WHEN Brasserie Gerard in Albert Square closed down we wondered what would come along to take its place, and now we have our answer — an Italian restaurant going by the name of Pizza Porto.
When we saw all the construction workers milling around the building we couldn’t resist popping in for a quick chat to try and find out who had taken on the challenge of the Albert Square property.
It’s a fantastic location, especially now we’re getting some better weather and they can make use of the space for outdoor seating
Despite occupying what would appear to be prime territory, previous owners have struggled to make the place work. Café Uno was affectionately nicknamed ‘Café Oh-no’ and Brasserie Gerard closed when the entire chain went into administration at the back end of last year.
New look interior
This time its Jonathan Kaye’s turn to see if he can turn the property’s fortunes around. He seems to know what he’s doing — he comes from a family of restaurateurs and is the CEO of the 160-strong Italian restaurant chain Prezzo.
For the last three weeks the restaurant has been undergoing a facelift, overseen by London-based firm Dover Design who worked on the place back when it was Café Uno. The restaurant has a light and spacious feel, simple but inoffensive.
The menu will apparently be ‘classic popular Italian but with a twist’. Upon hearing this, Confidential’s editor, almost threw himself out of the window muttering about clichés and formulas.
A glimpse of the kitchen
Nevertheless, the restaurant shows promise and Confidential is reserving judgement until we try it out for ourselves, or at least get our hands on a copy of the menu. Watch this space.
Meanwhile, despite keeping affairs low key, Mr Kaye is confident the restaurant will be ready to open to the public on Monday.
It’s a fantastic location, especially now we’re getting some better weather and they can make use of the space for outdoor seating, so here’s hoping Pizza Porto is a hit.
We’re just hoping it doesn’t become another YAFI as we call them (Yet Another F**king Italian).
You can follow Paul on Twitter @paulberentzen
