Gennaro Contaldo is bringing his love of simple, old-school Italian cooking to the heart of London’s Soho with the opening of BOLO, a small and wonderfully humble 32-seat trattoria inspired by the intimate, bustling restaurants of 1970s Italy.
The restaurant brings Gennaro’s larger-than-life spirit to a curated menu built around simple Italian ingredients and proper cooking. Located on Air Street BOLO opened its doors on Friday 25th September 2026, inviting guests – as Gennaro puts it – to “Pull up a chair”!
At the centre of it all is Gennaro’s famous Bolognese, the signature dish that has become synonymous with his name and is now the namesake for BOLO. The wider menu brings together some of Gennaro’s favourite dishes from his childhood and the people who have shaped his life. Expect a refined menu of six delicious fresh pasta dishes, served in true Trattoria style.
This includes The Antonio, which is dedicated to Gennaro’s great friend and fellow Italian food icon, Antonio Carluccio, celebrating a friendship built around a shared love of Italian food. The Limone is a nod to Gennaro’s childhood on the Amalfi Coast, where the unmistakable citrus scent of lemon trees was a part of everyday life. Together the dishes reflect Gennaro’s heritage and his enduring love for food.
The decision to keep the menu small is intentional. BOLO is not about overcomplicating the classics; it is about doing a small number of things really well. From Gennaro’s famous ‘Original Bolo’ to new takes on the classic, every plate has been carefully selected to tell part of his story. Even the wine list follows suit, with a deliberately simple one-wine-per-colour policy.
BOLO is ultimately a love letter to the food of Italy that Gennaro has spent decades of his life sharing through his beloved cookbooks. He says: “After more than 60 years in the kitchen, I’m still a romantic at heart. Love the food, love the people you’re cooking for, and everything else will work out beautifully in the end. Italy has given me so much throughout my life, and I’ve always wanted to celebrate that generosity through the food I cook. I want people to come to BOLO, eat well, feel at home and experience a little piece of the Italy that I know and love.”
Gennaro has joined forces with Brava Hospitality Group to launch BOLO.
BOLO is a return to the kind of cooking that has defined Gennaro’s career: generous, full of passion and rooted in Italian tradition. The restaurant opened on Friday 25th September 2026 at 17 Air Street, Soho.