The restaurant is a laidback concept which aims to be an ‘urban oasis’ in the middle of the UK’s busy capital city. It runs over two floors, with a 40-cover restaurant upstairs and a 20-cover lounge bar area downstairs with a big screen. Spiaggia also has a games room where customers can play games such as backgammon and table football.
The man behind the new concept is Mish Haddad, who aims to create a space that is unique in London where customers can enjoy relaxed all-day dining.
Casual and fun
The idea behind the restaurant is to transport customers to the Italian Riviera with the venue’s beach-like feel. Spiaggia will be designed using warm yellows and cooler blues and features painted timber and ‘tongue in cheek’ touches such as sun loungers and neon signs.
“We can’t bring the whole ocean and the beach to London, but we can try and recreate them through the dining and drinking experience,” explained Haddad. “It’s all really casual, cool and fun. It’s not overtly Italian but we’re inspired by Italy as a theme with lots of Italian references everywhere without being pedantic about it.”
“It’s in a good catchment area too, on the outskirts of a busy neighbourhood. Chelsea is nearby and there’s a lot of footfall with lots of bars and restaurants nearby. There isn’t really an Italian drop-in place open every day around here though, and I thought this neighbourhood needed something of the sort. We’re hoping to make it a destination restaurant.”
Food and drink offering
Haddad described the dishes on offer as ‘simple, easy and fresh’, with the menu including choices such as piattini (Italian tapas) for sharing, salads, pasta dishes and spiedini (skewers from the robata grill). It will also focus on piadinas, which are think Italian flatbreads with a variety of fillings. There are also a number of cocktails that fit with the beach theme, and a choice of Italian wines.
When asked what would make the restaurant stand out, Haddad said: “The food, specifically the piadinas which are not on offer anywhere else. The other major factor is we are unique, London’s beach club. The atmosphere alone will be like an urban oasis, a retreat that people can come back to again and again.”