Aldo Zilli to expand restaurant business outside of London

Italian chef-restaurateur Aldo Zilli is to expand his business interests outside the capital.

Zilli, who owns four restaurants in central London, will open two outlets in Brighton at the city's forthcoming Myhotel.

They will comprise a Zilli Café, which will open on 18 March, followed by the launch of the Zilli restaurant which will coincide with the boutique hotel's official opening in May.

The café, which will be modelled on the Zilli Café on Brewer Street in London's Soho, will be a 30-cover space that will be open from breakfast through to dinner serving a selection of healthy fast food including pastas, salads and sandwiches as well as a range of homemade ice cream.

The restaurant, which will simply be called Zilli, will comprise a 100-cover dining room as well as a 100-cover al fresco area that will offer a modern Italian menu with a focus on sustainable seafood as well as seasonal and where possible organic produce.

Zilli told Caterersearch he was both thrilled and nervous about the project. "I'm really excited about moving down to the coast but I'm also nervous after my last expansion to Notting Hill didn't go so well," he said.

"But I'm hoping it won't be my only restaurant outside of London."

In London, Zilli has appointed a new head chef at his Zilli Fish restaurant, with former Via Condotti chef-patron Pasquale Amico having joined the restaurant. While Amico will be based at the Soho eaterie, he will also be involved in the initial launch of Zilli Brighton.

Meanwhile, Zilli Café and Zilli Fish will undergo a facelift within the next month. Both outlets will continue to operate as normal during the refurbishment. Zilli Café has just been granted a liquor licence and will now be serving wine.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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