The young Edinburgh couple who've opened a 'modern and unique' Italian restaurant
This place is an exciting new addition to the city centre
It isn’t often that a new restaurant appears on Edinburgh’s George Street.
However, you may have noticed an unfamiliar Italian spot in the place of a long-term resident, Caffe Centro, which has now closed. This is Scarpetta and it’s owned by a couple, Carmen Crolla and her husband, Antonio, who is the son of Caffe Centro’s owner. They’’ve taken over and revamped the family business, and are now serving dishes such as Nonna’s polpette, pizza calabrese with hot honey, or spaghetti vongole.
We asked Antonio to tell us more about this fresh direction.
Are you excited about the opening?
It is a bittersweet moment for us as this festival officially marks 20 years since my parents Elio and Ascenza first opened the doors to the place as Caffe Centro back in August of 2005. Originally a typical mom-and-pop style deli and cafe, beloved by the office workers of George Street, the place has evolved into the upscale, authentic Italian restaurant we had always envisioned as a family.
Before we opened our doors it was essential that the menu got the seal of approval from our heaps of nonnas, nonnos, aunts, uncles and cousins. After surviving our friends and family night, we officially opened our doors on August 19 and we are beyond delighted to have already welcomed back old regulars, and to welcome in new ones.
How did Scarpetta come into being and how long have you been planning it for?
Hospitality is the family business, after three generations and over sixty years of wining and dining the public, it is safe to say it’s in our blood. Just like the business, dreams have been passed down through the generations. Before my father Elio passed away in 2015, his goal had always been to transform this place into a genuinely authentic Italian restaurant, offering the public a taste of Italy as we knew it, as opposed to the usual Scottish-Italian fare. Now, almost a decade later, we have managed to turn our father’s dream into a reality.
What are your backgrounds?
We’re Antonio and Carmen Crolla - a husband and wife team, both 32 years old, married and now have two wee boys. The eldest is called Elio (3 years old and named after my dad) and Dante is 6 months . We are both the third generation of families of Italian heritage in Scotland. It’s the classic story: looking for a better future, our grandfathers left behind the war torn mountains of Southern Italy after WWII. They worked their way from shop boys up to business owners back in 1965, establishing such landmark institutions as Bar Napoli, Madogs, now Elio’s, which is run by my brother, Dario’s, The Tiffin and La Scala (now Giuliano’s). We have been feeding generations of Scots from the centre of the nation’s capital for over 60 years and hope to keep going for 60 more.
There are already a few Italian restaurants nearby, how do you stand out?
Having grown up in the business, we’ve witnessed the public’s changing tastes first-hand. Restaurant-goers today are better travelled, better informed and more gastronomically adventurous than ever before. We are offering an authentic taste of Italy, using ingredients from the lesser-trodden regions of the Italian South including Calabria, Puglia and, of course, our own region of Lazio: locations that are only beginning to capture the imaginations of a new generation of Italophiles. Our menu is modern, unique and offers the public a taste of flavours and ingredients that are not being offered in other venues. it is unlike anything else in the vicinity. Plus, we hope to give customers a sense of stepping into not just a family business, but a family home - it’s why one of the first things you’ll see when you walk into the place are our walls of family photos, some dating back to the late 1800s. It is a true family affair - and a family with a history unlike any other currently operating in Edinburgh.
What have you done to the interior, and did it require a major glow up?
As any of our old regulars will let you know, we’ve really turned the place upside down. We wanted the restaurant’s appearance to reflect the menu: retain the classic elements everyone knows and loves from their local Italian restaurant, but elevate it. We’ve retained all of the building’s beloved traditional features but given the place a modern touch - it’s warm, eclectic and fun.
What will be on the food and drink menus?
Sauce is king. ‘Scarpetta’ in Italian refers to the act of mopping up leftover pasta sauce with bread, focaccia or even good old fashioned fingers. Expect to find delicious, rich pasta sauces and heaps of homemade focaccias and breads to wipe up every last drop. Everything on your plate is made in-house and from scratch in our kitchen.
Crafted by mixologists from our sister venue Elio’s, which is conveniently located downstairs,our cocktail menu has something for everybody - from the classic negroni-lover, to the customer with a sweet tooth who may want to try a tiramisu martini or take a stab at our cornicello cocktail - imagine an Italian twist on the spicy Marg.
We will be changing our menu seasonally as well, the basic menu will be supplemented by regular specials.
Signature dish?
For as long as we can remember, our slow-cooked meat ragu has been a non-negotiable feature of our family’s Sunday meals - and now hopefully it’ll be part of yours too. For extra points, mop it all up with our homemade rosemary focaccia.
Are you going to be quite a casual restaurant, or something fancier?
Scarpetta has something for everyone: family, foodie and first-date friendly. We think you’ll find that our interiors and ambience are suited to any and all occasions.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.