The top line: Trinity chef Adam Byatt has launched an Italian restaurant in Wandsworth. While Rosina is being billed as his first professional venture dedicated to Italian cuisine, the chef is no stranger to the country’s food, with his other projects drawing inspiration from its ingredients and techniques. His Clapham flagship also borrows Italy’s four-course menu structure. Rosina – named after Byatt’s daughter, Rosie – arrives as London’s high-end Italian restaurant scene undergoes something of renaissance, joining recent openings including Burro, CeCe’s and Café Clement, with Salone also on the horizon. Despite the capital’s wealth of excellent Italian restaurants, Byatt’s arrival feels significant, applying the thoughtful, technically accomplished approach that has defined his cooking for more than two decades to one of the world’s greatest cuisines. The kitchen is led by head chef Will Bee, whose CV includes Michelin-starred restaurants Lita in Marylebone and Paul Ainsworth at No.6 in Padstow. The restaurant’s 18-year-old namesake is also part of the brigade, working as a pastry chef. The launch cements the chef’s status as one of West London’s foremost restaurant operators with Rosina joining Trinity, Upstairs at Trinity, Bistro Union and Brasserie Constance.
On the menu: Byatt balances familiar classics with dishes less commonly seen in London. Antipasti and small plates include gnocco fritto with mortadella; fried Taleggio; and sardines with salsa verde. Pasta and risotto dishes range from caviar linguine and mezze maniche ragù to risotto bianco, while larger plates include turbot roasted on the bone and rib of veal served with its kidneys. Byatt has written the wine list himself, which starts at an accessible £8 a glass and focuses on organic and biodynamic producers. Unsurprisingly, it is overwhelmingly Italian, with a selection of bottles from 2008, Rosie’s birth year. Overseen by James Duncan, the bar programme leans heavily into Italian drinking culture, featuring spritzes and five takes on the Negroni, including the Cherry Sour, made with Hayman’s Gin, Cocchi di Torino and spiced cherry cordial.
The vibe: Occupying the former Brinkley’s site, a long-standing neighbourhood bar and restaurant overlooking Wandsworth Common, Rosina centres on a bright dining room with an open kitchen. A terrace lined with olive trees runs the length of the restaurant, while a private dining room for up to 14 guests comes with its own terrace. The design is understated and elegant, with a neutral palette allowing the floral arrangements - created by Adam’s wife, florist Vicky Byatt - to take centre stage.
And another thing: Ahead of the opening, Byatt documented the creation of Rosina in Road to Rosina, a slick YouTube series that sees father and daughter travel from north to south Italy in search of suppliers, inspiration and the ideas that would shape the restaurant.
35 Bellevue Road, London SW17 7EF