Banca di Roma, which opened at the weekend in Royal Exchange Square Glasgow, is the first Scottish restaurant for the Cozzolino Brothers – Antonio, Pasquale, and Simone, protégés of London-based chef Francesco Mazzei.
The venue, in what was formerly Zizzi’s, includes an open-plan 180-cover restaurant, two private dining rooms, two bars for a further 100 guests and a DJ booth. Antonio says, “The décor is more than we could have ever imagined, a wow moment when you walk through the door. We’ve worked hard on creating a menu that delivers on a real Italian dining experience and we’re excited for everyone to try it.”
The restaurant features black and white marble flooring, bold royal blue and crisp white half-moon decorative cornicing that punctuates the floor-to-ceiling panelling and pillars, large skylights, and a winding staircase. There is also a wraparound glass balcony on the first floor which overlooks the ground level with statement round tables, soft furnished banquette seating and plush chairs perfect for convivial dining.
Antonio, Pasquale, and Simone will bring to Glasgow the traditions and flavours from their three-generation Vesuvian tomato family farm in the Campania region of Italy, together with the authenticity of Italian dishes and innovative flair. The front of house team is led by general manager Rocco Morabito previously of Novikov and his deputy Filomena Visaggi, originally from Hakkasan.