This Summer, Orso, the timeless Italian restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden will celebrate its final performance. Having opened in 1985, Orso was one of the first decidedly modern Italian restaurants to emerge in London with a menu focusing on light, regional dishes showcasing the best of Italy. Having enjoyed its run as a favourite amongst theatregoers and the West End’s operatic community, the younger sister of the legendary Joe Allen will take its final bow in July, making way for the development of Robert De Niro’s boutique hotel.
In order to celebrate its tenure, Orso will be joined by the great and the good of theatre-land for an Opera Dinner, hosted by Petroc Trelawney, on July the 13th, complete with performances from the finest voices in the business and a menu of Orso’s Tuscan specialties.
On Saturday the 15th of July, the restaurant will bow out with an evening of Cocktails and Canapés, plus an auction of their much-loved photos that adorn the walls, all in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. The night will begin with a pre-dinner snifter, followed by a non-stop encore of Orso’s classic dishes in canapé form, for guests to sit and reminisce long into the evening, taking a piece of Orso’s history home with them with a charity sticker sale.
Meanwhile, Orso’s sister restaurant Joe Allen will be moving to its new home on the corner of Exeter and Burleigh Street later this August, taking everything with them from the recognizable wood paneling to the classic theatre posters, the iconic bar and the teams from Joe’s and Orso. In a nod to its younger sister, the menu at Joe Allen will include a couple of Italian-American dishes inspired by Orso.