Our Signor Sassi restaurant is a hidden gem in London. Located in the heart of Knightsbridge Green opposite Harrods, the legendary Italian opened in 1984 and became part of the San Carlo Group in 2007.

San Carlo Group Chairman Carlo Distefano’s decision to buy one of the most celebrated restaurants in the Capital was not purely a business decision, Carlo has been dining there for over 25 years and has always loved it!

Signor Sassi’s signature dish is Spaghetti Lobster and, unsurprisingly, one of the most popular items on the extensive, ‘simple Italian’ menu at the flagship UK restaurant, and at our two Signor Sassi restaurants in the Middle East.

If you enjoy San Carlo we would highly recommend you visit Signor Sassi, it’s a truly great Italian dining experience. Book a table on 0207 584 2277.

This month we opened Gran Cafe at Selfridges – launching our latest venture with a ‘pop up’ van in Exchange Square during Manchester’s Dig the City Summer garden festival.
Open every day throughout the six-day event, our team gave visitors ‘a taste of Gran Cafe’ serving real gelato – homemade in San Carlo Manchester’s ice cream kitchen using traditional methods and only Italian ingredients.

Gran Cafe is a different way to enjoy the San Carlo Group experience. Located on the Ground Floor of Selfridges (formerly Farmacia Del Dolce) the new cafe bar is open from 11am on weekdays for breakfast and brunch – the most important meal of the day.
Nibbles, sandwiches, salads and mains are all available for lunchtime, afternoon and evening diners as well as specialities including:
Macarons – a name derived from the Italian word macarone, the Italian meringue.
Choose from Salted Caramel (our Managing Director’s favourite and our bestseller), Raspberry, Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Banana, Blackcurrant & Lime or our limited edition flavour, which changes every month. These colourful almond ganache biscuits are the perfect sweet treat … can’t decide on a flavour … buy a mixed boxed selection.

Champagne Afternoon Tea – Assorted Savoury Bites, Fruit Scone, Pastries, with a Choice of Teas and a Glass of Champagne. An indulgent experience.

Smoothies – Skin & Hair Booster; Hangover Cure; Immune Booster and Energy Booster all feature on our new fresh and healthy smoothie menu.

Gran Cafe is open Monday – Friday 11am – 8pm, Saturday 9am – 8pm and Sunday 11am – 5.30pm.
Ice-cream, macarons, individual desserts and smoothies are all available to take-away.

This issue we feature Birmingham Living Magazine’s visit to San Carlo Birmingham. Here’s what they had to say about our award-winning restaurant in Temple Street which opened in 1992: Read more…

Fancy three courses? Prefer sweet to savoury? Then our ‘Dolci’ menu is definitely worth a try. All home made with an Italian twist, our desserts and gelato are truly delicious.

‘Scannolo Siciliano’, cannolo stuffed with ricotta cheese, candied fruits, chocolate chips and Grand Marnier and ‘Crostata di Mele’, a traditional Italian-style tart, are both very popular choices.

If you don’t mind sharing we recommend our ‘Dolci San Carlo’, a selection of mini bites or the ‘San Carlo Special’, chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla ice cream with crushed Ferrero & warm Nutella sauce. Enjoy these specials with a complimentary glass of Vin Santo.

Just make sure you ask for extra spoons,because, we can guarantee, our desserts are so good everyone will want to try!

The second week of Celebrity MasterChef saw five well-known personalities enter the MasterChef kitchen – and we welcomed two of them to in to our kitchen at Cicchetti Covent Garden, London.

Children’s TV presenter Sam Nixon and comedian Syd Little took on the challenge of cooking for the first time in a restaurant, preparing dishes for Cicchetti’s paying customers, and working alongside Group Executive Chef Filippo Pagani.

Sam was in charge of the Mixed Grill orders and Syd was tasked with recreating our Seafood Stew special.

Cicchetti Covent Garden appeared on Celebrity MasterChef on Thursday 25 June. To watch this episode visit BBC iPlayer.

It would seem Summer is the season of change at San Carlo Group as this month we also introduce a new menu at our San Carlo restaurants nationwide.

Using the finest produce flown in from the markets of Milan, our Group Executive Chef, Filippo Pagani, and his experienced kitchen team have developed meat and grill dishes and seafood specials – combining main ingredients with seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruits.

New creations include:

• Nodino di Vitello Burro e Salvia, Veal cutlet specially imported from Tuscany and cooked in butter and sage.
• Abbacchio Ligure, Baked rack of lamb with red wine and mixed herbs.
• Pappardelle Cipriani ‘Alla Piemontese’, Famous Cipriani pasta ribbons, sauteed with porcini mushrooms, garlic, parsley butter, Parmesan shavings and drizzled with truffle oil.
• Branzino al Sale, Baked salted and crusted whole sea bass, flamed with vodka (Special).

A selection of Grills, cooked using charcoal and wood, are also a new addition. Chateaubriand Steak (28 day aged) served with a Bearnaise sauce and 35 day dry aged Ribeye, Sirloin and T-Bone steaks now sit alongside old favourites on our extensive San Carlo menu.

A feature dish on the Florentine Grill is the Tomahawok Steak (for two), a large bone-in steak with a big, rich flavour – one of the rarest and most expensive steaks from the USA.
Filippo Pagani said: “Every chef enjoys creating dishes to mark a new season. We use the freshest ingredients and produce of the highest quality so every mouthful is divine!”

The Summer menu is now being served in San Carlo Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol and Leicester.

It’s here! The new Summer cocktail menu is now available in both Fumo Birmingham and Manchester … and it’s amazing!

From the Breakfast Martini and the Prosecco Float to the Sloe and Sticky and the Truffle Sour, they are all so tempting. So, we asked the drinks teams behind the new creations to recommend their favourites:

In Birmingham Fumo Bar Manager Leonardo suggested one of the ‘Dolci’ – cocktails that can be ordered as a drink or a dessert. The Cappuccino Colada is a twist on a classic Pina Colada and a real decadent treat. Stoli Chocolate and Coconut Vodka blended with Cafe Borghetti coffee liqueur and fresh pineapple and cream. Simply divine.

In Manchester, the mixologist opted for a long-refreshing drink, the ‘Tropical Sour’, perfect for enjoying alfresco on the outdoor terrace. Midori, Pisang Ambon banana liquer, lemon juice and sugar are shaken twice to make this cocktail. Drink while the sun’s shining and dream of being on the beach!

Sunday lunch in Italy is quite an occasion. An excellent meal with many dishes, a gathering of family and friends, exceptional Italian wine and a long afternoon of lively conversation.

If you like the sound of this and want a taste of Italy on a Sunday then visit our Hale Barns restaurant.

Each week between noon and 5pm our Fiorentina at the Marriott Hotel serves a four-course set menu of regional Italian food for just £17.95.

Select from four starters such as San Carlo Pate or Melon and Prawns; refresh your palate with our homemade sorbet; then choose from five seasonal main courses including Leg of Lamb, Roast Striploin of Beef and Seabass Sassi. Finish your meal with a delicious sweet from our dessert trolley.

Book a table, bring your family and friends, we’ll do the rest!

Have you heard the buzz? Have you seen our tweets? This month we launched ‘Fumo Sound’ in both Birmingham and Manchester.
On selected Saturdays throughout the Summer live DJs and saxophonists play at (and on!) the bar at our Fumo late lounge venues bringing great vibes to an already amazing atmosphere.

If you enjoy live music with your cicchetti and cocktails make sure you’re with us for:
Richie Sax at Fumo Manchester on Saturday 20 June
Tom da Lips at Fumo Manchester on Saturday 4 July
Dax on Sax at Fumo Manchester on Saturday 18 July
Tom da Lips at Fumo Manchester on Saturday 1 August
Dax on Sax at Fumo Birmingham on Saturday 1 August

Follow our @SanCarlo_Fumo Twitter account for further news and ‘Fumo Sound’ updates.

Want the ‘Fumo Sound’ at home, in the car, on your mobile? Visit our Mixcloud page:
https://www.mixcloud.com/SanCarloFumoSound/