Sapori

Andrea Scarpati is a Napoli born chef, relocated to the Leicestershire village of Anstey. He and his young family 'live above the shop'; an old working mens club converted to restaurant and home. When they first started out, everything was done by themselves, on a shoestring. Having established himself as a respected and talented chef, it was time to create the restaurant his food deserves.

On the inside, this building was ugly. An old working mens club, with suspended ceiling tiles and magnolia walls. The space has little in the way of natural light and almost no features to speak of; quite literally a plain, dark box. Yet the food is nuanced, delicate and beautiful; completely at odds with the environment you experience it in.

Andrea’s food is all about storytelling, of his birthplace and culture; we wanted to weave this into the experience of the space. By embracing the lack of natural light, we’ve set the stage for the imagination to tell its own story. Creating an ethereal atmosphere, with impasto walls and deep, rich textures. A handmade light sculpture gently shimmers with the natural movement of air, throwing highlights across the room.