Set within a former Rossopomodoro site on Rufus Street, Senza Fondo translates as ‘without end’ and will serve unlimited lasagna for £20 a head alongside an a la carte menu of Italian-American comfort food.
Other dishes will include fettuccine alfredo; aubergine parmigiana; lasagna pizzette; and grilled wing rib on the bone with beef jus and apple mostarda.
The desserts menu, meanwhile, will feature tiramisu; wood fired apple pie; and olive oil gelato.
Senza Fondo will serve a classic lasagna made with a beef shin ragu in tandem with a rotating vegetarian option.
Spend per head is expected to be a little over £40.
Around April a lunchtime hatch will launch offering Senza Fondo’s proprietary lasagna sandwich the ‘Lasangwich’.
“Lasagna and garlic bread is my favourite food. Senza Fondo will offer big plates and even bigger energy. I want people to leave feeling full, joyous and with a sense of having gotten great value,” says Worthington, who has given himself the job title of chief béchamel officer.
“Lasagna lends itself to bulk production. Plus, once it’s made it’s easy to get it on the table quickly. You sit down, have a big, chunky piece of lasagna and - if you want - you can order it again.”
The trend for Italian-American cuisine continues
Last year, Restaurant named lasagne and Italian-American cuisine more generally as a key restaurant industry trend.
Other operators in the rapidly growing space include The Dover in Mayfair and Louis in Manchester.
Later this year, they will be joined by high-profile New York restaurant Carbone, which is launching an outpost within The Chancery Rosewood hotel in Mayfair.
“Annoyingly I had the idea for an all-you-can-eat lasagna restaurant about three years ago but it’s taken me this long to get it off the ground,” says Worthington, whose CV also includes Applejack Hospitality in Australia and Notting Hill’s Portobello Road Distillery.
“I’m infatuated with Italian-American culture, not least The Sopranos. The cuisine is certainly having a moment now in restaurants but I would still say that while there are plenty of Italian restaurants in London, they aren’t many Italian-American ones.”
The kitchen at Senza Fondo will be run by 28-year-old Australian chef Michael Bagnall whose CV includes Brunswick House in Vauxhall and Walthamstow natural wine bar Dudley’s.
He has recently completed residencies at Bruno in Hackney and at Naughty Piglets in Brixton.
“Cosy like a big warm hug”
Described by Worthington as being “cosy like a big warm hug”, the 1,700sq ft 68-cover restaurant will be inspired by rustic Italian trattorias as well as Italian restaurants in US cities including New York, Chicago and Boston.
Design details will include stained red oak; terracotta-tiling; and an ‘eclectic’ mix of Italian-American artwork.
The cocktail list will ‘go back to basics’ with a focus on classic drinks such as Martinis, Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds and Negronis (the latter will only cost £5 if ordered before the food).
With the exception of champagne, the wine list will be exclusively Italian and American totalling a little under 50 bins.
Initially, the restaurant will be open from 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday.
At the back of the restaurant there will be a 20-cover bar named in honour of Italian footballer Kevin Lasagna.
“He’s not famous at all,” adds Worthington. “He plays for SSC Bari at the moment but he has played on the national team. I saw his name on the back of his shirt when he came off the bench when Italy were playing England in the Euros and that was it.
“He’s my ambassador, although he doesn’t know it yet.”