As if owning three restaurants across England’s capital wasn’t enough, top chef Nima Safaei has gone and published his own cookbook, At Home with Nima. To celebrate, he held an exclusive launch event at his 40 Dean Street venue, serving up authentic Italian cuisine with a homemade spin. Friendly as you’d expect from a successful restauranteur and with charm to boot, Nima welcomed guests into the cosy Soho spot for a four-course experience.

The premise of the cookbook is this – food does not need to be complicated to be delicious, or “extraordinary”, as Nima deems it. As proof, we’re served a hazelnut, bean and beetroot salad to start with. It might sound simple, because it is – the beetroot is fresh cut and the hazelnuts served whole. But it all blends together nicely; the sweetness of the beetroot with the creaminess of the beans.

Up next is a crab linguine. Wine pairings are served with each course, and for the seafood dish it’s a Gavi di Gavi DOCG II Rochin. I won’t pretend to be an expert sommelier, but the white goes nicely with the fresh pasta, and though the linguine itself isn’t remarkable, it’s perfectly nice.

The third course – or secondi piatti – is a herb-crusted rack of lamb cutlets, with hassleback potatoes, wilted spinach and baby carrots.

Now I’ve never really been a lamb fan, but I think after this I’m converted. The herbs give a minty, almost spicy edge to the tender meat, and the whole thing is served with a red wine jus that complements the meal perfectly. The meat course was the definite highlight for me, and something I’d 100% order again.

There are two choices for dessert – a pistachio tiramisu or a berry panna cotta. I opt for the latter, which blends tart fruit with creamy vanilla for a delicious end to a delicious meal.

So, what did I learn from Nima? I learned that sometimes, simple is best. There were no fancy tricks here, no plates on fire or dry ice coating the table in smoke.

There were no complicated instructions to follow to eat the dish, as I’ve experienced in some modern restaurants that attempt to be cutting edge. No, Nima’s recipes were served with heart, but they also felt like dishes I could potentially recreate at home.

As the owner of 40 Dean Street, as well as 27 Old Compton Street and 64 Old Compton Street, Nima is more than qualified to pen a cookbook. Expect his signature charm, with simple but delicious recipes to try your hand at.

At Home with Nima is available to order now.