Restaurants

Sartoria has taken a leaf out of Savile Row tailoring to inspire its understated elegant decor with just a slight nod to modernity. The kitchen, meanwhile, has looked to Milan to borrow the comforting classical fare favoured by the city’s business people. Northern Italian stalwarts such as beef carpaccio, risotto with mushroom and veal milanese appear on the menu along with southern specialties like burrata, a fresh mozzarella-like cheese, and gutsier meat dishes with an Anglo-Saxon bent. The safe selection seems to appeal to the mainly corporate clientele, but never manages to reach the wow factor you would expect from a sophisticated establishment charging steep prices. The dessert list spans interesting concoctions like poached pear in red wine with cinnamon ice-cream, to Italian cheeses or traditional tiramisu. Japanese-style screens separate two private dining rooms from the main area, presumably to enable privacy-seeking power-brokers to ink that elusive deal away from prying eyes.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009