Four to Eight is a new contemporary Italian restaurant launched in Covent Garden in October. It’s the realization of a lifelong aspiration from two brothers, Gino and Leo Zambito, who have previously owned a renowned sandwich bar on the same site called Franco and Gino, frequented by celebrated British actors such as Sir Michael Gambon and Felicity Kendall. The two brothers were born to Sicilian immigrants who came to England in the early sixties.
Four to Eight offers modern and rustic Italian food, using quality produce and simple ingredients. The concept has been devised by executive chef Andrew Lassetter (Cocoon, Circus) who appointed Chris Denney as head chef. Chris has previously worked with very talented chefs such as John Campbell and Aaron Patterson who truly inspired his career.
Chris heads a team of mostly Italian chefs from different parts of Italy, which gives the non-regional menu a variety of accents and flavours. The team works closely with suppliers to secure always the freshest ingredients.
Highlights of the current a la carte menu include Minestrone with Crispy Pig’s Head, Semolina Gnocchi, Black Truffle Taglioni , Venison Tartare, Beef Shin Ragu, Rum Baba plus a selection of grilled meats sourced from The Rare Breed Meat Company (Coggeshall, Essex).
The wine takes centre stage thanks to an extensive and eclectic wine list carefully curated by wine consultant Ksenia Karpenko and junior sommelier Patrick Niddrie-Webb. There are nearly 100 wines to choose from – 25 sold by the glass – including champagne, sparkling, red, white, rosé and dessert wines.
Contemporary and elegant
Spread over two floors, Four to Eight has a contemporary and elegant interior designed by architect Ed Shinton from Atelier West. The ground floor is perfect for people watching being surrounded by large windows overlooking Catherine Street and Exeter Street. A stunning wine cabinet marks the middle of the room. The downstairs’ dining room is more intimate, with a darker colour palette and features an open kitchen where diners can sit by the counter and watch the chefs in action.
Ed Shinton says: “The inspiration was the historic corner building itself, which was restored to its former glory externally, while internally a simple palette of functional materials allow the existing fabric to shine through. The upper floor is centred around the feature bar and wine store, while the lower floor is more intimate with a connection to the open kitchen.”
Four toEight, 1 – 5 CatherineStreet Covent Garden London WC2B5JZ
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Interior Designer: Ed Shinton (AtelierWest) Covers:100
Small plates / starters from£6 Main courses from£12
Pasta from£12 Dessert from£6
Openinghours Monday –Saturday Lunch: 11:45 –2.45pm
Dinner: 5.00pm –10:45pm