Aqua Restaurant Group to launch Italian seafood concept in Chelsea
Azzurra is billed as a ‘culmination’ of the group’s founder David Yeo’s ‘extensive travel through Italy over many years’ serving high-quality seafood from UK waters ‘prepared with Italian elegance and simplicity’.
The launch is hot on the heels of Aqua Restaurant Group’s Luci in Covent Garden, which opened last month.
Designed by Robert Angell, Azzurra will feature a 16m bar with seating running the length of the space that will house a raw bar and cocktail bar.
Design details within the azure-toned space will include floor-to-ceiling windows, English oak timber-topped tables, sculptures of netting from English fishing boats; and decorative crustaceans and fish that have been hand-carved on the Amalfi Coast.
A private dining space at the back of Azzura features warm wooden walls and ceilings, roughly painted to evoke old fishing boats.
The kitchen will be overseen by executive chef Andrea Mura, who is originally from Sardinia.
His high-end menu will include the likes of Scottish langoustine tartare with Amalfi lemon oil and smoked Anglesey salt; sea urchin ‘diamond’ with charred peach and seaweed caviar; seafood carbonara; and salt-baked seabass with salmoriglio sauce.
“We are delighted to be launching Azzurra in Chelsea,” says Yeo. “From a personal standpoint, Italy and in particular the Amalfi Coast has long held a fascination with me - some of my happiest memories feature that glittering, perfect blue of the sea, candy-coloured towns perched on rugged cliffs, and, of course, spectacular food - always prepared simply but with love.”
Aqua Restaurant Group operates Aqua Nueva, Aqua Kyoto and Aqua Spirit in Soho, Hutong and Aqua Shard in London Bridge, Shiro in Broadgate Circle and now Luci in Covent Garden.
Founded in Hong Kong where it has eight restaurants, the group also operates sites in the US and Dubai.
