Following the success of Ritorno Chelsea, Ritorno partners have recently opened a second location on Great Queen Street in the heart of Covent Garden just moments away from London’s West End Theatre District, The Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet.
Since opening its doors back in 2017, Ritorno Chelsea has already become a neighbourhood staple brining Milanese baretto tradition to Chelsea. The first authentic Aperitivo Bar and Kitchen to open on the buzzy and fashionable King’s Road, Ritorno Chelsea takes diners on a culinary journey throughout Italy highlighting Milanese cuisine serving small plates and cocktails in an informally chic and stylish setting.
Setting itself apart from the small plates style menu at its Chelsea counterpart, Ritorno Covent Garden will be an Italian-style brasserie offering all day dining with an Italian-inspired menu incorporating modern European cuisine.
Open for lunch and dinner, customers will be able to dine or enjoy pre and post-theatre cocktails at the expansive gilded bar among flamingo themed lush interiors. At 1,500 square feet, the Covent Garden location is almost double in size to its sister Chelsea restaurant, and ideal for entertaining larger groups with two private dining rooms: The Flamingo Room, which can host up to 14 people seated; and The Blue Room, which can accommodate up to 18 people seated.
The restaurant is a stylish and tropical oasis with sleek teal coloured walls and jewel-toned accents. The main dining room is covered with eye-catching wall to wall flamingo-themed wall paper with an expansive bar accentuated with brushed gold accents and modern art deco inspired fixtures and fittings.
Diners will be able to select from main course offerings including homemade pastas, thin crust pizzas, and fresh seafood dishes all sourced from the finest Italian produce with organic breads and pastas made daily in-house.
Standout dishes include Tuna tartare with smoked aubergine cream, lime, coriander and raspberry dust; homemade Orecchiette pasta with red prawns and Stracciatella; and roasted Monkfish with carrots, vanilla puree, sautéed red lentils and watercress. Meat lovers can choose from Angus Ribeye steak with wild mushroom and truffle beef jus; or an 8oz. beef burger with smoked Scamorza cheese, caramelised onions on a brioche bun served with chips.
Diners can also enjoy the best of Italy’s regional pizzas from Rome to Puglia choosing from a selection of thin crust pizzas including Pugliese pizza with burrata, red prawns and puntarella; Mortazza pizza, most commonly prepared in Rome, with Mascarpone, Mortadella and pistachio; and Napoli Don Salvo pizza with aubergines, Datterini confit and Ricotta salata. A set lunch menu is on offer with 2 courses for £21 and 3 courses for £26.
Envisioning the menu for both Ritorno locations is Sicilian head chef, Stefano Cilia. Cilia began his career apprenticing under a Michelin star chef in Milan, before moving to London and working at some of the city’s top restaurants including SUSHISAMBA Liverpool Street, The Strand Trafalgar Square, Rififi Member’s Club, Babbo Mayfair and Chucs Restaurant & Café inside Harrods. Cilia has expertly executed a menu of traditional regional Italian dishes for both restaurants incorporating international flavours and techniques by using only the best of British and Italian produce.
Ritorno celebrates the elegant lifestyle of Italy, where gathering to enjoy great food, complemented by fine wines and cocktails in a chic yet informal surroundings is central to the Italian way of life. Meaning ‘return’ in Italian the friendly and attentive staff at Ritorno will have customers coming back again and again.
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Ritorno
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Website: www.ritorno.co.uk
