Zafferano

Zafferano opened on the corner of Lowndes Street and Halkin Arcade in 1995, launched by the restaurateur Claudio Pulze with Giorgio Locatelli as head chef. Under Locatelli it became one of the rooms that set the standard for modern Italian cooking in London, and it won a Michelin star in 1999 that it kept for more than a decade.

In its later years it traded as an upscale Belgravia trattoria with a loyal neighbourhood following. The kitchen kept the signature dishes of the early days on the menu, among them ravioli of osso buco and the saffron risotto that gives the restaurant its name. The dining room pairs exposed brick and white tablecloths with striped banquettes, and there is a bar and a terrace on the arcade.

For private events, the draw is the cellar below. A vaulted room lined with wine, it seats 26 at a single long table, which suits a birthday dinner or a family celebration held away from the main floor.