The David Collins-designed Locanda Locatelli was one of those rare London restaurants that combined critical acclaim with A-list celebrity-spotting. Having closed the restaurant in January 2025, Giorgio Locatelli and his wife Plaxy are bringing the chef’s classic Italian cooking to the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, re-opened after a two-and-a-half-year spruce-up in time for the institution’s 200th anniversary.
Wallpaper* dines at Locatelli at the National Gallery, London
The mood: a blank canvas for art appreciation
(Image credit: Courtesy of Locatelli)
While the transformation of the Sainsbury Wing has been overseen by Selldorf Architects, the restaurant has been designed by LXA Projects. Neutral interiors and natural materials – timber flooring, moleskin upholstery, marble detailing – let the art do the talking in the light-filled dining room, not least Paula Rego’s 10m painting Crivelli’s Garden can be appreciated at leisure from a curved banquette in one of the booths. In a hurry? Pop into the ground-floor Bar Giorgio for Italian coffee and a menu of sweet and savoury maritozzi, the fluffy brioche buns from Rome.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Locatelli)
The food: classic Italian comfort
(Image credit: Courtesy of Locatelli)
Locatelli is a huge admirer of the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and, while the chef’s cooking is just as expertly nuanced, it definitely exhibits more light than shadow. Crowd-pleasing Italian classics include braised veal ravioli with parsley gremolata and Parmigiano Reggiano sauce, roast rib-eye steak with aubergine, red onion and cherry tomatoes, and lemon and mascarpone cake. The all-Italian wine list is just as appealing and includes vintages from Broglia, the oldest vineyard in Gavi, and fizz from Franciacorta, Italy’s classiest sparkling wine.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Locatelli)
Locatelli is located at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK; locatelliatnationalgallery.co.uk