Al Mare inside The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
Tucked away in the heart of London's Belgravia, you'll find restaurant Al Mare — the perfect spot for an evening of fine Italian cuisine.
Al Mare is located in The Carlton Tower Jumeirah hotel. The hotel has undergone a massive, two-year renovation recently (read all about our stay at the hotel here).
In charge of the redesign of the hotel was internationally renowned design studio 1508 London, who also oversaw the interior design at Al Mare.
The interior design
Warm hues of amber and teal add a Mediterranean vibe to the place while the marble accents and velvet chairs give Al Mare a modern touch.
From the moment you walk in, you feel the warm hospitality and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant.
We are seated in a booth by the window — the perfect sets for a cosy dinner for two or a lovely night with friends.
The kitchen
The restaurant has a theatre kitchen design, with the kitchen overlooking the rest of the restaurant, giving an open and inviting ambiance.
Al Mare is run by Executive Chef Marco Calenzo.
As an Italian native, his culinary journey has taken him to the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Beijing and Hawaii, Les Creations de Narisawa in Tokyo and most recently, Zuma in London, where he was Executive Chef.
The menu
The menu offers light and modern Italian cuisine.
Al Mare translates to 'by the sea', so we select dishes that take us back to a summer night in Italy by the warm coastline, with a mild summer breeze and the faint sound of cicadas in the air.
For starters we order the arancini di tonno, a delightfully light arancini with a spicy bluefin tuna tartare, and the tartare di tonno, a fresh Mediterranean bluefin tuna with oscietra caviar and orange ponzu.
For our antipasti, we order the burrata di Andria, a refreshing burrata salad with datterino tomato and basil pesto drizzled on top — the perfect way to start any meal.
Then came the highlights of the evening — our pastas.
For our mains, we order the rigatoni al tartufo, a rich and absolutely delightful black truffle pasta, and the linguine all’Astice, a blue lobster linguine with a smooth lobster bisque. Two dishes that are absolutely worth a second trip back to the restaurant!
Don't forget this side
As a side, we order the patata — a velvety rich potato mousseline with black truffle.
Mashed potatoes are the perfect comfort food. The creaminess of the potatoes and the starchy texture are satisfying and filling and the shaved black truffle on top make it a perfect fall or winter dish!
And also...
To cut through the rich flavours of the night, we also order the barbabietole, a pickled rainbow beetroot salad with piedmont hazelnut.
Italian cuisine is often all about highlighting seasonal and fresh produce and its delicate flavours. And this dish was a beautiful example of that.
The vibrant colours of the beetroots, the pickled flavour and texture.
We recommend ordering this dish whether you're going for a full meal or just a small bite — it's such a refreshing way to end the night.
