Gennaro Contaldo, the man who taught Jamie Oliver his way around a pasta machine, has a new restaurant, and it’s all about the bolognese. Bolo has opened on Air Street, a 32-cover trattoria on the Soho side of Piccadilly, marking Gennaro’s first London restaurant since Passione, the Charlotte Street Italian he ran from 1999 to 2009. The name nods to his famous pork and beef ragù, the dish that’s followed him through decades of TV, YouTube and a shelf of cookbooks.
The menu is short and built entirely around bolo. The Original pairs tagliatelle with Gennaro’s pork and beef ragù, while Antonio, a tribute to his late friend and old boss Antonio Carluccio, teams pappardelle with porcini and mascarpone. Elsewhere, Polpo brings octopus and ‘nduja to orecchiette, Salsiccia pairs mezze maniche with sausage, Calabrian chilli and friarielli, and Al Forno is conchiglioni stuffed with bolo and mozzarella. Limone breaks from the theme with tagliolini in Amalfi lemon butter and mint, a nod to Gennaro’s childhood in Minori. Small plates run from ‘nduja meatballs and a bolo arancino to buffalo mozzarella with agrodolce peppers, with Gennaro’s ricotta doughnuts to finish.
Drinks follow a proper village trattoria rule, one wine per colour, meaning a single Montepulciano, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio blush and Prosecco, alongside Negronis and spritzes including a limoncello version. Kids get a smaller portion of any pasta at half price, and the optional 10% service charge goes entirely to staff.
Born on the Amalfi Coast in 1949, Gennaro was cooking in local restaurants by the age of eight and moved to England in 1969, later taking a young Jamie Oliver under his wing at Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant in the 90s. That friendship comes full circle here: Bolo is a collaboration with Jamie Oliver and Brava Hospitality Group, the team behind Prezzo and Jamie’s Italian’s relaunch.
“This restaurant is very personal to me,” says Gennaro. “It will be my new home in London.”
Image by @jamesnorthphoto
Key Information
Address | 17 Air Street, London W1B 5AF
Website | bolo-gennaro.co.uk
