San Carlo to launch new Fumo restaurant

THE Manchester-based San Carlo restaurant group is preparing to launch its new eatery Fumo in London’s Covent Garden in early September.

Fumo will open at 37 St Martin’s Lane and follows the success of the brand at 1 St Peter’s Square, Manchester and in Birmingham.

It builds on the Italian family-owned group’s existing London portfolio which includes Signor Sassi in Knightsbridge and Cicchetti in Piccadilly and Covent Garden.

The new 130 cover restaurant, which will be open seven days a week, will offer all day dining and have the same chic and sleek design as the other restaurants, with Fumo featuring a solid marble feature bar.

The culinary focus will be on small plates or cicchetti using the freshest seasonal ingredients – mostly sourced direct from produce markets in Milan.

The cuisine represents local specialities from the varying Italian regions and includes dishes such as Tagliolini Lobster, Cod Vicentina – Venetian style cod, homemade gnocchi truffle (crispy gnocchi with cheese fondue with truffle) and Guazzetto di Cozze e Vongole (mussels and clams with tomato sauce, chilli and white wine) and Tuna Tartare made at the table with the best Sicillian tuna.

In the kitchen will be a brigade of 15 chefs from all over Italy, guided by San Carlo executive chefs Filippo Pagani and Franco Bellamusto, as well as chef consigliere Aldo Zilli.

Owners, the Distefano family pride themselves in providing an authentic Italian experience across all of their restaurants; everything from the design, the staff to the wine list – which is expertly matched to the food, has been conceived with the traditions of Italy in mind.

Managing director Marcello Distefano said: “We’re excited to bring Fumo, a modern concept in Italian dining, to St Martin’s Lane.

“Manchester has been a great success for us and our existing London restaurants Signor Sassi on Knightsbridge Green and both Cicchetti sites in Piccadilly and Covent Garden continue to flourish and we expect nothing less for Fumo.

“With Fumo open our group expansion plans will focus on Bahrain and Dubai where we look to open in 2017.”

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