Francesco Mazzei is actually no stranger to the capital. Hailing from Calabria in Italy, Mazzei opened his first London restaurant, L’Anima, in 2008 and also leads the kitchen of Sartoria on Savile Row. But his new move into the Corinthia is heralding a new chapter for the lauded chef. “Mezzogiorno is more emotional,” says Mazzei. “It celebrates the south – Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, Basilicata – regions full of fire and sunshine. The food is generous, lively, and full of heart.”
Taking over the former site of the Northall Restaurant, Mazzei believes Mezzogiorno – translating to ‘noon’, ‘half-day’ and also ‘lunchtime’ in Italian – is the perfect fit for the five-star hotel on Whitehall Place. “The Corinthia is a family-owned brand, built on hospitality, generosity, and care – it all started with one restaurant in Malta, in fact,” he says. “When the opportunity came to open Mezzogiorno in such a historic and beautiful setting, I couldn’t resist. It’s the perfect place to bring the warmth and spirit of southern Italy to the heart of London.”
Having opened today (20 November 2025), Mezzogiorno offers Londoners a sought-after taste of sun-drenched southern Italy. Calabria is a land of rugged mountains and dramatic coastline while also being known for bold flavours, from fiery chillies and soppressata to rich ‘nduja and fragrant bergamot. “Opening Mezzogiorno is about sharing the way we eat in Italy,” says Mazzei. “I want people to sit down, eat, drink, laugh, and feel like they’re part of my family.”
Inside, the restaurant has been dramatically reimagined by award-winning design studio Afroditi to create a space inspired by the stonewashed glamour of Calabria and Puglia’s Baroque palazzos. The soaring eight metre-high dining room adorns a warm palette of terracotta, pinks, and stone, layered with rich greenery and hand-painted stucco on the walls to soften the architecture. By day, sunlight bathes the silky fabrics and green-veined Italian marble; by night, the atmosphere transforms under flickering candlelight and Murano chandeliers, creating one of London’s most intimate and romantic settings.
While Italian flavours are taken seriously, so is British provenance, with 70 per cent of the menu using seasonal homegrown ingredients – think seafood from Scotland, Westcombe ricotta, and Welsh lamb – to form plates of Scottish crab with Tuscan panzanella, British T-bone steak with Sardinian blue sheep’s cheese and homemade fettuccine with Scottish wild mushrooms.
Other indulgent highlights include the Four Pastas of Rome (cacio e pepe, gricia, carbonara, and amatriciana), Mazzei’s mother’s aubergine parmigiana and his signature massive marsala tiramisu. Guests can also expect a dedicated white truffle menu, an Italian-led wine list, and a lively bar of aperitivi and cocktails, such as negronis and garibaldis, created tableside.
Ready to discover the soul of Italy’s south without leaving London? Step right this way. We sit down with Mazzei to discuss why Mezzogiorno brings something different to the city’s food scene, his passion for British produce and where he eats in the capital.
Tell me about your childhood. Did you always want to be a chef?
I grew up in Calabria, in the deep south of Italy, a place of sunshine, sea, and mountains, where food is the heart of everything. My earliest memories are of helping my nonna in the kitchen and watching my parents turn simple ingredients into beautiful meals. I didn’t really decide to become a chef – it was something that came naturally, almost instinctively. Food has always been part of who I am.
What’s your earliest food memory?
As far back as I can remember, it’s the smell of my nonna’s tomato sauce. She’d spread it over fresh bread, drizzle it with olive oil, and somehow it was the best thing in the world. That simplicity – good ingredients, treated with respect, is what Italian cooking is all about.
When did you start your career as a chef?
I started young, working in my uncle’s gelateria aged 11, and then a pastry shop in Calabria when I was 14. Then I moved to Rome, where I trained in classical Italian cooking before working in top restaurants across Italy and later abroad. I wanted to see the world through food, and that curiosity has shaped everything I’ve done since.
What restaurants did you work in during the early years of your career?
In Italy, I worked in Rome and Milan, and then moved to London in the 1990s to join The Dorchester. I also spent time in Thailand and New York, which opened my eyes to new flavours and ways of thinking about hospitality. Each experience taught me something about discipline, creativity, and the joy of bringing people together around a table.
Your career has taken you across the globe. Which country’s cuisine did you like most and why?
Italy will always be my foundation, it’s in my DNA. But I’ve fallen in love with British produce. The quality here is incredible: seafood from Cornwall, lamb from Wales, beautiful cheeses from Somerset and Yorkshire. And I have huge respect for Japanese and Thai cuisine – their discipline and reverence for ingredients is something I deeply admire.
What influences your menus at Mezzogiorno?
Everything starts with the flavours of southern Italy – chillies, ’nduja, aubergine, citrus, bergamot, seafood – but interpreted with a modern London sensibility. I’ve always cooked from memory, from my roots, but I also draw inspiration from the people and places around me. The menu at Mezzogiorno is a celebration of Italy’s many regions, seen through the lens of my life in London.
I read 70 per cent of the menu will be using British produce. Why was this important to you?
Because I’ve made Britain my home. I’ve lived here for 30 years, and I know how exceptional the ingredients are. Using local produce is about sustainability, yes, but also about respect. I want to celebrate what’s grown and made here, and to create Italian dishes that reflect both my heritage and my adopted home.
What is your one other favourite London restaurant?
Quality Chophouse. I’ve been going for lunch there for years, and it’s super consistent. Quintessentially British food and service.
Are there any other London chefs you’re impressed with at the moment?
Nieves Barragán [at Sabor and Legado]. She is just such a lovely lady, hardworking, and makes the most amazing food in London at the moment.
How do you spend your free time away from the restaurant?
I cook for my family, it’s where I’m happiest. Often though, it’s not Italian food – my wife and I actually love cooking Thai food together. When I can, I watch my favourite team, Juventus, play, or spend time back home in the mountains of Calabria. That’s where I truly recharge, surrounded by family, friends, and good wine.
What’s your favourite dish on the Mezzogiorno menu?
That’s like asking me to choose a favourite child! But if I had to pick, maybe the fileja pasta with slow-cooked spareribs sauce – homemade, hand-rolled pasta that we make fresh daily, in-house. It’s full of personality and reminds me of home. Or the massive marsala tiramisu: it’s fun, indulgent, and made for sharing, which sums up the whole spirit of Mezzogiorno.
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Dining and Cooking