A fine restaurant struggles to stay afloat

Santino Busciglio, chef and co-owner of the Mennula restaurant in central London

Mennula sits on the sunny side of Charlotte Street in London’s West End but it is Sicilian through and through.

Its name means “almond” in Sicilian. On the walls of the staircase leading down to its basement kitchen are old black-and-white photos of what that enchanting Mediterranean island used to look like. The restaurant is owned by businessman Joe Martorana, with 51 per cent of the shares, and chef Santino Busciglio, who owns the balance, both of them from the small town of Cianciana, north-west of Agrigento.

The menu resonates with traditional Sicilian fare, such as warm arancini, rice balls coated in breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. The kitchen bakes three different breads, including one from chickpea flour, and amaretti biscuits made from ground almonds.

The range of dishes never strays far from Busciglio’s roots: creamy burrata cheese with beetroot; salads incorporating crab, avocado and white balsamic vinegar; scallops and broad beans. The pasta and rice dishes include bucatini with sardines and pine nuts; risotto with broad beans and summer truffle; and potato gnocchi with almonds. There is rabbit wrapped in pancetta with aubergines; a rack of new-season Scottish lamb with a pistachio and mint crust and authentic Sicilian desserts: cannoli – biscuit tubes filled with sweetened ricotta cheese – almond milk pannacotta with quince jelly, and excellent ice-creams.

I have eaten at this narrow, 40-seater restaurant on several occasions since it opened in November. Each time I have left impressed, while all those I have introduced to Mennula have vowed to return. I hope the restaurant will survive long enough for them all to do so.

I say this because the opening of this fine restaurant represents a brave, passionate but possibly foolhardy attempt by its owners to buck two very different trends.

The first is exemplified by Busciglio’s move from employment at the Ambassadors Hotel, near Euston railway station, to his role as chef/patron of his own business at a time when many chefs are moving in the opposite direction. Hotels are sucking in talented chefs because they can offer them vital capital, infrastructure and marketing support. But, says Busciglio, this comes at a price: “The accountants were happy with the profit we were making on the food but not with the wages I had to pay to produce the quality I was happy with. Once that became clear, I knew I had to move on,” he says.

The second is that this is a fine-dining restaurant that requires customers to spend a minimum of an hour at lunch at a cost of at least £20 to £25 per head. It is very good food but certainly not fast. Because it is one of a kind, Mennula cannot count on the benefits of any cross-marketing, plus, with Busciglio stuck at the stoves, he has no time to make media appearances.

After its opening seven months, the debit side of this new venture does not look too healthy on a personal or financial level. Busciglio admits that the stress of opening Mennula led to his marriage’s downfall.

During its first three months, Mennula broke even. Buoyant trade over Christmas and new year was offset by a month during which there was scaffolding outside for work on the flats above, which affected walk-in trade. It lost money in March and April but broke even in May. With French patio windows leading on to tables on the pavement, both partners realise the restaurant’s financial well-being depends heavily on the unpredictable British weather.

Busciglio remains optimistic. “I’m in this heart and soul,” he says. “It’s a part of me. I know it’s not going to be easy but I do believe there is a future for what is effectively a family-owned restaurant – somewhere our customers know is managed by a group of people who care. I was very worried when I saw that we had lost money but I believe we can survive this. Another 10 customers a day and we’ll be fine,” he says.

In almost every respect, Busciglio and Martorana have done everything right. They took over a former restaurant so that the total investment of £300,000 is not too high. Charlotte Street is unusually broad for London, with light traffic, allowing a cluster of good restaurants to emerge over the years: Pied à Terre, Roka, Elena’s Etoile and a string of less expensive options are all neighbours. Its location could not be better.

But timing and fashion may not be in Mennula’s favour. Busciglio says other chefs running small, independent restaurants in London are also struggling financially – but that offers scant consolation. Whether these Sicilians can buck two such powerful trends, only time will tell.

Mennula, 10 Charlotte Street, London W1 tel: +44(0)20-7636 2833; www.mennula.co.uk

nicholas.lander@ft.com

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