Rossella is already established in Kentish Town under owner Luca Meola’s brand of family-friendly hospitality.
Now he’s bringing his signature pizzas, pasta dishes and Italian classics to a second site in St James’s Square, Muswell Hill Road.
The all-day destination includes a deli showcasing Rossella’s Italian products such as chilli oil, balsamic glaze, olive oil, and wines from the family vineyard along with curated hampers.
There’s also a full restaurant and separate bar for cocktails, aperitivo small plates and pizzas.
A Londoner and second-generation Italian, Luca draws on his family heritage in Benevento, Italy, to shape the menu.
The first Rossella restaurant opened in Benevento in 1960 and when Luca’s father moved to London in 1978 he opened a trattoria of his own.
Luca continued that tradition when he opened Rossella in Highgate Road Kentish Town in 2012 – a neighbourhood restaurant built around simple Italian cooking and wines from the Meola family vineyard.
The new venue will feature a wide-ranging bistro style menu with pasta dishes such as slow braised lamb ragù, and seafood in Napoli sauce to veal Milanese, bistecca tagliata – sliced steak served with a rocket and parmesan salad – and salmon alla puttanesca.
Antipasti include bruschetta made with ciabatta from north London institution Dunn’s Bakery, and bestselling mozzarella fritta, while the pizza counter next to the the bar will see chefs turning out pizzas with Rossella’s 48-hour slow-fermented dough to order.
Options include the friarielli, topped with Sicilian pork and fennel sausage, sautéed friarielli and red chilli.
Rossella’s homemade tiramisu is served tableside on an adapted vintage drinks trolley once owned by Luca’s grandfather, bringing a sense of occasion to dessert.
For drinks think limoncello spritz, Negronis made with Sacred Vermouth – distilled in Highgate – and espresso martinis, served in vintage glassware.
The look features layered details, rich colours and a retro aesthetic to create a space that flows from daytime dining and family occasions to evening drinks and gatherings.
Dogs and children are welcome with a children’s menu and plans for pizza-making workshops, alongside a programme of wine tastings and other events.
Luca said: “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.”
