intricate maritime décor that cleverly creates the illusion of lofty bowsprits as ropes artfully transform the spacious dining room. Ambient lighting and comfortable music let us relax and mellow in memories of the sun-swept Amalfi coast with its picturesque fishing villages and sparkling shorelines. And as any seafoodie knows: freshness is imperative. So the Azzurra ethos of offering the best of British seafood from boat to table in record time certainly deserves the attention of the discerning diner with treasures such as raw oysters on their mind. The serene and calm atmosphere of the restaurant remained undisturbed by the multitude of service staff quietly sashaying among the well-spaced tables with cosy seating and we could tell that we were in for a good time. After a brief confirmation of our reservation that evening, we were whisked away to the lavishly stocked bar, where the beautiful Italian mixologist showcased her amazing repertoire by creating customized cocktails to suit our individual preferences. And indeed, that lady truly knows her art, because my cocktail and my friend’s mocktail were spot on and she provided us with insightful information on any drink we asked about! While at the bar, we were kept well entertained with drinks and friendly banter, and time passed quickly until all dinner guests had arrived and we were ready to eat. The occasion of our dinner party was my birthday, and I honestly couldn’t have wished for a more splendid venue. Head chef Andrea came to our table and explained his wonderful culinary creations to us, and I apologize in advance should my memory have jumbled things up a little. Our feast commenced with a wonderful "Royal Dorade", a type of sea bream, served ultra fresh as sashimi with a trio of aromatic oils infused with Amalfi lemon, orange and truffle. followed by delicate pieces of lightly torched red mullet on bagnetto verde with crusco pepper oil. Next came my favourite decadence: a seafood tower of such abundance that we all cheered when it arrived. The Colchester oysters I had so eagerly anticipated were excellent and so clean and fresh tasting. We were all equally enamoured with the most precious Sicilian red prawns that were so succulent and sweet. The only way to eat them was raw, of course; their fine buttery texture a melt in your mouth delight. The Scottish langoustines and Cornish crab also deserve an honorary mention; they quickly vanished from the plates, as did the Welsh lobster, most of which I forfeited to enjoy more oysters, but it was all just super fresh and wonderfully presented. A really special treat. Next, we tasted the finely cured salmon that came in beautifully arranged morsels. The seafood risotto that followed packed a pleasant punch in depth of flavour and reminded me of my favourite lobster bisque, very aromatic and complex. Another favourite was the wonderful pan-roasted sea bass with a side of wild rocket (topped with parmigiano flakes) and Patate (rosemary roasted new potato). The skin was crisp and well-seasoned, the white shiny flesh could be easily parted with the fork and had the perfect texture. Everyone also enjoyed the Zucchine (courgette string fries with Sicilian lemon salt) and the Broccoletti (roasted tenderstem broccoli with vegan pesto) that complimented our seafood galore, and the pizza Litorale with mozzarella, artichokes, celery and Mediterranean sea urchin was quite a special surprise, too. Last but not least, beside the unspeakable decadence of a lush chocolate birthday cake created by the in-house pâtissier, we also had an Amalfi lemon ricotta with white chocolate dessert that was gorgeous to look at and even better to eat. Our meal was accompanied by champagne and various white...

Don’t believe the hype around this place.

I’d read many reviews about the best places in Chelsea to dine and kept seeing this place all over social media as one of ‘the’ places to go.

I was either very unlucky or people don’t have very good standards at all.

We arrived for our reservation at 7pm. Pretty standard time for us Brits to dine. The venue is BIG. A lot of tables and covers to fill. There was the outdoor street dining option available but we were a little chilly so opted to go inside (not that it was much warmer).

Hostesses were welcoming enough and the restaurant has a nice design.

We sat down and ordered drinks whilst looking at the menu to order food. Everything fine so far.

We decided just to go for mains so we would have space for the tiramisu which we’d seen a lot of hype around.

2 veggies pastas which was nice, a risotto which was fairly average, a steak with sides and then a fish with sides (both were fine). What was strange was that before all the mains were served my side of broccolini was given to me from a waiter / runner. Rather confused I said to him, may it be served with our mains to which he left it on the table in front of me, seemed confused and said let me go away and check. Still with the broccoli on the table 🤨 a good few minutes later our mains came to which the broccoli had gone a bit cold. Couldn’t be bothered to send it back and potentially wait god knows how long so got on with it.

Dessert were ordered. Ice cream - all fine. You can’t really get that wrong. Cheese board which was average. Two pistachio tiramisu’s not worth the hype and were disappointing and a pistachio profiterole which was fine.

Staff throughout our dinner didn’t seem attentive. Waited / somm would come top up one wine glass but not everyone else’s (when they could have done with more wine), no one touched the table or to see how we were getting on. Simple and small things which as a guest make you feel valued.

Asked for the bill, (my fault) auto piloted to pay. Just finished our drinks before leaving and I checked the bill. Extra bottle of water, 3 alcoholic beverages were at the top.. those were not ours. Called over the waitress who once again seemed confused and asked well whose are they, she wasn’t particularly apologetic and said let me sort. We saw her wandering around the restaurant speaking to this one, then the next. Probably a good 15 minutes we were left there. To the point she disappeared and we thought; she’s forgotten about us.

Eventually someone came over to refund those extra items. Not to be one to complain but as a service recovery I would have maybe waived something else off the bill for their error. Does make you question how many other people this has happened too.

Wouldn’t recommend. Wouldn’t return. Don’t be fooled by...

Today is Sunday, so of course, we need to have brunch! My partner and I went to Sloane Street to enjoy brunch at the beautiful Italian seafood restaurant Azzurra. Their cocktails are really amazing!

💁🏻 The lovely waitress Laura explained the brunch menu to us. Their brunch is served from 11 AM to 4 PM on Sundays, so be sure to note the timing if you plan to book.

🇮🇹 Italian Appetisers (all 6 dishes included):

🐟 Sea Bream Tartare with Avocado Sauce - Fresh sea bream sashimi paired with smooth avocado sauce and refreshing lime, with hazelnuts adding texture and aroma.

🍅 Panzanella Salad - A Tuscan bread salad featuring crispy bread, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers, dressed with extra virgin olive oil. It's light and refreshing, perfect for summer.

🍕 Margherita Pizza - A specialty from Naples with a thin crust, stretchy mozzarella cheese, and tangy tomatoes, absolutely delicious.

🦐 Shrimp Maritozzo - Maritozzo is a Roman cream bun. This version uses Thousand Island shrimp instead of cream, with tangy capers added. It's small, cute, and tasty.

🥟 Italian Fried Dumplings (Panzerotti) - Crispy Panzerotti filled with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, originating from central and southern Italy.

🍙 Seafood Arancini - Sicilian fried rice balls filled with squid ink risotto and tuna, coated with crispy breadcrumbs, very tasty.

🍴 Main Course (each person chooses one):

🐚🌱 Clam Pesto Pasta - Packed with clams, the fresh and flavourful basil and pine nut pesto coats the al dente pasta, topped with delicious bottarga, making you feel like you're in Cinque Terre.

🐟🍄 Red Mullet with Wild Mushroom Fregola - Fregola, pearl-shaped pasta from Sardinia, combined with a variety of wild mushrooms and the fresh taste of red mullet, offering a delightful mix of mountain and sea flavours.

🍰 Desserts (all 6 included):

🎾 Desserts change with the seasons. Currently, it's Wimbledon season, so the desserts have a Wimbledon theme, including a tennis ball mousse, which is both beautiful and delicious. There are also classic Italian desserts like tiramisu, lemon sorbet, chocolate-dipped marshmallows, and more.

🍋 Their oysters are also excellent, the Carlingford oysters from ancient Roman times, famed throughout the Mediterranean, paired with lemon granita, giving you a sensation of surfing in a lemon ocean with every bite.

🍹 Brunch must be accompanied by some cocktails. We tried four, and I particularly recommend the SGROPPINO AT THE TABLE. It’s made with lemon sorbet, your choice of base liquor, and Prosecco, prepared right at your table. It’s visually appealing, tastes great, and since you can choose the base liquor, the final product will be to...