Avista Restaurant is a hidden gem in London when it comes to fine dining. It is located in the beautiful and exclusive Mayfair neighborhood which is famous for its high end restaurants. Nestled right in front of the lovely Grosvenor Square, Avista is rapidly becoming one of the best Italian restaurants in London.
At Avista, talented Chef Arturo Granato takes Southern Italian food to another level. Picture an Italian grandmother’s delicious comfort food with a contemporary twist! It’s no surprise that under the direction of Chef Arturo, Avista has been awarded 3 Rosettes by the prestigious AA Food Guide.
From the moment I entered, I was treated like royalty. Everyone was so welcoming, helpful, and excited to share with me their inventive menu which changes seasonally. With the low lights and leather seating, I was incredibly comfortable and ready for some fine dining by candlelight. I quickly noticed an impressive granite-topped preparation area in the middle of the restaurant where diners can observe Chef Arturo and his team putting the finishing touches to their dishes before service. This was definitely a special touch and just one of the reasons why Avista is a unique dining experience.
The wonderful manager Fabio treated us to welcome canapés and an amuse bouche. The canapés were very artistic and consisted of a macaroon of beetroot meringue with duck mousse and hazelnut praline, as well as a crispy tapioca with buffalo mozzarella cream and tomato and oregano powder. Both were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the combination of flavors were unique but worked perfectly together. As for the amuse bouche, we enjoyed peas with apple foam, baby shrimps, mint cress and mint oil! It was so light, tasty, and a great way to start our dinner. Before the starters came out, I enjoyed one of their signature cocktails made with Port, Chambord, and lemon juice.
After reading over the menu thoroughly, I decided to stick with sea food dishes for the night as there were go many amazing options. We also chose to have wine pairings with each dish which was a fabulous decision. Fabio’s wine recommendations were spot on. For my starter, I enjoyed Orkney scallops with black ink squid, fennel, and coral dressing. I can’t forget to mention the amazing bread selection. My favorite was their focaccia bread and bacon butter. Yes, you read that right! Avista is full of surprises.
My friend and I shared their lobster spaghetti which was cooked to perfection. For my main, I chose their delicious Mediterranean sea bass with Pantelleria caper, clams, and Taggiasca olive while my friend enjoyed the herb smoked pigeon, celeriac, plum, and a touch of chocolate. As a side, I was really happy I chose the potato croquettes. They’re nice and crispy on the outside, but the potato inside was perfectly whipped. The portions were absolutely perfect, which thankfully meant we had room for dessert!
Avista serves a very epic tiramisú. The flavors are spot on but the presentation will blow you away. As you can see in the photo below, it’s not your typical tiramisú but you’ll be happy with every bite.
We couldn’t help ourselves and just had to order their Italian cheese board with homemade compote; a perfect way to end the meal. However, Fabio surprised us with delicious bite-sized desserts which included cheesecake (my favorite) so my expectations overall were definitely exceeded.
In the evenings, Avista is perfect for an intimate date or other special occasions. It’s not too far from the West End theaters, so pre or post show drinks would also be a great idea. I noticed they have a great offer for an “express lunch” which starts at £16 for 1 course, £21 for 2 courses, and just £26 for 3 courses.
London locals and tourists alike should absolutely make their way to Avista and treat themselves to a memorable and exquisite Italian meal.
How lovely it all looks! Beautiful photos of FOOD!!!
Thanks! It was such a fabulous meal.
Wow, those foods look like art. I can imagine they must of also been delicious! I am a huge fan of scallops and the dish looks amazing! I will need to remember this place when visiting in London.
Yes, definitely write it down! And they were works of art for sure.
You had me at scallops and bacon butter 🙂 Looks amazing and love the idea of the prep table in the restaurant.
Ha, the bacon butter was very impressive!
First of all, is Chef Arturo old enough to have a job?? LOL he looks so young! Such inventive presentations of the different foods. Looks like an incredible dining experience!
Ha! He is such a young and talented chef. Incredible.
Presentation is everything! What spectacularly designed and presented food!
The quality and deliciousness of the food is first on my list and then the presentation. They knocked both out of the park!
Well now I’m hungry!!! Even though I literally just ate haha this looks absolutely amazing!
Ha, it made me hungry all over again while writing!
It looks and sounds delicious, and I love that you can watch the chef at work, I enjoy that too!
I know, that was such a fun and unique aspect!
Wow all of the food looks amazing and has now made me so hungry! Really love the presentation that goes into every dish too! Also the prices for the express lunch are amazing!
I know, I was really impressed!
This Arturo looks so young! And by your words I guess he has a big career behind already! Italian food is my favorite kind of food so I would not mind trying one of these dishes by myself. Oh, this reminds me I have not been to London since many moons!
Well all of that looks absolutely delicious! I was expecting the prices to be much higher – what a nice surprise. I’ll have to go here when I’m next in the big smoke!
I know, it was definitely a nice surprise!
i love the idea of being able to watch the finishing touches of the meal!! also those prices are amazing! would love to visit here.
I hope you get to, Jade! It’s a great London restaurant.
Oh those dishes look incredible! I love fine dining desserts the best! I would have so done what you did and order the cheese board aswell!
The cheeses were to die for, Kayla!
Avista seems to epitomize the spirit of Italian cuisine. The strong familial culture of Italy is reflected in its cuisine and I can see that this comes to the fore in the food served up by Avista. The presentation is spectacular too. The place definitely makes for a great dining experience.
I’m visiting London soon so will probably give this place a try! The food look totally amazing!
That’s great to hear! I hope you have a lovely time in London.
You’re welcome! Every bite was just delicious.