Big Mamma to launch new restaurant in Canary Wharf

Big Mamma is to open its sixth London restaurant this June.

The new restaurant Barbarella will be in the corporate district of Canary Wharf, east London.

Set in the YY Building, the group said the restaurant’s theme has been inspired by 1970s Roman cinema, and its décor will include vintage Ferragamo silks, a mirrored glass bar and a reflective 70s chromed lounge upstairs with an open kitchen at the centre of the restaurant. 

The kitchen will be led by Roma-born Marco Rastelli, who will be serving a daily-changing menu including pizzas and home-made pasta including a new one-metre long spaghettone.

The menu will also feature of Cornish lemon sole and grilled steaks, from fillet to a 1.2kg T-bone. A dedicated gelati section will also feature in the restaurant.

Its opening comes after the Big Mamma opened its first regional restaurant, La Bellezza in Birmingham in November last year, while it continues to operate its five London restaurants, including Gloria, Circolo Popolare, and Carlotta.

Last year, it reported that all of its London restaurants were “fully booked one month in advance” throughout 2023.

The group said: “Gloria, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi and Carlotta all performed strongly in excess of expectations.”

Big Mamma’s success saw Lugger and Seydoux win the Restaurateur of the Year – Group at the 2023 Cateys, where the judges praised the group for creating “fabulously outrageous, flamboyant restaurants” at an ambitious scale and with sound financial credentials.

Image: Haydon Perrior