New Leamington Italian is opening its doors in a 200-year-old location

A new Italian restaurant in Leamington Spa is set to open its doors today (Friday) in a well-known 200-year-old venue. Tavola, in Clarendon Street, is set to serve diners after a period of closure and transformation.

The former 44 Café reopens today (May 10) in its new guise, with a theme and decor inspired by the Italian surrealist painters of the 1920s – the vision of Birmingham design firm Faber.

Owner Rob Singleton said: “Tavola is a tribute to the bars and trattorias of northern Italy and Rome, where the best Italian ingredients are prepared with love, care and skill and where hospitality is done right. We feel we have created a place our neighborhood can be proud of, somewhere our guests will always find a warm welcome with open arms.”

READ MORE: A new luxury jewelery store is to open at West Orchards in Coventry

READ MORE: Dog owners rave about affordable, training-friendly treats that are ‘big hits with fussy pets’

“Team members who grew up in Leamington as well as Italy make up our face. We all share the same values ​​around hospitality and every team member is here because they love people and they love nothing more than being part of the most enjoyable parts of people’s lives, eating and drinking and being together.

“The rebranding is a natural extension of the renovation and history we’re proud of.”

Leading the team is a familiar face to regulars, Luke Hampson, who has remained front of house manager and mixologist after several years in the business’ more recent history. However, at the heart of the restaurant’s new culinary identity is Tuscan executive chef Martin Serafino.

Martin is looking forward to showing his passion for authentic Italian cuisine through his new menu, the secret of which, he says, is a combination of “tradition and innovation”.

“I am very excited about this new menu. I want to encourage people to try something they’ve never tried before,” he said.

“I like to express myself through food, so there will be some experiments. But my main goal is to share the beauty of my own country, as well as to celebrate how each country has different traditions and different ways of cooking.”

In addition to the seasonal and special menus, Martin also serves his range of Schiacciata sandwiches – using a special fresh-pressed Tuscan focaccia made in-house. Visitors to Tavola – which translates from Italian as “a table at which you would dine” – can choose from a new Bottomless Brunch menu, available every day of the week from 11am to 4pm.

Northern Italy also inspires the drinks menu, where the art of the aperitif means after-work drinks are accompanied by antipasti sharing plates of calamari, olives and crostini.

Rob said: “We needed to create a space where our guests could have both a sandwich and a coffee during the day, then come back in the evening to spend a few leisurely hours eating and drinking while enjoying good company. As a wheelchair user myself, I realize the importance of accessibility and inclusion and understand the positive impact those adaptations would have.

“We have completed the first phase of refurbishment while we are in the planning stages for the next phase involving ramp access and an accessible toilet and we will announce plans in due course. We look forward to welcoming our first guests and unveiling the vibrant and fresh new. It’s a look that suits this quirky building and complements the imaginative new menu as we begin this new chapter.”

To view the menus or to book, visit the website here.