Sale e Pepe Mare Restaurant London Review: Italian Riviera Dining Arrives at The Langham

June 1, 2026

Sale e Pepe Mare restaurant in London feels like a clever move. Not just because London is in another one of its Italian restaurant moods, but because this one arrives with actual history behind it. Sale e Pepe has been part of the capital’s dining scene for more than 50 years, and its new seafood-led sibling at The Langham gives the brand a bigger, glossier stage. The Langham, opened in 1865, is one of London’s great hotel dining addresses, and Sale e Pepe Mare leans into that sense of occasion.

The room has Riviera ambition. It is polished, yes, but not cold. Wallpaper describes the design as a mix of southern Italian warmth and Milanese elegance, with wood paneling, marble, deep blue tones, custom lighting, and live music shifting the mood from day to night. That sounds about right for the concept. It is not a rustic trattoria. It is more dressed-up than that. This is the kind of Italian restaurant where the Champagne and Negroni trolley makes sense, where tableside service is part of the fun, and where lunch can easily become a long afternoon.

There is also a pleasing old-school confidence here. The menu is large and classic in spirit, with dishes from the original Sale e Pepe marked clearly alongside the newer seafood direction. That is important. Sale e Pepe Mare is not trying to erase the Knightsbridge institution. It is extending it, giving it sea air, hotel glamour and a little more theatre.

Sale e Pepe Mare Restaurant London Menu

The menu moves from the Amalfi Coast to Puglia, with seafood doing most of the talking. Start with Capesante al Forno, baked scallop with chilli, lemon and parsley, or Granchio e Avocado, a crab, avocado and Datterino tomato salad. These are the sort of dishes that suit the room: fresh, pretty, not too complicated. There are also crudo-style plates and seafood towers for those who want the full Riviera effect. The menu is a balance between ultra-fresh seafood and comforting Italian classics, with more luxurious touches such as scallop mousse tart with oscietra caviar and Champagne velouté.

For primi, the Risotto alla Pescatora sounds like the dish to order first: baked rice with squid, clams, prawns, and sea bass. It has that generous, coastal quality that makes sense in a restaurant like this. Luxuriate also praised the Tagliarini al Granchio, made with sweet Dorset crab, Calabrian anchovies and parsley, which feels like a sharper, more contemporary counterpoint to the richer classics.

The Josper Grill adds weight to the menu beyond seafood. There are Carre di Agnello, charred lamb chops, and Wagyu Bistecca del Macellaio for anyone who wants something more substantial. The original Sale e Pepe spirit still appears through dishes like the signature Milanese, cacio e pepe and tableside tiramisu. The dessert trolley is a smart touch. Slightly nostalgic. Very Italian. Very hotel.

What makes Sale e Pepe Mare work is that it understands glamour as hospitality, not just decoration. It is made for family lunches, date nights, client dinners, and anyone who misses restaurants that know how to perform without becoming exhausting. Come hungry. Order seafood first. Save room for tiramisu.