Italian cuisine - Hospitality

Bernardi brothers release details of new Marylebone Italian restaurant

29-Jul-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Australian-born Bernardi brothers have released further details of their modern Italian restaurant opening in Marylebone in September.

Bernardi brothers to open Marylebone restaurant in July

14-May-2015 By Noli Dinkovski

Two Australian-born brothers of Italian descent are to open a 120-cover restaurant and bar in Marylebone this summer.

Pizza Rossa opening third site after crowdfunding campaign

11-May-2015 By Sophie Witts

Pizza-by-the-square-slice concept Pizza Rossa is launching its third London site at petrol station turned food market The Pump in Shoreditch in May.

Bocconcino Pizzeria opens in Mayfair

09-Dec-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Restaurateur Michael Gokhner opened new Italian restaurant Bocconcino Pizzeria in London’s Mayfair on 1 December.

Pizza Rossa launches second crowdfunding campaign

08-Dec-2014 By Carina Perkins

Artisanal pizza-by-the-square-slice concept Pizza Rossa has launched a second crowdfunding campaign to raise £150,000 capital for further expansion.

Il Cudega to open London Fields venue in March

28-Nov-2014 By Melodie Michel

Italian restaurant and delicatessen Il Cudega has secured a space at FoutLondon, a London Fields mixed-use development due to open in March 2015.

Pizza Rossa to open permanent site

11-Nov-2014 By Melodie Michel

Pizza Rossa is opening its first permanent venue in London on 20 November, after the success of its long-term pop-up.

Massimo Bottura plans UK collaborations to promote cookbook

31-Oct-2014 By Carina Perkins

Massimo Bottura will launch a limited edition Shake Shack burger and take over the kitchens at the Connaught hotel when he arrives in London to promote his new cookbook next month.

Bocconcino Pizzeria comes to Mayfair

07-Oct-2014 By Carina Perkins

Moscow restaurateur Mikhail Gokhner is bringing his high-end pizzeria concept to London's Mayfair next month.

Ex-Zafferano chef launches neighbourhood Italian restaurant

18-Sep-2014 By Carina Perkins

Former Zafferano head chef Andy Needham has launched his first solo project, L’Amorosa, on the site of the former Lola & Simón café in West London.

Giorgio Locatelli to open Marylebone pizza pop-up

16-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

Renowned Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli is opening a pop-up pizza restaurant in Marylebone with his wife Plaxy this September.

Bite Me Pizza restaurant to open in west London

09-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

New sustainable pizza restaurant Bite Me Pizza will be opening in London’s Westbourne area on 16 June.

New Italian restaurant Scarpetta to launch in central London

04-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

Scarpetta is opening in London’s Cannon Street on 23 June and will offer dishes from Southern Italy while emphasising natural ingredients.

The Villa Group to launch new Lancashire restaurant this month

02-Jun-2014 By Lauren Houghton

The Villa Group’s latest venture, The Villa Italian restaurant, will open on 12 June at their newest Villa Express hotel site in Kirkham.

Manchester gets two more Avalanche venues

07-May-2014 By Melodie Michel

Italian restaurant and lounge bar Avalanche is set to open two more locations in Manchester – a £2m expansion.

Pizza & Ice Cream concept hits Camden

21-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

A new pizza and ice cream concept has opened this week in the heart of Camden Town’s Stable Market.

Rebecca Mascarenhas goes ahead with Italian restaurant in Putney

07-Feb-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas has renewed plans to open her modern Italian trattoria concept Bibo, having secured the site of what used to be Gregg Wallace’s Wallace & Co restaurant in Putney.

Equipping your kitchen: Cuppone's new 'Donatello' pizza oven

30-Jan-2014 By Luke Nicholls

The new ‘Donatello’ oven from pizza equipment manufacturer Cuppone is the third piece of kitchen kit to be included in our equipment special feature.

Bianco43 owners open fourth restaurant

30-Jan-2014 By Emma Eversham

Bianco43, the Italian restaurant company run by Massimo Parodi and Fabrizio Margarita, is to open its fourth site close to Trafalgar Square today (30 January).

Francesco Mazzei: Pearls of Wisdom

17-Jan-2014

The chef-patron of L’Anima in the City of London discusses his southern Italian roots, working with business partner Peter Marano, and his plans to enter the accessible all-day dining sector.

Gino D'Acampo's My Pasta Bar expansion plans on target

23-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

My Pasta Bar, the new fast-casual Italian restaurant fronted by TV chef Gino D’Acampo, is on track to reach its target of six sites by the end of next year with the city and shopping centres its main focus for expansion.

First-time restaurateurs use 'cook-off' to employ Vivo restaurant head chef

03-Jun-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Brothers Will and Ben Thompson plan to launch Vivo, an all-day Italian restaurant and their first hospitality business, in Islington in the autumn but the pair have already used an innovative cook-off to employ their head chef.

Pizza Express extends Leggera range with superfood salad

26-Apr-2013 By Emma Eversham

Pizza Express has extended its low-calorie Leggera range by adding a superfood salad and a raspberry sorbet to its menu.

Rossopomodoro hits Wandsworth, eyes 30 London restaurants

12-Apr-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Rossopomodoro, the Italian restaurant chain which stakes claim to spearheading the arrival of authentic Neapolitan pizza and pasta to the UK, has revealed ambitious plans to expand to up to 30 sites in London over the next five years.

Video: A pizza the action... how hard can it be?

10-Apr-2013 By Luke Nicholls

With Restaurant magazine recently reporting on the capital’s booming pizza market, BigHospitality headed down to the final of Giropizza – the largest pizza competition in Europe – to get some key pieces of advice for UK operators looking to tap in on...

Posh pizza pushes on: Trendy and authentic specialists swap wheels for bricks ’n’ mortar

05-Apr-2013 By Joe Lutrario

Two high-profile mobile pizza vendors are taking permanent premises in London, becoming the latest outfits to join the capital’s booming premium pizza market.

Mews of Mayfair takes over Rocket Mayfair

28-Mar-2013 By Emma Eversham

James Robson, the owner of British brasserie Mews of Mayfair, has taken over the site of Rocket in Mayfair and turned it into his own pizza restaurant.

Ask Italian: Business Profile

16-Jan-2013 By William Drew

The competition may be fierce and its rivals more fashionable, but Steve Holmes has taken to the tough job of revitalising mainstream chain Ask Italian with gusto.

Le Duff Group enters UK restaurant market through franchising of Del Arte concept

28-Mar-2012 By Peter Ruddick

French restaurant company, Le Duff Group, is to enter the UK restaurant market after announcing it is seeking franchise partners for its Italian pizza and pasta concept Del Arte with ten openings planned for the brand which currently has 107 sites in...

Bruno Barbieri opens Cotidie: modern Italian restaurant in Marylebone

07-Mar-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Michelin-starred Italian chef Bruno Barbieri has opened his first restaurant in the UK: Cotidie – offering modern Italian cuisine in London’s Marylebone High Street.

Business Profile: Jamie's Italian

07-Mar-2012 By William Drew

Restaurant magazine editor William Drew talks to Jamie's Italian managing director Simon Blagden about the chain's ongoing success.

Ask restaurant chain begins rollout of new look and more authentic concept

07-Dec-2011 By Restaurant magazine

Italian chain Ask is rolling out a new look and a more authentic food and drink offer across its 123-strong estate following a successful trial of the revamp in select locations.

Brooklyn Bite pizza chain to exploit ‘gap in the market’ with first UK restaurant in Chelsea

30-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

New York pizza concept and cocktail lounge Brooklyn Bite is set to hit the UK having secured its first site in London’s Chelsea, with plans to open several more London sites.

Caparossa Italian restaurant set for UK debut in Putney

31-Oct-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Caparossa, a new Italian restaurant from the owners of a popular site in Naples, is set to open its doors in Putney Wharf later this month.

Italian chef congress Identità returns to UK

07-Sep-2011 By Rachel Parkes

Italian gastronomy event Identità is returning to the UK for the third time next month, the show’s organisers have said, in an effort to “explain the fundamentals of today’s Italian cuisine”.

Business Profile: Ponti's

06-Jul-2011 By Stefan Chomka

How does a relatively unheralded Italian chain go head-to-head with the big boys? Ponti's managing director Stefano Ispani says the answer lies in the country's regional cooking.

Author pays tribute to Italian restaurateur Mario Cassandro

29-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

The author of a book about the two men responsible for introducing quality Italian food to the UK public in the 1960s has paid tribute to one of them - Mario Cassandro - who died on Monday at the age of 91.

Business Profile: Zizzi

08-Jun-2011 By Joe Lutrario

Zizzi has responded to new entrants in the Italian dining sector with a complete overhaul designed to pull in younger diners and bring the brand back up to date

Nicola Batavia opens fine-dining Italian restaurant in Kensington

26-May-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Italian chef Nicola Batavia is opening his first UK restaurant in London next month, which he says will be a “luxury Italian home” serving “fine-dining Italian cuisine”.

Alternative staff training: How Pizza Express uses flirting and dialogue

22-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Often the personal skills required to work in our industry can't be cultivated using traditional training techniques, which is why Pizza Express chose to hire a dialogue coach to encourage its staff to flirt and converse more with its diners.

Zizzi trials breakfast concept with national roll-out planned

28-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Zizzi will be testing a new breakfast concept at some of its branches, with plans to introduce the new ‘Brunchetta’ menu across all sites next year if it proves to be a success

Pizza Express bids for breakfast market with ‘new generation’ restaurant

21-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Pizza Express is set to serve breakfast for the first time as it opens the first of its “new generation” restaurants in Richmond next month

Locanda Locatelli chef opens Vegetarian Italian restaurant near Smithfields

20-May-2010 By Becky Paskin

Former Locanda Locatelli chef Pasquale Amico has launched a new vegetarian Italian restaurant near Smithfields in London

Italian restaurant Cielo to open in London's Mayfair

12-Mar-2010 By Emma Eversham

A new Italian restaurant and lounge bar called Cielo will open in Mayfair next week with Sardinian born chef Monserrato Marini behind the stove and Tobia Speranza taking care of front-of-house

Marriott gives chefs Italian cookery classes

22-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

The hotel chain enrols more than 60 of its chefs in a ‘back to basics’ training programme teaching them how to prepare fresh Italian food

Seahold Catering expands with launch of takeaway outlet

31-Jul-2009 By Emma Eversham

The Seahold Group's new catering division opens a dedicated takeaway outlet next to its Aberdeenshire Italian restaurant Max's to increase its market share in the recession