Italian restaurateur to open Assunta Madre in London

Italian fish restaurant Assunta Madre is to open its first new site outside of Rome.

The new restaurant will open on London's Blenheim Street in February, and is inspired by the original Roman restaurant, founded by former fisherman Johnny Micalusi where produce is caught daily from the restaurant's fishing boat, Assunta Madre, and purchased daily from the Terracina auction.

Assunta Madre on 8-10 Blenheim Street, just off New Bond Street, will seat 90 covers on the ground floor, with a private dining room in the basement capable of seating up to 30 diners.

Fish will be flown in from Rome daily, with a chef preparing ceviche dishes at an iced fish display in the main dining room.

There will also be a large aquarium where diners will be able to select their fish of choice.

The restaurant will be run by the same team as the one in Rome, with Johnny Micalusi flying over to supervise the opening.

"Terracina means tradition and quality," said Micalusi of the market from which all fish will be purchased. "The fishermen have a strong culture and know how to deal with the product with real expertise. Clients have asked us for years to open in London, and so it really was the only other city we wanted to be in."