Celebrity chef Gino welcomed guests into his new “upmarket Italian” Luciano – this is what diners can expect
Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo has outlined plans to take his new Luciano fine dining Italian restaurant national in 2022 – as he formally launched his first northern outpost in Alderley Edge.
Gino was joined by a packed restaurant of guests as he showcased the new menu for Luciano, which has taken over the former Piccolino site on London Road in Alderley Edge.
And he told the M.E.N. that work is already underway for the first Manchester branch of Luciano, the restaurant named after his eldest son, as well as plans to open one in Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.
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As we revealed earlier this month, Gino’s My Restaurant at the Corn Exchange in Manchester is to close this week along with four other Gino restaurants in the UK to be rebranded as a new Italian, Riva Blu.
Gino said that the rebranding was against his wishes, but that he was now moving on with his own plans for an even BIGGER and more lavish restaurant site in Manchester that he said will be ready to launch as Luciano by the spring.
Gino said: “My dad used to say to me for every action there is a reaction. Those five restaurants, they were rebranded without my consent and this is my reaction, I open new ones.
“When one goes, I say let’s do something bigger and better.”
As to what diners can expect at the venue, Gino says premium, authentic Italian produce and recipes is what it’s all about.
Gino says: “When I saw this opportunity, I thought if you want to open the best Italian you choose the best site in Alderley Edge.
“How many great Italian-owned restaurants do you know? Run by people like me who go back to Italy all the time? I’m there every month getting the best ingredients, researching the best recipes, I bring them all back straight away to my restaurants.
“Luciano is the name of my first born child so it has to be a five star Italian restaurant experience and that is what it is.”
Signature dishes on the A la Carte menu include arancini tartufo (£10), Gino’s favourite Napoletana pizzas (from £12), linguine vongole (£18), Dover sole (£39) and a calamari fritti (£12) that he says is “second to none” – indeed he says seafood will be a house speciality at Luciano.
There is also a full “Bambino” menu for little ones with pizzas from £8 and pasta from £9, as well as a more casual lunch and early evening menu.
Naturally, this being Alderley Edge, there’s an extensive fizz offering, including Franciacorta and Champagnes from £56 a bottle up to £400 Cristal.
The restaurant boasts a large outdoor grassed terrace to the front, as well as the covered all-weather terrace with retractable roof as well as the main indoor dining space.
Meanwhile, there are works underway to transform the upper floor of the site into a dedicated events space, which is expected to launch in Alderley Edge in the spring.
