Amazonico

Berkeley Square is not short of restaurants trying to look expensive, but Amazónico goes further than most, filling a basement space with hanging vines, palm fronds and enough greenery that it is sometimes described as a rainforest rather than a dining room. It is a lot, and it is meant to be.

The menu draws on South and Latin American cooking broadly, from Peruvian ceviche to Brazilian-inflected grilled meats, with a dedicated sushi bar adding a Japanese thread that runs through much of the small-plates section. Ceviche and ceviche-adjacent raw dishes are a genuine strength, sharp and well-balanced, and the josper-grilled meats, ordered as sharing cuts, are where the kitchen puts most of its effort. Cocktails lean tropical and are well made rather than gimmicky, despite the surroundings suggesting otherwise.

Chef Sandro Silva, who runs the original Madrid restaurant with his wife Marta Seco, has built something more theatrical than most Mayfair openings, with live music, a pianist and a room that seats around 300 covers across multiple zones. That scale is both the appeal and the limitation: it is genuinely fun for a group night out, but the volume and the constant movement make it a poor choice for anyone wanting a quiet conversation.

Prices are steep even by Mayfair standards, and the small-plates format means the bill climbs quickly once you start ordering enough to feel satisfied. Service is warm but can lose track of pacing when the room is at capacity.

It is a spectacle first and a serious restaurant second, and worth knowing that going in.

Amazónico has sibling restaurants in Madrid, Dubai and Milan, and the London branch follows that established template closely rather than adapting it significantly for the local market. A full dinner with cocktails for two easily runs past the £150 mark once shared plates and drinks are added, which puts it at the upper end even for Mayfair. Weekend evenings are booked out well in advance, and the restaurant leans hard into its role as a destination for celebrations rather than a casual dinner spot.