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New
restaurant concept launches at Westfield
Kitchen
Italia is a refreshing, dynamic style of restaurant combining
stunning contemporary design with a buzzy atmosphere, which will
completely modernise the traditional Italian cantina. With a £2m
interior designed by Michaelis Boyd, also responsible for Babington
House, this sleek all-day eatery is now open in London's new shopping
destination, Westfield.
Kitchen
Italia specialises in the hundreds of regional Italian pastas paired
with authentic homemade sauces such as Angel Hair with Black
Truffles, Mafaldine with Spicy Sausage and Taglioni with Rocket and
Sea Bass. Diners sit on communal benches at tables lined with fresh
herb plants and award winning Marfuga olive oil from Umbria, in
copper recesses that run the length of each table.
Jamie Barber,
who created Kitchen Italia with his wife Clare, said: "We
were inspired by our endless trips to Italy and loved how each region
was very specific with their traditional foods. We set about creating
somewhere vibrant where families and shoppers can enjoy this fabulous
style of food in a modern, stylish environment.
"We'll
open all day and won't be taking reservations - people should see
Kitchen Italia as somewhere they can stop by at any time of day.
We'll give everyone free coffee before 11.30 in the morning with
beans that we roast on site. And when we first open we are giving
away Bombaloni at tea time - they're wicked freshly cooked Tuscan
doughnuts bursting with Nutella, perfect for flagging shoppers
towards the end of the afternoon.
"Instead
of the usual gingham checked table clothes, we have used olive ash
wood for the tables and floor. Dark olive benches complement the wood
and copper to give a warm, inviting interior. It's democratic dining
set in a chic, super-modern environment."
The room is
dominated by a sculpture from Duncan Mude, probably better known for
his work on the Harry Potter films and The Golden Compass. Using
three pieces, Duncan has created a sculpture that will cover 6 metres
across and 5 metres long, inspired by an image from the 1950's of
pasta being passed through a traditional press.
Kitchen
Italia is now open. Apple MacBooks and WiFi internet connection are
provided free of charge for customers' use. Opening hours are:
Monday -
Friday 9am - 11.30pm
Saturday and
Sunday 10am - 10.30pm
This is the
first restaurant venture as a husband and wife team for Jamie and
Clare Barber. Jamie also owns and runs Villandry in Fitzrovia and
Bicester Village, and Hush in Mayfair.
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