Oozing la dolce vita, Sale e Pepe Mare is the latest venture from restauranter Markus Thesleff - owner and founder of Thesleff Group.
Cocooned within The Langham, Sale e Pepe Mare is an expansion of the original Knightsbridge outpost, Sale e Pepe. As the name suggests, this new addition places seafood right at the heart of its menu. From the interiors to the elevated service, discover our take on the restaurant below.
Glamorous Interiors
Designed by Manuela Hamilford, creative director of Hamilford Design, Sale e Pepe Mare’s interiors are breezy and beautiful in equal measure. Apricot tones, parquet flooring and backlit arches add warmth and sensuality, while splashes of marine blue conjure up cloudless skies and rippling seas. Despite boasting several modern touches, there’s a decidedly old school glamour feel that’s hard to ignore. Walls are clad with wooden panelling, retro paintings catch the eye, and opaque lights hang dramatically from the ceiling like orbiting satellites. It’s the sort of space that doubles up as a date night destination and a corporate luncheon hotspot.
Italian Riviera Dining
With seafood as the lynchpin, Sale e Pepe Mare’s menu is very much an ‘ode to the art of coastal Italian living’. From the central seafood display stacked with oysters and langoustines to the ‘Pesce del Giorno’ that’s prepared to your liking: grilled, salt-crust, acqua pazza (poached), or roasted, Mediterranean ingredients and flavours proudly take centre stage.
In true Italian fashion, my guest and I kicked things off with cicchetti - Venice’s answer to tapas. After devouring fluffy slices of focaccia, we opted for the porcini mushroom arancini which arrived topped with truffle mayonnaise. Wonderfully crunchy and earthy in flavour, these moreish morsels felt close to perfection.
Moving from land to sea, we next sampled the grilled prawns and raw seabass, the latter arriving with generous helpings of rainbow trout roe and lashings of chili and citrus dressing - a sauce so good we found ourselves scooping up every last drop. We washed these down with a lively Sicilian white wine before tucking into a classic: spaghetti alla carbonara. Laced with an unctuous white sauce and salty chunks of guanciale, it felt impossibly simplistic and decadent all at once. The Valpolicella, with its bold and vibrant cherry notes, cut through the richness of the sauce beautifully.
Then came the main attraction - the fish of the day. On the menu that evening was turbot which we chose to have grilled alongside steamed spinach and fried courgettes. It arrived in ceremonious fashion on a silver platter, was meticulously divided into two perfect portions, and finally arrived on our plates slicked in juices and flaking apart with a nudge from our forks.
To round off the evening, my guest and I poured over the dessert menu (and trolley!) before settling on another classic: tiramisu. Dusted with cocoa and crammed with thick layers of mascarpone and sponge fingers, it was an indulgent sweet treat that hit the mark. A dash more coffee and Sale e Pepe Mare’s iteration would be sitting firmly at the top of my tiramisu rankings.
Considering a nightcap? The bar houses one of London’s largest collections of Amaro. We sampled a lighter style which was served on the rocks for a quasi palate-cleansing experience. Addictively bittersweet and zesty, it was the ultimate way to conclude an Italian feast.
Food and interiors aside, what sets Sale e Pepe Mare apart is its elevated service and attention to detail. Waiting staff are attentive yet unfussy and there's a quiet sort of buzz to the place that hints at a seamless system behind the scenes.
