Caterina55 plans to bring a Ligurian style of cooking to London and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The site will also offer free WiFi and a takeaway and delivery service and intends to attract sit down diners as well as those who just want to grab a quick bite on the run.
Owner Flavio Gasparini said: “Our consultancy Sagitter One advised us that this would be a great site and when we saw it in the flesh we fell in love with it straight away. It’s in the middle of the City near Moorgate station, with plenty of footfall from people working and living close by.
“From our travels around the world we found that there was a gap in the market for a fast casual restaurant which is completely transparent about their food. We’ve also found that a lot of these establishments don’t make quality of ingredients a high priority. At Caterina55 we want to be totally transparent about all of the ingredients we are using in our home-made Italian dishes. For example our Lasagne will be made using only the best, fresh tomatoes and organic meat to a traditional Italian recipe.”
Natural ingredients
With its menu, Caterina55 intends to use only completely natural ingredients so that diners can be sure their food is free from any preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours. The owners aim to offer dishes that are ‘comforting, authentic and fresh’.
Caterina55 opens from 7am for breakfast, serving pancakes, muffins and pastries that are baked in store with organic ingredients. Lunch offerings include sandwiches, salads and soups, while the evening menu offers more substantial dishes such as homemade pasta and organic burgers. The menu is seasonally dependent and will change regularly.
Gasparini said: “The dishes on our menu are very much influenced by the Ligurian style of cooking. Unlike other all day eateries we pride ourselves on using natural ingredients in every single one of our dishes. We offer home-cooked, high-quality food that is good for the customers as well as their wallets. The menu will also be seasonally dependent and change regularly so there will always be something new and exciting to try there.”
Caterina55 is located at The Heron, 5 Moor Lane and opens in early June.