restaurant reviews
JACUZZI, KNIGHTSBRIDGE
High glamour meets gutsy gourmet
Big Mamma Group’s latest London offering is opulent without being intimidating, and playful without veering into gaudiness. Jacuzzi, a four-floor palazzo, is a step up from Big Mamma’s more traditional laid-back trattorias scattered around the capital. It’s Miami meets Milano, with unabashed levels of indoor greenery.The British high Street has long had a taste of la dolce vita, with restaurants such as The Ivy becoming accessible to a range of budgets. At Jacuzzi, there is a similarly accessible vibe. You can sip prosecco, take selfies in the hall-of-mirror-style bagni, and eat reasonably priced caviar from the Veneto region all in a short day’s work. Alternatively, you can upgrade your fizz to a glass of slightly drier Franciacorta and make a foray into the world of stuffed feta-stuffed focaccia and showstopping chocolate fondue. In short, you can do you.
Jacuzzi’s menu features contemporary takes on perennial antipasti staples such as kebab-style bresaola and burrata oozing with pistachio pesto. Wine by the bottle here is high end, catering for seasoned gourmands with looser purse strings. A meal at Jacuzzi appeals to our sense of the spectacular, from the dripping chandeliers to the rich red décor. There is a nurturing instinct to the hospitality, in keeping with the Big Mamma brand. To my great relief, our sommelier Giorgio agrees that Pinot Nero will complement the bavette steak just as well as white meats. The meat is tender with an earthy charcoal edge, and the wine lends a morello cherry sweetness to proceedings. My companion, Madame P, selects fried artichoke, and whilst we are expecting a fiddly affair, the carciofo with freshly sliced truffle involves no pruning. We share the steak and artichoke with a side of spinach between us, and still have ample room for dolci.
Here, Giorgio valiantly steps in with the most exquisite Moscato D’Asti, described as ‘Elton John in a bottle’. Perhaps ‘Bowie in a bottle’ would be more accurate: chilled, peachy and full of stardust. But nothing prepares me for the true star of the evening, the breathtaking pistachio profiterole with pistachio ice-cream, hazelnut cream and chocolate sauce, which is truly exceptional.
94 Kensington High St, London W8 4SJ.
