Frescobaldis to open London restaurant

The Frescobaldi family is extending its interests from Tuscan wine production to London’s dining scene, with the launch of a restaurant and wine bar this autumn.

Located at 15 Burlington Place in Mayfair, Ristorante Frescobaldi is promising “classic dishes that celebrate Tuscan’s rich gastronomic tradition, but with their own contemporary twist.”

At the heart of the offering will be an “extensive array” of wines produced by Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, whose portfolio covers nine wine estates, mostly in the hills around Florence and Siena. These include Mormoreto, a single vineyard wine from Castello di Nipozzano, as well as Brunello di Montalcino Castelgiocondo Riserva.

The restaurant marks a joint venture with Good Food Society, a new hospitality business set up by Turkish businessman Levent Büyükuğur, who already runs the Istanbul Doors international restaurant group.

Meanwhile the Frescobaldi family already operates the Dei Frescobaldi chain of restaurants and wine bars, which was set up in 1999 and now has branches in Florence, Rome’s Fiumicino airport and London luxury department store Harrods.

The Frescobaldi family rose to prominence during the Renaissance, when it traded wine with Michelangelo in exchange for artwork, as well as acting as major financiers for the English monarch Henry VIII