Ave Mario in Covent Garden is the huge new restaurant from Big Mamma

Catherine Hanly 02 July 2021

ave mario restaurant covent garden

Want to know a lot more about Ave Mario? Read our Test Drive here.

What: Ave Mario

In a nutshell: Big Mamma's third London restaurant

Summing it all up: The folk responsible for huge London hits Gloria and Circolo Popolare are behind this new Florence-inspired restaurant and bar in the heart of Covent Garden.

The low-down

Updated 1/7/21 - here's a sneak peek inside...

@hotdinners
Here’s a preview of Londons hottest new restaurant, Ave Mario from Big Mamma ##italianfood ##londonfood ##london ##foodporn
♬ Quando Quando Quando - Nico Dei Gabbiani

Original story follows

To anyone who's tried (and failed) to get a table either inside or outside at either Gloria or Circolo Popolare, we bring glad tidings. The Big Mamma Group have just released details of their next London restaurant opening and Hot Dinners readers are the first to hear about it.

Ave Mario, which opens in Covent Garden this summer, sounds like it'll be every bit the crowd-pleasing success of their first two restaurants. It's going to be huge too - with seating for almost 300, two terraces and an inner courtyard.

ave mario covent garden The oh-so-understated bar - "no, we're out of that, I'm afraid..."

As to where it is - the address may be a little confusing as it appears to be where both Frenchie and the Henrietta hotel are. But what's actually happened is they've carved out a large space behind them. They've taken two buildings in Maiden Lane to make this brand new restaurant - and the entrance is from Henrietta Street.

Where Gloria was inspired by Capri and Circolo by Sicily, Ave Mario takes Florence as its starting point, right down to the restaurant's stripey walls inspired by the Duomo.

And while they won't be serving classics like their wheel of Pecorino carbonara here, there are going to be more than enough exciting dishes to flood Insta for the foreseeable. These will include carbonara ravioli and the big-as-your-head Cotoletta Milanese. There's going to be a brand new caviar section to the menu, using Baeri caviar from Venice. The one dish you're 100% going to have to order is the 60cm tall stracciatella ice cream cake marbled with chocolate spread.

With two terraces, this will be very handy for anyone sticking to alfresco dining, and we predict the basement bar, which sounds similar to the one at Gloria, will be a huge hit in these parts.

Want to know a lot more about Ave Mario? Read our Test Drive here.

ave mario covent garden Ave Mario's open kitchen