August 22, 2026
Mezzogiorno restaurant in London is the sort of hotel restaurant that wants to make you forget you are in a hotel. Not entirely, of course. The Corinthia is too polished, too grand, too certain of itself for that. But Francesco Mazzei’s cooking brings enough southern Italian warmth to soften the marble.
The restaurant is inspired by Calabria, Puglia and Sicily, which means handmade pasta, citrus, seafood, chilli, aubergine, slow-cooked sauces and desserts designed to be shared rather than admired. It is elegant, expensive and deeply comforting. Come for pasta, stay for tiramisu, and let lunch become the kind of three-hour event London rarely permits.
At a Glance
Best for: Long lunches, hotel dining, Italian comfort food and polished dinners
Cuisine: Southern Italian, with Calabrian, Puglian and Sicilian influences
Location: Corinthia London, Westminster
Price: Around £80–£140 per person with drinks
Signature dishes: Aubergine parmigiana, pici ragù, carbonara, seafood antipasti and giant tiramisu
Atmosphere: Grand, warm and more relaxed than the setting suggests
Nearest station: Embankment or Charing Cross
Booking tip: Lunch is the cleverer booking if you want to linger properly
What Is Mezzogiorno Restaurant in London?
Mezzogiorno is Francesco Mazzei’s return to central London, set inside Corinthia London near the Thames. The name means both “midday” and the Italian south, which neatly explains the mood: sun, appetite and a certain refusal to rush.
Mazzei is one of London’s great ambassadors for southern Italian cooking. At Mezzogiorno, he gives Calabrian family recipes the hotel treatment without sanding off all their character. This is not minimalist Italian. It is not about three basil leaves and a philosophical tomato. It is generous, rooted and proud of its own richness.
The Atmosphere and Design
The room has scale, but not the chill that often comes with hotel grandeur. Afroditi’s interiors use terracotta, brown tones, bespoke wood panelling and warm lighting to bring a little southern Italian heat into the Corinthia’s Victorian bones.
There are two main moods. The larger dining room is elegant and high-ceilinged, suited to leisurely lunches and dressed-up dinners. The chef’s kitchen offers more movement, with flames, pasta-making and the useful sense that something is actually happening beyond the table.
It is plush, but not stiff. The best version of Mezzogiorno is a table that orders too much and stops pretending it came for a quick meal.
The Menu
The menu celebrates the south without turning into a postcard. Seafood appears with citrus and spice. Handmade pasta is treated as the main event, not a supporting act. Vegetables are allowed to be rich, especially when aubergine is involved.
Mazzei’s mother’s aubergine parmigiana is the dish that best explains the restaurant: familiar, deeply seasoned and more serious than its comfort-food reputation suggests. Pici with ragù is another essential order, all depth and slow-cooked patience. The carbonara has also become a talking point, silky and properly seasoned rather than merely creamy.
There are lighter moments too, particularly around seafood, but this is not a restaurant built for restraint. It wants you to move from antipasti to pasta, then towards meat, fish or parmigiana, and eventually to dessert.
The giant tiramisu, served tableside, is the correct ending. It is theatrical, yes, but in the family-lunch sense rather than the Mayfair-spectacle sense.
Drinks & Wine
The wine list leans Italian, as it should, with enough southern bottles to support the food properly. Start with an aperitivo, move into something white and mineral for seafood, then choose a red with enough structure for ragù or parmigiana. Grappa and sweet wine make sense if dessert has become non-negotiable.
Who Is Mezzogiorno Best For?
Mezzogiorno is best for diners who want Italian food with warmth, generosity and proper hotel polish. It works for long lunches, client dinners, family meals, pre-theatre indulgence and anyone who believes pasta deserves ceremony.
It is less suited to people looking for a cheap trattoria or a quick bowl of spaghetti. The cooking is soulful, but the setting is still the Corinthia.
Is Mezzogiorno Worth Booking?
Yes, especially if you like southern Italian cooking with real depth. Mezzogiorno avoids the trap of becoming another glossy hotel restaurant with a famous name attached. The best dishes feel personal rather than corporate. The room is handsome, the service is polished, and the food has enough Calabrian bite to stop everything becoming too smooth.
It is not inexpensive, but it delivers the pleasure it promises. Book for lunch, order pasta, and do not leave without tiramisu.
Practical Information
Address: Corinthia London, 10a Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5AE
Area: Westminster
Nearest stations: Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster
Cuisine: Southern Italian
Lunch: Tuesday to Friday, 12pm–3pm; Saturday and Sunday, 12.30pm–3.30pm
Dinner: Monday to Sunday, from 5pm, last seating at 10pm
Dress code: Business casual
Private dining: Available
Best for: Long lunches, Italian dinners, hotel dining and special occasions
FAQs
What type of food does Mezzogiorno serve?
Mezzogiorno serves Southern Italian food inspired by Calabria, Puglia and Sicily. The menu focuses on handmade pasta, seafood, seasonal vegetables, citrus, spice, slow-cooked sauces and classic Italian desserts.
Who is Francesco Mazzei?
Francesco Mazzei is an Italian chef from Calabria with more than four decades of experience. He is known in London for championing southern Italian cooking and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2019.
Where is Mezzogiorno by Francesco Mazzei?
Mezzogiorno is inside Corinthia London at 10a Northumberland Avenue, close to the Thames, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross and Embankment.
What should I order at Mezzogiorno?
Order the aubergine parmigiana, pici with ragù, carbonara and the giant tiramisu. If you want a fuller meal, start with seafood and choose an Italian wine that can carry the richness of the pasta.
Is Mezzogiorno expensive?
Yes. Mezzogiorno sits in luxury hotel restaurant territory, with OpenTable listing it as £41 and over. A full meal with wine can easily move towards £100 or more per person.
Is Mezzogiorno good for a date?
Yes, particularly for a grown-up lunch or dinner where comfort matters as much as glamour. The room is elegant without feeling cold, and the food is generous enough to make the evening feel relaxed.
Does Mezzogiorno have private dining?
Yes. Mezzogiorno offers private dining at Corinthia London, with a refined setting for celebrations, business meals and larger gatherings.
Mezzogiorno Restaurant London Bookings
Capital A List members can make bookings for Mezzogiorno below.
