London – At Corinthia London, the newly opened Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei offers a quietly transportive escape into the flavours and atmosphere of southern Italy. Inspired by the regions of Calabria, Puglia and Sicily, the restaurant is as much about mood and memory as it is about cooking — a philosophy reflected both in the menu and in the immersive interiors created by Studio Afroditi.
Studio Afroditi has transformed the former Northall dining room, turning the eight-metre-high space into something that feels distinctly Mediterranean. Terracotta tones, chalky pinks and textured stone soften the architecture, while hand-painted stucco panels and creeping greenery lend the room a lived-in warmth. Italian marble tables sit atop oak parquet floors deliberately designed to feel gently worn — an echo of southern villas where light, heat and time shape the surfaces of daily life.
By day, the dining room is flooded with natural light; by night, Murano chandeliers and candlelight shift the atmosphere towards something more theatrical. The space seems to follow the rhythm of the Mediterranean day — languid afternoons giving way to lively evenings.
Mazzei’s menu mirrors this same sense of place. The cooking draws on the chef’s southern Italian heritage, celebrating seasonal ingredients and traditional techniques. Among the antipasti, the Antipasto di Mare offers a coastal introduction with dishes such as tuna crudo with bottarga, red shrimp, grilled Scottish langoustine, octopus ragù and Orkney scallops with ’nduja, honey and limone di rocca. Nearby, the Panzanella di granchio scozzese pairs Scottish crab with tomato, cucumber and watercress — a bright, refreshing nod to Mediterranean seaside cooking.
Pasta plays a central role in the menu’s narrative. The Tagliolini all’astice blu, hand-made egg pasta served with native blue lobster sauce, captures the kitchen’s balance between indulgence and precision, while the Lasagna pastachjna, a Calabrian interpretation layered with meatballs, eggs, fried aubergines, spinach and pork ragù, speaks more directly of southern Italian home cooking.
Elsewhere, Mazzei’s respect for tradition appears in dishes such as Fileja e spuntature, a fusilli-like pasta served with spare ribs ragout and smoked ricotta, as well as classics like Cacio e pepe and Carbonara.
The secondi continue the southern Italian theme. Dentice all’agghiotta, Guernsey pink bream served with capers, datterino tomatoes and green olives, offers a vibrant seafood option, while Agnello gallese “Fornarina” pairs Welsh lamb rump with poverello beans and cavolo nero. Comfort arrives in the form of Zia Maria’s polpetta, a three-meat meatball with scamorza cheese, or the King’s porchetta with pumpkin mash and red pepper sauce. A deeply personal touch comes with La parmigiana di melanzane “Rosetta”, described simply as “Francesco’s mum’s aubergine parmigiana”.
Side dishes — from caponata siciliana to charred purple broccoli with garlic, chilli and ginger — reinforce the southern Italian spirit, while fried zucchini sticks and winter salads provide lighter accompaniments.
Before entering the dining room, guests pass the restaurant’s Chef’s Kitchen, where flames leap and citrus perfumes the air — a small piece of theatre that sets the stage for what follows.
Afroditi Krassa’s interiors frame this culinary narrative with careful restraint. Known for shaping some of London’s most recognisable hospitality environments through her studio Afroditi, the designer approaches restaurants as immersive stories rather than mere dining spaces. At Mezzogiorno, her design feels like an architectural memory of the Mediterranean — sun-washed, nostalgic and quietly romantic.
In a city where restaurant openings often chase spectacle, Mezzogiorno takes a gentler route. Just a few steps from the Thames, it offers something rarer: a momentary shift in atmosphere, where London briefly feels closer to the Italian south. To book visit: Mezzogiorno at Corinthia London.