The restaurant is being launched by hospitality trio Daniele Pampagnin, Jake Mason and Carmela Pia. The concept will include a 100-cover restaurant, an all-day café and bar, a covered terrace and a 60-cover late-night cocktail bar, Carla’s.
Carmelina’s restaurant will feature an open kitchen, counter seating and a dedicated wine bar. The menu, overseen by Pampagnin, whose previous experience includes roles with Nobu and Soho House, and head chef Simone Serafini, will focus on handmade pasta, seasonal produce and seafood.
Dishes planned for the opening menu include Sicilian prawns and porchetta with friarielli. Breakfast will include eggs royale, focaccia scrambled eggs and Divola shakshuka.
The restaurant has been designed by architecture studio Red Deer, with interiors including black-and-white tiling, natural materials, burl timber panels and vintage artwork.
Upstairs, Carmelina’s Al Banco will operate as an all-day café-bar with a covered terrace. The menu and drinks offering will run from breakfast and coffee through to aperitivo and evening service.
The final part of the venue, Carla’s, will be a basement cocktail bar headed by bar manager Peppe Corallo. The 60-capacity space will offer cocktails, drinks and live entertainment, as well as private events.
“It’s about that Italian way of life, where you come in for one thing and somehow you’re still there six hours later,” says co-founder Jake Mason.
“A coffee becomes lunch, lunch rolls into aperitivo. It’s generous food, warm service and real hospitality. The kind of place you never feel in a hurry to leave.”
Carmelina’s will form part of The Webster Covent Garden, a ten-storey hotel with 167 guest rooms. Hotel guests will have access to in-room dining from Carmelina’s and bottled cocktails from Carla’s.