Test Driving Rosina, Adam Byatt's neighbourhood Italian brings Trullo vibes to Wandsworth

The dining room at Rosina

What can you tell us about Rosina?

This is the latest restaurant from Adam Byatt, the chef best known for the Michelin-starred Trinity restaurant in Clapham. After his most recent restaurant opening, the grander Brasserie Constance in Fulham, Byatt has come back to his own area of Wandsworth to open this neighbourhood restaurant. It's also a direction that's new for him, as this restaurant is all-Italian. 

Where is it?

It's right by the Common, about a 5-minute walk from Wandsworth Common station. He's taken over the corner that used to be Brinkley's Kitchen, a space that's blessed with a large, covered terrace outside (albeit one that's largely shielded from the pavement beside it). Inside, the room has been considerably brightened up from what was there before, giving it an upmarket, yet relaxed neighbourhood restaurant feel. 

Given that it's not too far away from Trinity in Clapham, we got the feeling that many of the regulars there are also checking this place out. There were plenty of people being welcomed like old friends when they arrived. So Byatt definitely has his fans, and they're flocking to his new opening. 

Where should we meet for a drink first?

One of the local pubs is probably your best bet as, to be honest, this is not an area we're all that familiar with. However, it is worth knowing that Rosina does have a pretty large bar space itself. So if you fancy popping in for some grappa or a negroni before your meal, that's something to consider. 

Part of the bar, very useful to know about this if you're in the area, and it boasts a great photographic collection.

So - what can we expect from the food?

As mentioned, Rosina sees Byatt taking on Italian food. Apparently, it's something he regularly cooks for friends and family, but this is the first time he's taken it on for a restaurant venture. 

In the kitchen here is Head Chef Will Bee, previously at Lita and Paul Ainsworth at No.6, and he'll be the main person in charge here ("under the guidance of Chef Adam Byatt"). So you might not see Byatt here as much as you might at Trinity, but judging by our meal, he's got a safe pair of hands in the kitchen. 

Head chef Will Bee on the pass. 

As for the food itself, it takes its influence from across Italy as opposed to a specific region. Generally speaking, the menu is split into the usual four-course affair - snacks, starters pasta, mains - but as we were visiting on a Sunday, there were fewer pasta dishes available and more sharing options. 

Here's what we went for:

Gnocco fritto, Mortadella Bologna (£5) - perfect bite-sized snacks. Get these while you're checking out the rest of the menu. 

Tuna crudo (£15) - Very much undersold on the menu, this is a must-order and we loved that sweet and sour dressing.

Datterini Tomatoes (£8) - a perfect summery dish.

Risotto bianco (£20) - Another absolute must-order. It takes 20 minutes but that just gives you more time for snacks and starters. Byatt goes into more details here about how this is created with high-end Riso Buono rice and it's easily one of the best risottos we've had. It's also absolutely huge, making it fantastic value for £20.

As we visited on a Sunday, there were a few sharing dishes on the menu, including this excellent, herby porchetta that comes with potatoes, salad and vegetables on the side. It's quite the feast and for £28 per person is another great deal.

As we were visiting on a Sunday, there were a few signature dishes not on the menu, like the rabbit alla Milanese, which sounds like it's worth a look, and there isn't as much focus on pasta. But we did get to try an off-menu version of the cacio e pepe that's usually on during the week:

Cavatelli, cacio e pepe (£8) - Another great deal on the menu, it's a small serving but incredibly rich and with superb al dente pasta. 

And dessert?

The bulk of this is served from the trolley and from there, you'll want this:

Pina’s tiramisù (£7) - This is served tableside as all great tiramisu should be in our opinion, and it's incredibly light. 

What about drinks? 

There is an extensive wine list (along with a wine room beside the private dining room) and the focus is on Italian wines, divided by region. On the lower end, the entry-level wine is a perfectly reasonable £35 (for a 2025 Fiano) and there are plenty of choices under £50. There are also many chances to go higher than that (it's Wandsworth, after all) and there's a good selection of magnums (a Tuscan Tenuta San Guido will set you back £1550). 

There's also a lovely touch at the beginning of the wine list. The restaurant is named after Byatt's daughter Rosie, and there's a special focus on 2008 wines, the year she was born. 

On top of this, you'll also find a decent grappa section alongside the dessert menu, and we think we saw quite a few people trying those out. Either that or they were finishing their meals with a martini, which we also approve of. 

As for cocktails, they go big on Negronis, with a whole section devoted to them from traditional takes through to Sbagliatos and the below.

The Cherry Sour Negroni

Anything else to note?

There's a large semi-private room out the back (we say semi-private because you will be passing it if you go to the loo). That's a big space that not only has its own terrace, but also has its own mini kitchen out there. If you're in the area and planning a party, here's what it looks like:

The private dining room, and you can just see the extra kitchen area on the terrace. 

Overall thoughts

Adam Byatt has always impressed us whenever he's launched a new restaurant, but particularly so this time around. Rosina immediately feels at home in Wandsworth (and we visited in the first week).

It's a neighbourhood Italian with real skill in the kitchen, delivering excellent dishes at great prices. We've heard that Saturday evenings are already booked out until September, and it's easy to see why.  It feels like a slightly more well-to-do cousin of one of our own local restaurants, Trullo, in that it's delivering truly accomplished Italian dishes, which are exactly what the locals want on a night out and not costing the earth while it's at it.

Ultimately, it's a very easy restaurant to recommend, and we're slightly jealous that it's not closer to us.