The Kentish town Italian restaurant and deli will open its latest venture in Muswell Hill.
It has been announced that Italian restaurant Rossella will open its second North London site in Muswell Hill next month.
Building on the popularity of its Kentish Town location, the new location will once again bring together a restaurant, bar and deli under one roof.
Led by owner Luca Meola, Rossella is known for its seasonal Italian cooking, relaxed, family-led hospitality, and sense of community.
The heritage of the restaurant began with the Meola family in Benevento, Italy, where the first Rossella restaurant opened in 1960. Luca’s father later moved to London in 1978, opening a trattoria and establishing the family’s presence in the UK. In 2012, Luca continued that tradition when he opened Rossella in Kentish Town, creating a neighbourhood restaurant built around simple Italian cooking, quality ingredients, and wines from the family vineyard in Benevento.
The new Muswell Hill site, located on St James’s Square will be designed to be an all-day destination including a full restaurant, a separate bar for aperitivo and cocktails, serving a menu of small plates and pizzas, and a deli element showcasing Rossella’s own products and curated Italian hampers.
Meanwhile, the menu itself will reflect Rossella’s ethos while introducing a more expansive à la carte menu with a stronger emphasis on generous mains. Alongside signature pasta dishes such as Tagliatelle Ragù di Agnello, a slow braised lamb ragù, and Spaghetti allo Scoglio, seafood in a Napoli sauce, the menu places greater focus on seasonal main dishes, including Veal Milanese, Bistecca Tagliata, sliced steak served with a rocket and parmesan salad,and Salmone alla Puttanesca, creating a more rounded, bistro-style menu. Antipasti include Bruschetta di Pomodoro made with ciabatta from local Muswell Hill institution Dunn’s Bakery and bestselling Mozzarella Fritta. Alongside this, a pizza counter set beside the bar will form a natural focal point within the room, where chefs will prepare pizzas and bake Rossella’s 48-hour slow-fermented dough to order, including options such as the Friarielli, topped with Sicilian pork and fennel sausage, sautéed friarielli and red chilli.
For those with a sweet tooth, desserts will include: Rossella’s homemade Tiramisu served tableside via the ‘Tiramisu Trolley’ – an adapted vintage drinks trolley once owned by Luca’s grandfather, adding both a sense of occasion and a personal connection to the family story behind the restaurant.
The interiors, designed by Faber & Co, have been conceived to feel as though the space has evolved organically over time, with layered details, rich colours and a retro aesthetic that gives the restaurant warmth and character. Distinct restaurant and bar areas sit alongside one another, creating a space that can shift from daytime dining and family occasions to evening drinks and gatherings. The bar can also be reconfigured as a private dining area for up to 30 guests.
Talking about the news, Luca Meola, Founder of Rossella, says: “Everything we do at Rossella comes from my family and how I grew up. Food was always about bringing people together around the table, and that’s still what drives it now. Muswell Hill feels like somewhere that really values that kind of place, somewhere local, relaxed and genuinely part of the neighbourhood. We’re not trying to reinvent anything, it’s about doing things properly, sharing those traditions and creating somewhere that feels like part of people’s everyday life.”
To find out more about both restaurants visit: https://rossella.co.uk/