Premier Hospitality

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

Emilia’s
Written by Roma Publications

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

27-year-old restauranteur Andrew Macleod, founder of critically acclaimed craft pasta restaurant Emilia’s in St Katharine Docks, has added to his pasta portfolio with a second location opening in Aldgate.

Spearheading the pasta trend in the capital, Emilia’s was one of the first on the scene and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best pasta restaurants in London. Born and bred in West London, Andrew’s interest in bringing great Italian crafted pasta is keenly demonstrated via his pasta pilgrimage across Italy prior to opening Emilia’s. Following extensive visits to some of Italy’s most famed regions, Andrew spent 18 months learning from local Italian chefs who extolled an extraordinary passion for cooking and recipes passed down through the generations.

Andrew told Premier Hospitality: “The original site opened nearly three years ago. We always take things one step at a time and when we opened the first restaurant; we wanted to get that running to the best of its ability before thinking of a second site. An opportunity then came up in Aldgate, which was a really good deal and is about 15 minutes from the original site, so we decided to give it a go.”

Taking inspiration from the beautiful Emilia Romagna region of Italy, Emilia’s Aldgate boasts 55 covers in an inviting, vibrant and whimsical setting. As you step into Emilia’s you feel like you are in a countryside workshop in Italy, where talented craftsmen are making fresh pasta. Cotti D’italia terracotta tiles offset the earthy craft rustic terracotta plastered walls, balanced with industrial black metal details and white Carrara marble surrounding a tiled terracotta feature bar that generates a warm and carefree space to meet, drink and dine.

Andrew said: “We have used a lot of reclaimed timber for a warm look. We have some antique brass features which are similar to the previous site with terracotta and black steel elements offsetting that.

“We wanted to keep about 30% of the site similar to the original site, so that was with some materials and textures, with 70% of the site being new elements,” said Andrew.

An open kitchen allows diners to watch the chefs at work, providing an engaging and fun food experience where the guest is part of the journey from start to finish. A manned pasta counter presents itself at the window of the restaurant giving 360 degree views of the handcrafted pasta being made and is a site to enjoy both from the street and as a diner in the restaurant alike. Guests are also able to dine al fresco with 24 outdoor seats as well as a communal counter to enjoy an aperitif with friends.

Emilia’s Aldgate offers a succinct selection of pasta dishes which Andrew has fine-tuned to pay homage to the original dishes from various regions in Italy, along with careful pairing of pasta shapes with sauces. Emilia’s Aldgate is also able to extend its current offering since a bigger kitchen allows for a revolving specials board that showcases new dishes never seen before but without sacrificing the core favourites.

The carefully created menu is made using only the purest ingredients, with some sourced exclusively from a handful of local and sustainable suppliers in Italy and the UK; Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Fattoria Di Maiano and ‘Pasture for Life’ certified 100% grass fed organic beef from Bristol. Niche suppliers also play a part including artisanal lemonade, Lurisia Gazzosa, normally only found in Italy. A short wine list is made up of predominantly Italian vintages such as Conviviale Primitivo Del Salento from Apuglia and II Cascione Camillona from Piedmont. A handful of classic Italian cocktails evoke a quintessential piazza experience thanks to an ultimate Aperol Spritz and must-have Negroni. A unique Italian craft beer selection is also available and to finish your meal a coffee sourced from ‘The Roasting,’ a small independent Italian roaster with a coffee shop in Victoria.

Andrew added: “For us this site is a huge stepping stone. Before we opened, we were one of the only pasta restaurants around and people said it wouldn’t really wok. For us this is the key site in terms of seeing if it works across different areas and not just in the area we started. This is a huge step in us showing that pasta is a popular as people think it is.”

Emilia’s

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