La dolce vita is about to get even sweeter in Cheltenham with the arrival of an authentic Italian restaurant in Imperial Square. Settebello, which is already established at Gloucester Docks, is opening up another restaurant in Belgrave House on the square.
The Grade II property was the home of Pizza Express but it’s been vacant for over 18 months and is now waiting to be turned into a three-storey restaurant.
A “fantastic location”
Settebello owner Giacomo Bifulco said he’d been looking for premises in Cheltenham so he could open the new eatery and that he was pleased to have found such a fantastic location.
He added that he was hoping to expand his brand into Cheltenham after finding a lot of success in Gloucester since the first Settebello opened in 2019. Cheltenham is, Giacomo said, the logical choice for the expansion.
Not just pizza and pasta
While Settebello offers great pizza and pasta, diners can also find specialty dishes inspired by the food from the south of Italy and the Naples region and prepared by native Italian chefs.
Every floor of the restaurant, which should open its doors some time over the summer, will offer visitors different choices and dining experiences. Settebello is, said Giacomo, bringing its Italian influence to Cheltenham.
As well as offering three different types of food to choose from, there’ll be different dining styles, with some being more formal and others more relaxed. Settebello will also have a cocktail bar on the lower floor.
“It’s exciting”
Giacomo also said it was exciting to expand after looking for the ideal location and finding it at Belgrave House.
The new restaurant will mean 40 new jobs for the community around Cheltenham, as well as offering new life and purpose to an empty building. Residents in Cheltenham will be happy to see the building brought back to life after Pizza Express moved its operations into the Brewery Quarter in November 2022.
