Italian

• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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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• Bernardi's becomes The Italian Greyhound in Marylebone

  

  9/6/21 - updated with a look at the inside

  Over in Marylebone, it's all change for what used to be Bernardi's. Relaunching on the same site (but from the same team) is Italian Greyhound. 

  Responsible for the new menu will be Head Chef Yohei Furuhashi, who was previously at the River Café, Dinings SW3 and Petersham Nurseries and he'll be pulling together a menu made

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• Pino is opening in Kensington, from the people behind the classic Il Portico

  

  The people behind family-run restaurant Il Portico in Kensington are getting ready to relaunch their sister restaurant, just a few doors down the street. Previously Pizzicotto, it's going to be reborn as Pino. 

• Piazza Italiana is opening in a Grade II listed bank on Threadneedle Street

  

  There's one thing to be said for those huge City buildings - they really help when it comes to social distancing. Just look at the dining room at new opening Piazza Italiana, if you need proof.

  This upcoming Italian restaurant is about to open its doors in the heart of the City. Set in a Grade II listed former British Linen Bank - not unlike The Ned - it's the first London opening for the restaurant group

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