Italian
- Test Driving Trattoria Brutto - Russell Norman's ode to Florence is a winner
Russell Norman, the man who brought us Polpo, is back with a brand new place in Farringdon that's influenced by the restaurants of Florence. We went down for an early look.
- La Brasseria head to Notting Hill with their Italian luxe trattoria
You may have been busy this summer visiting old London restaurant haunts, making up for lost dining time during lockdown. While it’s been a mixed bag of emotions seeing who’s still standing and who is still sadly boarded up, the inspirational openings keep coming. We’re happy to see that lovers of Italian food can still get their fix at Marylebone’s La Brasseria Milanese, which first opened back in May 2018. Now the owners,
... - Trattoria Brutto is Russell Norman's next restaurant, which is all about Tuscany
15/09/21 - updated with launch details and the menu
Since leaving the Polpo group, Russell Norman has been busy writing cookbooks, but we've all been wondering when he would make his return to restaurants. Well now we know - he's opening Trattoria Brutto. That comes from the phrase "brutto ma buono" meaning Ugly but good.
It's
... - Vasco & Piero's are coming back to Soho
There was much consternation earlier this year when the news broke that Soho legendary Italian Vasco and Piero's Pavilion was to shut because of rent issues. But we then learned pretty quickly from an Instagram post that it wasn't a complete goodbye as they were already on the hunt for a new
... - Gino d'Acampo's Luciano restaurant goes viral on TikTok
Gino d'Acampo's new London restaurant Luciano may have been eviscerated in a review by the Evening Standard, but a new video on TikTok could change the restaurant's fortunes.
Kiwi songwriter Natalie Te Paa, who is
... - Bocca Bocca will be Leytonstone's little piece of Amalfi in London
A Hot Dinners exclusive
Leytonstoners stuck in London for the summer are being offered a hit of the Italian coast on their high street instead. Local entrepreneur Gianluca Colini, who opened hit coffee shop Unity Café, is the man behind new restaurant Bocca Bocca.
Gianluca's put together a tight and impressive team for this new opening. Jemma Londt-James, former manager of JOY at Portobello, will be in
... - Big Mamma's Napoli Gang is popping up in Soho
They may have only recently opened Ave Mario in Covent Garden and before that Circolo Popolare in Fitzrovia - but before now Big Mamma hadn't occupied the space in between, Soho. But now they're planning a month-long pop-ip of Napoli Gang.
Napoli Gang is their (until now) delivery-only offshoot. This August it will be popping up in the Soho Fiorucci flagship store on Brewer Street. There you'll be able to pick
... - Luciano will be Gino D'Acampo (and son)'s new restaurant at the ME London hotel in Aldwych
TV chef Gino D'Acampo has joined forces with his son Luciano, to open this luxe Italian restaurant at the ME London hotel in Aldwych.
- Test Driving Ave Mario - Big Mamma have another winner on their hands
Big Mamma have already had huge hits with Gloria and Circolo Popolare. We take a look at Ave Mario in Covent Garden to see how their third London restaurant measures up.
- Ave Mario in Covent Garden is the huge new restaurant from Big Mamma
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.
- Bardo will be Pall Mall's luxury new Italian restaurant
Bardo will be a luxury Italian restaurant in the heart of St James from club owner Luca Maggiora
- Test Driving Bocca At Home's summer BBQ offering
Bocca di Lupo is still going strong on the home delivery front. We gave their summer BBQ offerings a go.
- Il Borro Tuscan Bistro replaces Nobu Berkeley Street
Taking the space on Berkeley street once held by Nobu, Il Borro Tuscan Bistro is a high-end Italian restaurant with strong links to a Tuscan estate and farm. And they even have their own wines.
- Test Driving Cucina Del Mercato - where Eataly puts all its produce to great use
The huge Eataly London has arrived, becoming an instant hit. We popped down to Liverpool Street to try one of their main restaurants, Cucina Del Mercato.
- Darby's chef Dean Parker and his wife Anna head to Glasgow to open Celentano’s
He's had big success in London at Darby's as Head Chef (and at Sorella and The Dairy before that) but now Dean Parker is heading out of London - very out of London, to Glasgow. He and his wife Anna, a Glasgow native, will be launching their first solo restaurant, Celentano’s, in August.
It'll be in Glasgow's Cathedral House building and will carry on the couple's love of
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