Rossella Muswell Hill is the sister site to beloved family-run Italian Rossella in Kentish Town, serving heartfelt, classic Italian food. Its story begins in the 1960s in Benevento, where the Meola family opened their first trattoria. By the late ’70s, parts of the family had moved to London, determined to bring honest, flavour-led Italian cooking with them - a tradition that continues today.
Luca Meola, now a Kentish Town local, runs the well-loved flagship restaurant and is expanding the family legacy with a second opening in Muswell Hill. Inside, Rossella retains the same neighbourhood charm as the Kentish Town original. - it's designed as an all-day destination, with a sizable dining room, as well as a separate bar where guests can stop in for aperitivo cocktails, and lighter bites and pizzas.
The menu offers a clear sense of what’s to come. Starters include crisp fritti like ribboned courgette in light batter, arancini filled with pancetta, pistachio and mozzarella, and breadcrumbs-coated mozzarella sticks. Pasta and pizza are handled with care and restraint. Think spaghetti pomodoro, tagliatelle with stracciatella, and rich lasagne al ragù, alongside pizzas topped with spicy ’nduja, fennel sausage or classic quattro stagioni combinations. Main courses feature pan-fried seabass and chargrilled ribeye, with sides such as garlic mushrooms, green beans or sautéed potatoes.
Dessert is non-negotiable. The family tiramisu, boosted with Tia Maria and Amaretto, comes via a tiramisu trolley, while the Gianduja Torta layers cocoa sponge, hazelnut praline and dark chocolate. Finish, naturally, with a glass of house-made limoncello, meloncello or hazelnut liqueur.
Meanwhile, many of the products used in the restaurant are part of Luca's 'Rossella Collection' - a range of products made from the family's traditional recipes, whether that be wines from the family vineyard in Benevento, or limoncello made from the Meola family recipes in Amalfi.