Theo Randall to open casual dining restaurant in Kensington

Theo Randall is to open a new Italian casual dining restaurant in Kensington this month.

The chef is launching Theo’s Simple Italian at Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court on 14 March.

William Leoni – who worked with Randall at his eponymous InterContinental hotel restaurant – will be heading up the kitchen with a menu focused on ‘quality and innovation’.

Randall said: “This casual dining Italian restaurant is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I love the local area, my children even go to school near–by, so I wanted the restaurant to be warm and inviting – a place for neighbours to feel completely relaxed.

“The food reflects this idea; we’ve made it simple by stripping back the dishes to let the ingredients really sing out. I love creating real food that people want to eat. That’s what Italian cooking is all about!”

The 54 cover restaurant will seat 20 in the bar and ten in a ‘snug’ area designed for private meetings and events.

Dishes will range from light bites such as Grilled Bramata Polenta with Smashed Salt Cod and Red Anchovies, to larger anti pasti dishes for sharing and Italian comfort food such as Fresh Pasta with Slow Cooked Oxtail Ragu and Red Wine.

The restaurant is designed to inspire diners to recreate the dishes at home and will feature an on-site Italian deli selling seasonal, artisan produce.

Randall has run his eponymous restaurant at the InterContinental London hotel on Park Lane since 2006. The restaurant re-opened with a new menu and design in February following a six-week refurbishment.

The chef also has a minority stake in the Azzuri Group, which owns the ASK Italian and Zizzi restaurant chains.