Paper Moon London at The OWO review

This week, we headed to Whitehall to try Paper Moon, a Milanese restaurant located in the historic Old War Office (OWO), a building once used by Churchill as a headquarters during World War II. Situated in the heart of Whitehall, the Grade II listed Edwardian Baroque landmark was sold by the Ministry of Defence in 2016. I had often wondered what would become of it, until one day I spotted signage for Raffles Hotels, a luxury hotel group originating from the town where I grew up, Singapore. Naturally, I was excited to see its transformation.

Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit Alberto Zamaniego.

The Raffles London at The OWO officially opened in September 2023, clearly aiming to make its mark on London’s dining scene by engaging Mauro Colagreco, a Michelin starred chef, to bring his vision to several of the hotel’s dining concepts. In total, the hotel has a whopping six restaurants and bars, which is plenty when competing with London’s independent dining scene. In addition to those venues, there are three other restaurants within the OWO not operated by Raffles. One of them is Paper Moon, discreetly tucked off the Grand Courtyard with its own private entrance, serving a menu of classic Milanese dishes.

The Paper Moon story began in Milan’s “Golden Rectangle”, the city’s ultra luxury fashion district, where it built a reputation for impeccable, yet honest, Italian cooking. Since then, the brand has expanded to locations in Turkey, Hong Kong, Portugal, Doha, and soon, New York. Here in London, it has found itself an equally prestigious spot at the OWO.

Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit Alberto Zamaniego.

Upon entering, the space opens with a long bar flanked by stools and a few dining tables, leading to a square dining room with a small tree emerging from a marble plinth, creating the focal point for the room. Unfortunately, this doubles as a service station, cluttered with glassware, spare salt and pepper mills, and cutlery, slightly detracting from the overall aesthetic. The palette is predominantly grey, my least favourite colour, but it is tasteful, inoffensive, and well suited to the predominantly business clientele present during our weekday lunch. Gentle pops of colour come from the red anthurium arrangements on the tables and the cushions on the banquettes.

The overall atmosphere is undeniably elegant, with tables draped in crisp white linens, sheer fabric dressed windows diffusing natural light, and exceptionally comfortable seating, an inviting mix of plush banquettes and finely crafted wooden armchairs embellished with a weave made from dark leather laces. A large mirror on the back wall expands the space and is adorned with a collection of monochromatic images of glamorous screen legends such as Alain Delon, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn. Larger retro portraiture fills the bar area. As our late lunch progressed, we noticed the room softening into its evening mood, with table lamps brought out to create a warmer, cosier glow.

Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit Alberto Zamaniego.

The menu has the sort of variety that allows you to go simple or push the boat out. You will find everything from pizza and pasta to caviar, Dover sole (£70), and breaded veal chop (£68).

Once settled in, we were brought a basket of focaccia and pane carasau. A simple Italian bread basket, yes, but when executed well, it is something I always notice. I am particular about focaccia, and this one hit the mark, perfectly aerated and chewy. The pane carasau was delightfully thin and exquisitely crisp, with just the right hit of salt. Simple things done well bring immense pleasure.

Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit Alberto Zamaniego.

As for me, regular readers will know it is rare that I turn down a beef tartare. Presented on the plate with burrata cream, sweet and sour red Tropea onion, shaved black truffle, and toasted hazelnut, it theoretically sounded like it would be amazing. Being more familiar with the French style tartare, I found Paper Moon’s version, despite its beautiful presentation, lacking in flavour. Next, we tried “Sogliola”, a grilled Dover sole with sautéed spinach in a light butter sauce. It was delicate and beautifully seasoned. My partner ordered the handmade “Gnocchietti”, ricotta gnocchi with truffle cream, flakes of seasonal black truffle, and toasted hazelnuts. It landed on the table wafting of truffle, and the toasted hazelnuts were an excellent complement to the dish. However, the gnocchi were a bit too dense for my liking, which can result from being too heavy handed when working the dough. I prefer them to be airy and soft. The “Songino” salad is set to become our favourite salad combination, with lamb’s lettuce, oddly rare on London menus, avocado, walnuts, gorgonzola, and grapefruit.

Dessert was an absolute joy. “Dolce Salato”, a sponge cake with a selection of berries and vanilla ice cream, was served with a pot of salted caramel sauce on the side, to pour as much, or as little, as your heart desires. Our hearts desired all of it. We almost forgot what we ordered until we hit the sponge at the bottom of the stemmed glass, which by this point had soaked up the mix of flavours. Glorious.

Dolce Salato, a sponge cake with a selection of berries and vanilla ice cream and a luscious panna cotta. Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit MTotoe.

Then came the panna cotta, which truly stole the show. Made without gelatine and topped with almond crumble and raspberry sauce, it was the creamiest, most luscious panna cotta I have ever had, richly speckled with vanilla seeds and glamorously topped with silver leaf. This dish must never come off the menu, and every diner must be mindful to leave space for Paper Moon’s panna cotta. A special thanks to our server, Miriam, who was warm, attentive, and the reason we ordered it in the first place.

For research purposes, as the bar area looks so inviting, we thought it best to try a couple of cocktails. “Lemon Cheesecake”, with Ki No Bi Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, clarified lemon juice, lemon zest foam, and a lemon leaf biscuit, was a delightful dessert like sipper. The “Versailles Collins”, with Ketel One Vodka, Fair Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, Fair Cucumber Liqueur, Fever Tree Ginger Ale, and fresh mint, is the cocktail you will want to sip in the sunshine on their terrace when it is open. And with some summer left, why not?

Paper Moon London at The OWO. Image credit Alberto Zamaniego.

Paper Moon brings a slice of Milanese elegance to Whitehall, with an ambience that balances sophistication and ease. The menu offers enough range to suit both casual diners and those looking to indulge. Paper Moon may not reinvent Italian cuisine, but it delivers a beautifully executed version of it in a setting steeped in both history and style. It is a worthy addition to the OWO, particularly if panna cotta is your weakness.

Location: The OWO, Horse Guards Avenue, London SW1A 2EU. Website: papermoonrestaurants.com; Instagram: @papermoonlondon

Review by Natascha Milsom