One of London’s hottest new openings happens to be open on Christmas Day. Probably because it’s housed in the Corinthia, a five-star hotel by the Thames that always seems busy. Mezzagiorno is the work of Francesco Mazzei, one of the city’s foremost Italian chefs who, after a hiatus, has returned with a restaurant of multitudes. The food spans Italy but is most heavily concentrated on the south, regional and traditional, with some dishes denoting specific villages in Calabria where Mazzei was raised. The restaurant is almost antithetical to what the chef was doing before: formerly of D&D London, now refreshed as Evolv, the group had become too boardroom. Nobody was surprised when Mazzei left. His latest project sees him flex his culinary muscles with superb, free, ingredient-adoring cooking. On Christmas Day comes a menu of Italian classics, some with a London twist: begin with crab panzanella before duck tortellini, ‘nduja stuffed roast chicken, zabaglioni and more.
