Led by owner Luca Meola, the new restaurant will be an all-day destination, centred on a more expansive à la carte menu with a stronger emphasis on generous main courses.
Signature pasta dishes will include tagliatelle ragù di agnello - a slow-braised lamb ragù - and spaghetti allo scoglio - seafood in a Napoli sauce. These will sit alongside seasonal mains such as veal milanese, bistecca tagliata - sliced steak served with rocket and parmesan - and salmone alla puttanesca.
Antipasti will feature dishes including bruschetta di pomodoro, made with ciabatta from local Muswell Hill institution Dunn’s Bakery, and mozzarella fritta. Pizzas, made using Rossella’s 48-hour slow-fermented dough, will also be available.
For dessert, Rossella’s homemade tiramisu will be served tableside from the ‘tiramisu trolley’ - an adapted vintage drinks trolley once owned by Meola’s grandfather.
The space will include a full restaurant, alongside a dedicated bar and deli offering.
The separate bar will focus on aperitivo and cocktails, serving a menu of small plates and pizzas, and can also be reconfigured into a private dining space for up to 30 guests.
Drinks will include Italian classics and house signatures such as limoncello spritz; negronis made with sacred vermouth distilled locally in Highgate; and espresso martinis, served in vintage glassware.
A wine list will include house wines sourced directly from the Meola family vineyard in Benevento with a broader Italian selection.
Rossella’s deli concept, already established in the brand’s Kentish Town location and online, will be extended into Muswell Hill. It will showcase the Rossella Collection - including chilli oil, balsamic glaze and olive oil.
“Everything we do at Rossella comes from my family and how I grew up,” says Meola.
“Food was always about bringing people together around the table, and that’s still what drives it now.”
“Muswell Hill feels like somewhere that really values that kind of place — somewhere local, relaxed and genuinely part of the neighbourhood.
“We’re not trying to reinvent anything; it’s about doing things properly, sharing those traditions and creating somewhere that feels part of people’s everyday life.”
The restaurant will be both family- and dog-friendly, with a children’s menu, plans for child-led pizza-making workshops, and a programme of wine tastings and events.
Meola opened the first Rossella on Highgate Road in Kentish Town in 2012 when he was just 19 years old.