The new 'fun little sister' venue that's opened below this punchy Edinburgh restaurant

This is an exciting new addition to the neighbourhood

It’s only been 18-months since Little Capo opened in Edinburgh.

Now it feels as if we’ve never been without this buzzing New Town corner restaurant and bar, with its “Italian-ish” small plates and cocktails galore.

The word has spread, too, as it was recently visited by actor, author and foodie, Stanley Tucci, who was in the city to film his series Tucci in Great Britain, and also made stops at ShrimpWreck and Sotto.

If you’re a fan, but haven’t been able to bag a table, you may be interested to know that the team - owners Jess and Will Oxenham, and Stuart McCluskey - now have a bit more space on board, as the downstairs bar and restaurant, Capetto, recently opened, to cater to all-day guests.

We asked Jess and Stuart to tell us more about the basement project.

Why did you decide to open Capetto?

Jess: “We never anticipated Little Capo would be 99 per cent diners so we wanted to open a space to accommodate those who wanted to pop in for a drink and a snack. We were initially just going to open the space for evenings but as Will is Australian he has a huge passion for coffee and this also fits with the Italian inspiration as they tend to have the same spaces for coffee in the morning, spritz in the afternoon and wine in the evening. We also felt like there wasn't a space like it in the city so wanted to challenge ourselves”.

Stuart: “Capetto has been designed to be Little Capo’s fun little sister, inspired by the great caffè/bar culture of Italy. We wanted to feel familiar to Little Capo - we’ve used similar tiles and recycled church pews - but it’s a bit more distilled. There is curated artwork from travels around Italy and marble bistro tables, in a surprisingly bright basement. The idea with opening all day (8am - midnight) is that it will be accessible at any time and can become a resource for the neighbourhood, whether that’s for morning coffee, a work meeting, aperitivo hour with friends or a pitch perfect cocktail on the walk home”.

What's on the menu down there?

Jess: “There are a few separate menus. The day starts with coffee and some Italian pastries and a seasonal fritatta, all baked in house. Esther Richards - our self-taught baker - has created the menu from scratch with extremely limited space and resources and done an incredible job. As she's originally from New York she's created an "everything bagel" that’s made with focaccia and various fillings as our lunch offer. My favourite being roasted pepper, stracciatella and pesto but the mortadella and mustard seems to be the fan favorite. We also have a full cocktail list that’s available from noon. After a break from 3-4pm our evening menu focuses on small bites to have alongside drinks with our sous chef, Zein, taking charge. She's done an incredible job. Cocktail-wise we are focusing on, hopefully, the best classics Martinis and negronis, alongside some fun seasonal items, which currently include a melon gimlet and mai tai”.

What were the premises previously?

Jess: “Previously it was a series of caves that we used for storage. Stu led the very ambitious project to turn the space into Capetto and use every available additional space for storage.

How has it gone down so far?

Jess: “We’ve had lovely feedback, it is such a lovely space throughout the day and night and once we get our systems down we hope to be a real resource for the area. We're intentionally open earlier than most at 8am for those early birds and new parents pounding the streets and all the food is under £10 to drive affordability and accessibility to the space”.

What do you think the Edinburgh Fringe Festival crowd will make of it?

Jess: “No idea! Hopefully they love that it can be used for so many things”.

Stanley Tucci visited you in June. Did that make you busier than ever?

Jess: “I’ve no idea if he'll be back but it definitely made a splash that we weren't quite ready for. He was a fantastic guest to have in. He was really excited to chat through the offering and wonderful with the team and other guests”.

Any other celebrities that you'd like to see there?

Jess: “It sounds lame but I honestly just love seeing locals in the space and seeing the same faces again and again”.

Is there anything you wish you'd known before opening Little Capo?

Jess: “Just to pace ourselves I think. We give it 150 per cent which hasn't been easy on our young family or the team at points but it's also been amazing to be so well received by my home town after spending years overseas”.

Any plans to extend any further?

Jess: “We have a very exciting pop up called FKA in the old Bon Vivant site. I’m not sure how long we will be there for but as it was the first site that Stu ever opened in 2008, it has a very special place in his heart”.

Stuart: “FKA is a chance to give the much-loved venue the send-off it never had, while creating an exciting new chapter. Guests can expect warm, genuine service, world-class cocktails, a carefully curated selection of wines and Champagnes available by the glass, simple European snacks, and what promises to be a standout Sunday roast”.

Little Capo and Capetto are at 18 Howe Street, Edinburgh, www.littlecapo.com