New-look Italian restaurant opening its doors in Leamington this week

A new Italian restaurant is set to open in Leamington this week.

It marks a new chapter for the 200-year-old venue in Clarendon Street, following a refurbishment.

The former 44 Café reopens in its new guise on May 10 inspired by Italian surrealist painters of the 1920s – the vision of Birmingham-based design company Faber.

Proprietor Rob Singleton said: “Tavola is a homage to the bars and trattoria of northern Italy and Rome where the best Italian ingredients are prepared with love, care, and skill and where hospitality is done right.

“We feel we have created somewhere our neighbourhood can be proud of, somewhere our guests will always find a warm, open-armed welcome.

“Team members who have grown up in Leamington as well as Italy make up our front of house.

"We all have the same values around hospitality and every member of the team is here because they love people and love nothing more than being part of the most enjoyable parts of people’s lives, eating and drinking and being together.

“The rebranding is a natural extension of the refurbishment and history that we are proud of.”

Heading up the team is Luke Hampson, who stayed on as front of house manager and mixologist after several years in the business’s more recent history.

Tuscan executive chef, Martin Serafino is also joining the team and says helooks forward to showcasing his passion for authentic Italian cooking through his new menu.

Rob added: “We needed to create a space where our guests can both grab a sandwich and a coffee in the day, then come back in the evening to spend a few leisurely hours eating and drinking while enjoying good company.

“Being a wheelchair user myself, I realise the importance of accessibility and inclusivity and understand the positive impact those adaptations would have.

"We have completed the first phase of refurbishment, while in the planning stage for the next phase involving ramped access and an accessible toilet and we will announce plans in due course.”

“We look forward to welcoming our first guests and unveiling the vibrant and fresh new look. "

To see the menus or to book, from May 10 go to: https://tavolauk.co.uk/