Latest opening: Circolo Popolare
What: A massive Italian trattoria-style restaurant on Rathbone Place in Fitzrovia with space for nearly 300 covers, where the walls are lined with more than 20,000 bottles of spirits and the dessert menu features a litre-sized ice cream sundae. It’s fair to say that here, size really does matter.
Who: French-owned Italian restaurant group Big Mamma, which made waves in the capital earlier this year when it launched its debut London restaurant Gloria in Shoreditch – described by founders Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux at the time as “probably the least Brexit-compatible restaurant in the UK”. Lugger and Seydoux exploded onto the Paris scene six years ago with their cult, quirky restaurants that were a breath of fresh air in the French capital, which had been short on Italian casual dining options. They’ve since opened a number of lively trattorias there including East Mamma, Pizzeria Popolare and La Felicità, the last of which is claimed to be the biggest restaurant in Europe.
The food: As with Gloria, the menu covers similar ground to existing Italian casual-dining chains with sections for antipasti, pasta and pizza. Indeed, the menu at Circolo appears to be a more condensed version of what’s available at the Shoreditch flagship, with an emphasis on diners sharing a number of dishes between them and plenty of crossover including the aged San Daniele ham; la gran carbonara for two; and ‘incomparable’ lemon pie (complete with 5’9-inch meringue layer). There are some new additions too, including skewers of veal, cuttlefish or sausage that are served with salad and roast potatoes; sfoglia with Tuscan pork ragù, aubergines and parmesan; and for those who like a challenge, an ‘OTT XXL’ gelato sundae that’s a litre in size and served with cookie chunks, churros, brownies and home-made whipped cream.
The vibe: In keeping with the Big Mamma brand, Circolo isn’t a restaurant that does things by halves. The 160-cover Gloria has become someone of a local hotspot, and regularly has queues out the door. As such, Big Mamma has doubled down here, with the 9,000sq ft space holding 280 covers (60 of which are available for walk-in only on the outdoor terrace). Despite hardly any natural light and the tables packed tightly together, the room is bright and airy, with the aesthetic inspired by the trattorias of Sicily; more coastal and rustic, and less 1970s Capri chic than its sibling. As well as the 20,000+ spirit/wine bottles lining nearly every inch of the walls, hanging from the ceiling are colourful floral arrangements and bright lighting that dims as the sun goes down.
And another thing: Opening two successful restaurants in the capital within a few months of each other is no small feat, but Big Mamma is showing no signs of stopping there. In fact, it looks as if the French-owned group is hellbent on shaking up London’s Italian casual dining scene, with at least two further openings – including a potential food market concept – on the cards.
40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HX
bigmammagroup.com/circolo-popolare
