Marlon Abela confirms plan to open A Voce in London

Marlon Abela - the man behind The Greenhouse and Umu in London and A Voce in New York, among others, is planning two new restaurants for London in addition to his latest venture, Cassis, which opened just a few weeks ago.

In an interview with Caterersearch, Abela admits that an announcement on a new London restaurant is imminent. 'We have signed the deal on a new acquisition - a new restaurant in London that will open in 2011,' he says. 'It will be, perhaps, our most ambitious one yet.'

Abela is also looking to open a branch of his modern Italian cuisine restaurant group A Voce in London, 'when we find the right location.' The group currently has two existing restaurants in New York on Maddison Avenue and Columbus Circle both of which are Michelin-starred.

Apparently the search for the right London spots to open has been a bit of a challenge for the restaurateur. 'It took us a while to find the right location, which is difficult to do in London - there are so many licensing and planning constraints,' he says. 'It's about more than just the food on the plate, and more than the quality of the ingredients - it all starts with the location.'

You can read the full interview at Caterer Search.