Recently opened on Sloane Street, Azzurra is an homage to the best of British seafood and the simplicity of Italian cuisine from celebrated restaurateur David Yeo.

If you haven’t yet had a chance to sample the menu, here are five reasons to book a table at Azzurra now…

  1. Boat-to-table fresh fish

One of the first sights to greet you when you arrive at Azzurra is a three-level display of the day’s fresh seafood. Underscoring the restaurant’s devotion to serving only the very best and freshest sustainably caught seafood, it puts oysters, clams and fish on an ice-filled pedestal at the start of the 16-metre-long bar.

The fresh-off-the-boat catch of the day is served simply, roasted with salsa verde and Sicilian caponata, while other fish dishes include line-caught seabass, served with scallop mousse, broccoli-like cime di rapa, smoked mussels and shellfish sauce, and halibut fillet with roasted salsify, crispy oyster, oyster mayonnaise and parsley sauce.  

2. Oysters served with a zesty lemon granita

Nestled in ice shavings and elegantly served on a silver octopus stand, with tentacles that curl to support the plate of oysters that surround a little bowl of tart lemon granita, Italy’s answer to sorbet.

A teaspoon of the ice-cold citrus granita makes for a perfectly sweet and sour contrast to the creamy, saltiness of the oysters. Trust us, you may never want to settle for a simple squeeze of lemon juice once you’ve tried them served with granita.

3. It’s not all about fish

If your tastes lean more ‘turf’ than ‘surf’, there are plenty of tempting options on the menu. The smoked beef fillet arrives at your table with a side order of showmanship: shrouded in smoke under a glass cloche that is swirled away to reveal the cooked-to-perfection fillet that is then placed next to a black truffle and potato millefoglie.

Pizza is also a major player on the menu. The restaurant has a wood-fired oven that produces the kind of pizzas with crispy bases and speckled crusts that would be admired by the most adroit pizza chefs of Naples. And it wouldn’t be an Italian menu without pasta options – we loved the spaghetti alla carbonara di gamberi, which was topped with raw Sicilian red prawns and packed a flavour punch with tuna bottarga, egg yolk, lemon and a leaf of mertensia maritima, commonly known as oyster leaf or oyster plant for its uncanny taste of oysters. 

4. Masterful mixology

The cocktail list is made up of 14 signature cocktails (and two mocktails), that call on the flavour and scents of Italy in drinks like the Italicus Sgroppino, a refreshing number made of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, Xīn and Voltaire champagne vodka, elderflower and white peach sorbet, and bubbles, or the Amalfi Fizz, made from Aperol, Malfy Gin Rosa, bayleaf nectar, citrus, egg white (for frothiness) and bubbles.

The glowing bar is a perfect spot to settle in for a pre-dinner drink, and we think the cosy booths that face the bar would make an impressive choice for a date location.

5. Table-side tiramisu

Be sure to leave a little room for pudding – wear an elastic waistband if you must – because you won’t want to miss out on Azzurra’s tiramisu. The dessert is constructed tableside, where your waitperson will soak the Savoiardi biscuits in freshly made coffee, topped with mascarpone cream, made traditionally or flavoured with hazelnut or pistachios grown on the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna volcano, and finished with a final dusting of cocoa.

By the way, the tiramisu alone is worth going for.

Azzurra, 127 – 128 Sloane Street, SW1X 9AS; 020 3953 5838.