With the restaurants Jacuzzi, Gloria, Ave Mario and Circolo Populare, Big Mamma Group has proven it's all about maximalism, baby: we're talkin' four-storey Italian villas, mile-high lemon meringue pie, booze collections 20,000 bottles strong and disco toilets. 

So when the folks at Big Mamma Group say their newest restaurant in Marylebone is gonna be "intimate", we're still expecting things to be pretty OTT. With space for 150 revellers, there's gonna be a ruby-red terrace, a suede-ceiling dining room, an opulent Venetian marble bar and an open kitchen straight outta the '80s, draped in midnight-blue velvet.

Food-wise, Carlotta promises nonna's cooking with an American twist - chef Armando created the menu from recipes inspired by his own grandma, who ran a trattoria back in the '50s. That means pasta dishes with retro sauces (penne alla vodka with Cornish crab, yes please!) and a next-level barbecue menu - and for dessert, a massive 10-tiered chocolate fudge cake (told ya things were gonna get extravagant). 

Carlotta has a thing for whiskies, so you'll wanna check out her spirits selection. And when it comes to cocktails, classics are the name of the game. A freezer-cold Martini sipped among mirrors and golden drapes? Intimate or no, it's a vibe we wanna catch. 

Opening May 2023