Paul and Emma Ainsworth are delighted to announce the launch of Caffè Rojano by Paul Ainsworth on 10 February 2020. After being the leaseholder of Mediterranean-inspired Rojano’s in the Square, Padstow for the past nine successful years, Paul and Emma have taken the bold decision to purchase the freehold and relaunch the restaurant with a brand-new interior and menu to match.
Caffè Rojano will reflect the vibrant café culture and Italian food scene that has inspired Paul and Emma on visits to New York. The interiors will be created by Emma and Eve Cullen-Cornes, drawing on 1920s inspired art-deco designs and will reference the city’s iconic, family-style Italian restaurants. The front of Caffè Rojano will showcase a marble counter displaying a pasta extruder that the chefs will use to create their signature dishes. Their homemade pasta also will also be available for guests to purchase, enabling them to take a slice of Caffè Rojano back to their own kitchens.
Chef Director, Jack Clements, working alongside Paul and Emma is creating a new all-day dining experience, mixing Mediterranean techniques with Cornwall’s abundant larder. The restaurant will be open every morning for breakfast and for Sunday brunch. Breakfast will feature dishes including French toast (made with their very own bacon, smoked and braised in house) and Land and river (toasted crumpets topped with a tartar butter, smoked salmon, lemon cream cheese, a poached egg and pangrattato). These will sit alongside American diner-style dishes like Buttermilk chicken waffles, and Cornish gypsy eggs. For those looking to relax over a mid-morning tea or coffee, there will also be a selection of delicious baked cakes and scones, and pizzas to take away.
The à la carte menu will feature a wide selection of beautiful sourdough pizzas and homemade pasta dishes, using their Cornish and British suppliers alongside artisan Mediterranean suppliers like La Credenza and Brindisa, together with a new range of delicious, seasonal small plates. These will include Duck hearts persillade, chargrilled campaillou and devilled mayonnaise and Smoked cod’s roe, beef dripping crisps and smoked paprika. Taking full advantage of the local Cornish coastline, dishes will also include Mussels in fresh herb butter and a Fruit de la mer platter, whilst other plates are takes on hearty bistro classics like Ox cheek ragu with St. Ewe egg, tagliatelle, green soft herb dressing and pangratatto and Squid ink bucatini served with Padstow crab, chilli, garlic and confit tomato.
There will also be a range of gourmet sandwiches, featuring freshly baked breads like rye and campaillou, available from Monday to Saturday from Caffè Rojano’s in-house deli. The sandwich selection will feature classics like Slow cooked meatball marinara alongside Philip Warren’s smoked beef brisket with sauerkraut and triple mustard mayonnaise on campaillou sourdough. Caffè Rojano will also introduce its very own Cornish Hotdog topped with melting fontina cheese, pickles, crispy onions and shavings of black truffle.
For desserts, the restaurant’s popular, homemade Whoopsey Splunkers ice cream sundaes will be joined by a signature White chocolate, malt & passionfruit cheesecake and Brown butter ice cream cannoli with chocolate and pistachios.
There will also be a new wine list curated by Paul Ainsworth Group Sommelier, Elly Owen, and a menu of signature cocktails, designed by Paul Ainsworth at No6’s Bar Manager, Liam Evans – including a Cornish Negroni featuring Cornish gin and British vermouths.
Commenting on the relaunch, Paul said: “After nine fantastic years of Rojano’s in the Square, Emma and I have decided to re-launch the restaurant as Caffe Rojano as well as buying the freehold. This has been a huge decision for us, but we’re confident that we can create a new family-dining experience here in Padstow. I’m incredibly excited to reveal the new interiors and menu inspired by the incredible Italian food scene in New York.”
Caffè Rojano’s Chef Director, Jack Clements, says of the new experience: “We wanted to create a place where everyone could come together and enjoy a delicious meal at anytime of the day. We’ll still have a few Rojano’s in the Square signatures on the menu; however, the other dishes will be brand new. I’m extremely proud to be a part of this exciting new chapter and can’t wait to welcome our first guests on 10 February.”
Caffè Rojano by Paul Ainsworth opens to the public on Monday 10 February 2020.