Zafferano
 | This article needs to be updated. (July 2023) |
| Zafferano | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | February 1995 |
| Owner(s) | John Francis De Stefano |
| Head chef | Frederico Del Busso (2023– Current) |
| Food type | Italian cuisine |
| Street address | 15 17 Lowndes Street |
| City | London, SW1X 9EY |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Reservations | Yes |
| Other information | General Manager: Giuseppe Bellino Nearest station:  Knightsbridge |
| Website | www |
Zafferano is a restaurant in London, originally run by Giorgio Locatelli on behalf of A–Z Restaurants until 2005. The restaurant was awarded one Michelin star in 1999, which it held until 2012.
History[edit]
Zafferano was opened by Locatelli in February 1995 in Knightsbridge, London.[1] Its name comes from the Italian for saffron.[2] The location had previously been a fish restaurant, but under Locatelli the new restaurant served Italian food.[1] The major investor in the restaurant was Claudio Pulze, who owned the restaurant through his company A–Z Restaurants.[3] Locatelli's pay was based on a percentage of the overall performance of the restaurant.[2]
The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in the list published in 1999. Locatelli was named the Outstanding London Chef of 2001 at the London Restaurant Awards,[4] but shortly afterwards left the restaurant following disagreements with new head of A–Z Restaurants, Giuliano Lotto.[5] Andrew Needham took over as head chef, having previously been Locatelli's sous chef.[6]
After A–Z Restaurants went into administration in November 2004, Locatelli said that he was interested in purchasing Zafferano.[7] The group, including Zafferano, was sold back to Claudio Pulze with a new partner, John De Stefano. In 2007, Pulze sold his share of the company to De Stefano.[8] The restaurant expanded during the same year and opened a delicatessen.[9]
Menu[edit]
The restaurant's menu is influenced by the previous restaurants at which Locatelli worked, including The Savoy Hotel and at Olivo, where the menu was centred on Italian peasant foods.[1] It was initially launched with a series of set price menus, with the idea that the menus would be changed on a monthly basis, and the dishes avoid using butter as an ingredient. Only one dish in the original 1995 menu was served with butter — a dish of pappardelle pasta with chicken livers and sage.[2]
Desserts have included strawberries drizzled with 60-year-old balsamic vinegar.[10] The signature dessert is a tiramisu served inside a tuile. Although saffron fibres are woven into the covers of the bill cover, the process was too expensive to repeat for the covers of the menus.[2] Between 1997 and 2005, the average cost of a meal at the restaurant increased by 65%, from £34 to £56.[11]
Reception[edit]
Matthew Norman, writing for The Daily Telegraph in 2003, described it as "one of the best restaurants around", although he did criticise the attitude of its staff.[12] In 2013, Time Out wrote that Zafferano "has some way to go to rediscover its glory days".[13] It was awarded three AA Rosettes in 2009.[14] In 2011, the restaurant was named 55th in the list of the top restaurants in the UK by The Good Food Guide.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "A passion for pasta". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 28 May 1998. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Fast mover". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 16 February 1995. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Pulze's prize". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 18 March 1999. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "London Restaurant Awards". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 12 April 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Mayfair memories". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 24 May 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ Gunn, Jessica (8 March 2004). "Operators fight back against Italian ambassador's comments on cuisine". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Receivers are called in at A to Z Restaurants". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Claudio Pulze to sell shares in A–Z group". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Zafferano Delicatessen, London". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "The ice age". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 8 August 1996. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Cost of eating out in London soaring". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 15 September 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ Norman, Matthew (22 January 2003). "Sublime dining". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ "Zafferano". Time Out. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
- ^ Frewin, Angela (15 January 2009). "AA 3-rosette restaurants in London". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ Kühn, Kerstin (11 August 2010). "Celebrity chefs top the Good Food Guide list". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
External links[edit]