Burro, the new Italian restaurant in Covent Garden by Trullo chef and co-owner Conor Gadd, has been hotly anticipated since its launch was announced in November. Now, Gadd has confirmed an opening date: March 11. But, in the lead-up to that official opening, Burro will host a soft launch from March 6 to 8, when all bookings will receive 50 per cent off their bills.
Gadd’s Irish heritage and years steeped in Italian cooking and hospitality will inform Burro, which translates from Italian as “butter” and will encompass a bar, dining room and terrace. This ethos will also be reflected in the design by Lisa Helmanis of Day Studio (Trullo, Padella), which will feature yellow walls that recall sunny Roman streets. Burgundy marble and velvet banquettes will create texture and depth throughout, and Belfast-based artist Dan Ferguson has made a wall-sized canvas depicting an Italian scene.
Gadd’s menu will be underpinned by great produce and, like at Trullo, will likely have pasta-lovers in a thrall with options including duck ragu, in which Aylesbury duck and dried porcini are slow cooked until rich and unctuous, then served with tagliatelle. There’ll also be tortellini – filled with pork, mortadella and prosciutto – plus a fettucine alfredo, with the pasta made fresh every day.
Moving away from the pasta, there’ll be antipasti including a classic Venetian dish of chicken livers on garlicky toast and cuttlefish stuffed with breadcrumbs and anchovies. Bigger dishes will change with the seasons – think Dover sole with prosecco and caviar, and a house version of acqua pazza, a dish that traditionally sees white fish poached in a herby broth; at Burro it will make use of British lobster. For sweets, there’ll be fun twists on classics: tiramisu bomboloni, and almond cake served with butter and a glass of sweet marsala.
Trullo’s head wine buyer and sommelier William Amherst is behind Burro’s 200- to 300-strong wine list, which will home in on wines from Piedmont and Tuscany, but also aim to represent each of Italy’s wine regions. There’ll also be a sharp champagne selection, classic and seasonal cocktails, and rare spirits.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine opening a restaurant in Covent Garden,” Gadd said in a statement. “But as soon as I saw the room – and the courtyard – I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.”
Burro opens on March 11. Bookings are now open.
