Breaking Travel News explores: Tortello, London | Focus
Bayswater is one of London’s stranger districts.
Wealthy, centrally located and internationally desirable, it lacks the cache of nearby Kensington, with its embassies, museums and old aristocratic wealth, or even the village atmosphere and high-end shopping of Marylebone.
The magnificent stucco terraces and some extremely expensive addresses around Kensington Gardens have not given it the reputation of the prestigious residential district it has become.
Could Tortello, one of the more exciting new Italian restaurant openings in London over the past couple of years, begin to change that?
The scale of the new location is certainly sufficient, with the glass façade standing tall on Bayswater Road, opposite Hyde Park, proudly displaying the lemon-themed branding.
Conceptualised as a fresh, contemporary interpretation of the traditional Italian trattoria, Tortello blends time-honoured techniques with a refined modern touch, bringing heritage dishes into the present with clarity and style.
The interiors mirror this ethos of thoughtful design, featuring a hand-painted vineyard mural created by a London artist, a walkway lined with olive trees and aromatic herbs, and a pistachio-green 1960s Fiat 500 offering a playful Italian welcome.
The 80-cover dining room and park-facing terrace provide a warm, elegant setting for diners.
When we visited in late spring, the property was filled with well-groomed ladies taking an early evening snack – many of whom seemed to be discussing pressing local issues, a world away from the throngs of tourists just along the road at Oxford Street.
Although located within the same building as the Royal Lancaster London, Tortello operates independently and is clearly aimed at discerning local residents rather than passing visitors.
A technique-led kitchen lies at the heart of the experience, centred on regional Italian dishes, hand-rolled pasta and an ingredient-driven approach that champions simplicity, seasonality and skill.
Tortello celebrates the art of pasta made by hand, using silky flours from specialist Italian mills, rich golden-yolk eggs produced exclusively for the restaurant, and produce sourced from artisan farmers who share the same devotion to quality and tradition.
We enjoyed bruschetta and translucent beef carpaccio with rocket, anchovies, salsa verde and Parmigiano Reggiano shavings to start, both of which were executed with a level of precision that reflected the confidence of the kitchen.
For mains, we chose fillet tagliata of British beef with sautéed spinach, fries and salsa verde, alongside pea and shallot tortelli with mint butter emulsion, guanciale and pecorino.
Both dishes reflected modern Italian cooking at its best, combining high-quality seasonal ingredients with classic flavours and contemporary presentation.
Tortello is not reinventing the wheel, but it delivers familiar dishes with considerable skill and assurance.
Feeling like a post-dinner perambulation?
Across the road, the Italian theme continues with the Italian Gardens, an elaborate collection of ornate sculpture and fountains.
Basins feature central rosettes carved in Carrara marble, alongside the Portland stone and white marble Tazza Fountain, as well as a collection of stone statues and urns.
Traditionally said to have been a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria, the gardens are now recognised as a site of particular importance and are Grade II listed by Historic England.
Indeed, this semi-hidden gem is typical of Bayswater as a whole, offering many of the benefits of prime central London with less of the bustle.
Tortello may well prove to be the restaurant that finally puts the area on the map.
More Information
The name Tortello, a single tortelloni, reflects everything the restaurant stands for – care in the smallest details, respect for tradition and the belief that real flavour comes from real craft.
Find out more on the official website here.
