The late night Italian restaurant and Franciacorta bar will open to the public on April 1st
Blue Lobster is an Italian restaurant and cocktail bar with a relatively simple menu specialising in fresh seafood, gourmet fish and luxurious pasta dishes such as lobster linguini. They will also offer a dozen different varieties of Franciacorta – Italy’s answer to Champagne, one step up in quality from Prosecco and only produced near the fashion mecca of Milan in Lombardy.
Bottles range in price from £40 for a 1701 Franciacorta from Metodo Classico to £400 for a magnum of Ca’ Del Bosco Annamaria Clementi. If Prosecco is still your tipple, they serve a Rosalia for £35 per bottle.
This new wining and dining concept is owned by Andrea Zecchino and Nino Caruso, founders of popular wine cafe chain Veeno, which was set up in 2013 and now has 11 branches in the UK.
The interior of the two-floor venue on London Road has been designed by Giada Schioppa of Mastery Key Group, who has paired a subtly nautical theme with Italian heritage. A marble and oak bar runs almost the whole length of the ground floor with gold-wrapped bottles lining the top shelf, all the way along. Walls are a muted blue colour with white ceilings and seashell artwork. Exposed light bulbs hang from thick knotted ropes. Copper features in some of the barware and glasses as it brings a little bling with more warmth than gold. “We wanted a warm, fashionable place,” Giada told us, “recreating the atmosphere of a classic Italian seafood restaurant, with style and elegance for every day eating.”
"We wanted a warm, fashionable place"
The downstairs of the 80-cover venue has been designed as a bar area for drinks and aperitivo with high bar stools, blue velvet sofas and even a couple of high tables at the front with incorporated ice buckets to keep bottles cold. Out front is a wooden terraced area for al fresco drinking and grazing in the sunshine, as well as a little Alderley village people-watching.
Upstairs, diners will walk past the open kitchen into a smart main restaurant area with cream button backed bench seating, blue velvet chairs and wooden tables. In the centre of the room is a wine display wall, behind which is a second, more private dining room, with a grand white and copper feature fireplace. Here, each table is fitted with a “franciacorta grazie!” button to summon the serving staff in case of an empty glass emergency.
Bringing an authentic Italian flair to the cuisine will be Head Chef Mirko Capomaggi, a successful seafood entrepreneur and an accomplished international chef from Rome. Along with a selection of fresh seafood dishes such as lobster cooked with Havana rum, baked turbot and rock salt encrusted scampi, Blue Lobster will also offer a special aperitivo menu –traditionally designed for late afternoon, early evening snacking with drinks.
The aperitivo menu even includes a shellfish platter or selection of Italian cheeses designed for sharing or food and drink combinations including fresh gin and tonic oysters, or oysters soaked in Aperol – or, of course, Franciacorta.
As well as Italian wines and fizz, the bar has also created a range of cocktails including the signature Blue Lobster which is a tequila lovers delight including tequila, blue curaçao, agave syrup and lime juice.
Blue Lobster will be open every day from April 1st 2017 and will serve food until 11pm.
Blue Lobster, 34 London Rd, Alderley Edge SK9 7DZ
