Massimo restaurant and oyster bar opens today at the Corinthia hotel
The five-star Corinthia Hotel London welcomes its first guests today with the opening of 251 out of 294 of its bedrooms, two restaurants and bar.
Developed within the Victorian building which formerly housed the Metropole hotel, and more recently partially used by the Ministry of Defence, the £270m hotel has positioned itself to rival the capital's leading five-star properties including the Savoy, the Dorchester and the Ritz.
The hotel's two restaurants include Massimo restaurant and Oyster Bar headed by Italian chef Massimo Riccioli and the Northall, which celebrates the best of British artisanal produce with chef Garry Hollihead at its helm.
The lavishly designed 100-seat Massimo restaurant and 50-seat oyster bar offer a Mediterranean menu specialising in seafood. The restaurant and oyster bar also features a private dining room - The Chef's Table - for up to 18 diners that includes a dedicated kitchen at which chef-patron Roccioli will cook directly alongside his guests.
The Á la carte menu has strong focus on daily catches, but will incorporate some seasonal meat and vegetarian dishes. Antipasti, oysters and crudo, a specialty of the chef, are served from the bar throughout the day.
Starters include mixed seafood crudo; grilled octopus and avocado with a spicy Amalfi lemon oil; and spaghetti with red prawns, lemon and capers; while mains feature sea bass in lemon sauce, crispy red prawns and green beans; red mullet with fennel, sage and herb salad; and beef fillet with bone marrow, potato tart and spinach.
Front of house is overseen by general manager Guillaume Gilpa and restaurant manager Ben Hesketh, both of whom joined from acclaimed Japanese restaurant Zuma.
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By James Stagg
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