Luke Ahearne (previously of Lita and Luca) has joined forces with Stevie Parle (chef-owner of Town and Pastaio) to open Motorino in Fitzrovia this October. Luke is collaborating with Stevie to execute their joint vision of a modern London-Italian restaurant.
For Luke, Motorino follows on quickly from his head chef position at Lita in Marylebone, a Mediterranean bistro, which was awarded a Michelin star in under a year. Luke says, “Opening Motorino with Stevie is a chance to create something new, bold and exciting in central London. For us it’s all about celebrating great produce, cooking with joy, and bringing my perspective on Italian food to Fitzrovia.”
Motorino is Stevie’s second new opening within six months - following Town - his critically acclaimed Covent Garden restaurant and bar. Motorino will showcase the best seasonal produce from Parle’s trusted suppliers, farms and friends in the UK and Ireland. Stevie says, “Luke is a fantastic young chef, passionate about produce, obsessed by quality and consistency, and together we want to create something really special. We’re determined to open the best London-Italian we can. With Luke’s food, Kevin Armstrong’s world class cocktails and a wine list to match, we want to make Motorino the London-Italian this city deserves.”
With Motorino, the pair aim to deliver an exciting, ambitious restaurant with fun at its core, and without compromising on quality and inventiveness. At 150 covers, the new restaurant is expansive, including its own destination bar. Like Town, the bar at Motorino will be overseen by Kevin Armstrong (of World’s 50 Best Bar, Satan’s Whiskers) and will include seasonal chargers on tap as well as a line-up of quick-serve, icy cold, direct martinis.
