Rosina opens on Wandsworth Common with Michelin-starred Adam Byatt and Will Bee at the helm

Rosina, a new Italian restaurant from the Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt, has opened on Wandsworth Common, marking his first professional venture into Italian cooking after years of preparing the cuisine for family and friends. The culinary star oversees the food direction and has brought with him several long-standing members of his front and back of house teams to join the team. The new eatery is named after Rosie, his daughter (who will also be working in the kitchen), and he has appointed Will Bee as its head chef.

Bee brings experience from several established UK kitchens, including the Michelin-starred Lita, where he ran the kitchen as interim head chef for eight months, and Paul Ainsworth at No 6 in Padstow. Byatt enthused: “Choosing Will for this role was an easy decision. He is a blindingly talented cook, but it was also his leadership, maturity and drive that really impressed me. Working alongside Will to develop the menu at Rosina has been a joy.”

The menu draws on produce, wines and recipes from across Italy, alongside ingredients sourced in the UK. Snacks include Gnocco Fritto with mortadella Bologna and Melanzane Fritte, while starters feature Sardines with Salsa Verde and Datterini Tomatoes with Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Nectarine and Basil. Among the main dishes are Risotto Bianco made with Riso Buono Carnaroli rice, Byatt’s PSP (Post-Service Pasta – a spaghetti dish made with anchovies, chilli and garlic), a Cavatelli Cacio e Pepe (very reasonably priced at £8) and Salt-Baked Gilt-Head Bream with shaved fennel and orange.

Desserts are served from a marble trolley and include Rosie’s Torta Fedora, Pina’s Tiramisù and a simple bowl of iced cherries. The wine list, selected by Byatt, prioritises organic and biodynamic producers from across Italy, with glasses starting at £8 and a selection from the 2008 vintage – the year of Rosie’s birth. Bar manager Jason Duncan has devised a list including spritzes, five variations on a Negroni and signature cocktails.

The site centres on a sunlit dining room and open kitchen, with the separate Thorn Bar, a terrace lined with olive trees, and a private dining room for 14 guests with its own outside space. Byatt designed the interiors himself, foregrounding neutral tones and floral arrangements by his wife, the florist Vicky Byatt. He has also commissioned or collected much of the artwork for the space. 

Rosina is open seven days a week from noon to 2.30pm and from 5.30 to 10pm.

Food Desk

To book a table at Rosina, 35 Bellevue Road, London SW17 3EF, visit the restaurant’s website here.