All for Amore

Take a champ at the revamped menu at Sale e Pepe, Knightsbridge

Amongst Sale e Pepe’s many celebrated patrons, Sir Rod Stewart is perhaps the most iconic. Along with Bryan Adams and Sting, he gave us All For Love, as part of The Three Musketeers soundtrack, for which we must be forever grateful. And in SW1X, a lot is happening for love - specifically, the love of authentic Italian food. Sale e Pepe: salt and pepper. Here we have old school glamour paired with hip waiting staff; marble-topped counters and neon signage; modernist art and continental jazz.

In the 1970s, this super chic ristorante was the place to be invisible, and its low-key intimacy is still palpable today. That said, you’ll come for the food, not just the vibe. On arrival, a glass of Rotari Brut is not to be missed. I wouldn’t usually make tasting notes against bar snacks, but as I waited for my (very, very late) guest to arrive, I couldn’t help noticing this fizz’s apple-fresh acidity pair beautifully with the sweetness of unpitted olives.

Italian food can be trying for the carb-avoidant, but there’s not a pizza in sight at Sale e Pepe, and no shortage of protein-based options either. We were tempted to skip antipasti and go straight to silky tuna carpaccio crudo, but couldn’t resist the offer of grilled Galician octopus, given my companion’s predilection for these slippery customers. Served as a whole tentacle, with puréed borlotti beans and sweet paprika, we had few regrets. Umbrian chardonnay in hand, we moved swiftly on to royal caviar scallops. Spicy with a citrus kick, these opal gems were doused in a fennel dressing, making them a hard act to follow.

The generous portion of Dover Sole would have been plenty to share by this point, and yet we filled our boots with wild king prawns, rosemary-roasted potatoes and new season asparagus, which was an event in itself. Chunky, short and tender, these sautéed stems were full of intensity.

For dolci, the cheesecake alla ricotta was everything I’d hoped for, offering depth and moreishness in abundance, and at the end of the meal, it was a relief not to be presented with a shot of limoncello, which can feel similar to the obligation of accepting a lollipop for your child, only to slip it in your pocket, or the nearest pot plant, for “safekeeping”.

Needless to say, the pot plants (and pepper mills) are thriving at Sale e Pepe.

Sale e Pepe, 9-15 Pavilion Rd, London SW1X 0HD

Business lunches from £30pp

www.saleepepe.co.uk