Set at the other end of Anfu Lu opposite The Center, this new Italian restaurant offers a lively atmosphere, a quirky menu and reasonable food that won’t break the bank.
We got together with the Englishman in the M1NT kitchen to ask a few questions about his menu. Grant Brunsden started in London’s Tsunami and with a resume that’s seen him work in Nobu, St John and Ai New Delhi, he has a globe-spanning if not diverse repertoire. When posed with “How do you keep it together, current and crowd pleasing all at the same time?” Grant gave us his pointers:
Oozing luxury, this recently renovated spot has the five-star ambiance and high-end service of a seriously swanky Italian restaurant. Issimo is still working on one thing: phenomenal food. Perched over Nanjing Dong Lu, with more designer furniture than Design Republic and recently helmed by Michelin-star chef Stefano Pace, our expectations were perhaps too high.
Russian gastronomic progression can be marked by the fanciness of the token salad arranged on each plate. It’s a traditional, earthly cuisine that needs no modernization. So while Matrёshka’s plates come decorated like a bad Kandinsky, the food is of a classic quality that will make even the most homesick Russian feel at ease. It’s a step ahead of Red Square, the other Russian spot that opened recently in the 1933 complex.
This is Gracie. She'd like to know what you're looking at. She's 35mm and 1.8f away - hanging out with the bokeh.
In the past couple months I've flown across London half a dozen times. It never fails to impress. There's something about crossing the Kent coast, seeing a hundred miles of green and then, swinging into view, begins the world's greatest city.