In a world where the virus-who-shall-not-be-named has stripped me of a trip to Italy for another year, I’ve been desperate for a true Italian dining experience right on my doorstep. Where better place to go than The Italian Greyhound, London’s new bar and dining room, which we had the pleasure of visiting on a mild Thursday night in late October.

The venue sits quietly on the corner of Seymour Street in Marylebone, just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of Bond Street; the chic striped awnings aptly set the scene of a quaint ristorante in the heart of Venice.

Candy-striped awnings welcome you into The Italian Greyhound. 

The atmosphere inside was tastefully informal, a far cry from the intimidation I wrongly presumed a sophisticated restaurant in Marylebone would have. The staff were super friendly, and the place was buzzing with casual dates and mates gassing over a selection of Italy’s finest flavours and dishes. Once comfortably seated on leather sofas, we darted our eyes across the cocktail menu and noted the originality of flavours in each option. The safe bet for both my mum and I is to order something containing gin (I’m my mother’s daughter), so I went for the Tuscan Collins (£10) and mum chose the Una Notte (£11). The thyme was the stand-out ingredient in my cocktail - it was a unique but refreshing infusion that I’d never had before in my choice of poison, while mum was complimentary of the plum notes that ran through her drink.

To start, we opted for the grilled mackerel, tomato, tropea onion, pine nuts & raisins (£9.5). The sweetness of the tomatoes perfectly balanced out the vinegar enriched mackerel, however, the standout plate was the burrata, roasted delica pumpkin, rocket & pistachio (£11), made all the more special with the sweet and buttery pumpkin.

The dining room is as chic as the area it's found in.

For me, choosing between pizza and pasta is like having to pick my favourite out of my two shih-tzus. It’s impossible and I’ll palpitate if forced to do so. To avoid any upset, mum and I decided to get one of each for the mains. For the pasta, the choice was the pappardelle, slow-cooked beef brisket, vermouth, roscoff onion, pecorino (£15). The fresh pasta was cooked to al dente perfection and weaved in between tender dollops of beef, all of which was of course topped with shreds of parmesan to make each mouthful just as mouth-watering as the last. As for the pizza, we chose the Tuscan sausage, fennel seeds & lemon, fior di latte, peperonata (£11.5), a perfect marriage of herbs and sausage which rested on a thin base. Don’t fancy the carbs? There’s also the option of larger plates, ranging from unique takes on lemon sole, pork, and sirloin.

We washed our meal down with a bottle (or two) of Sauvignon Blanc (£37), a no-nonsense, crisp bottle of white which was deliciously polite on the palate and allowed us to focus our flavour tasting on the food.

A winning combination of melt in the mouth beef and pasta.

My sweet tooth is just as prominent as my love for Italian food, and boy were we lucky with our choice of desserts. Enter the pumpkin tiramisu (£7.50), perhaps my favourite ever take on the Italian classic. Ladyfingers were coated with a fluffy layer of pumpkin, enriched egg white and sugar, finished with sprinkles of chocolate flakes and nuts (queue ‘mmm’ sounds, closed eyes, and nose scrunching). 

The DesignMyNight Digest

Unique, chic, and damn right delicious, The Italian Greyhound did more than scratch the itch of wanting a true taste of Italy. If you hadn’t already guessed, each mouthful was an unforgettable flavour explosion that encompassed classics, all enjoyed within a relaxed setting that sent our imaginations on the first flight to Rome.

In the mood to discover more? Check out our guide to more amazing pasta restaurants in London.