Acclaimed London chef Theo Randall has launched a campaign against excessive phone use at his Mayfair restaurant.
Randall operates an eponymous Italian restaurant at InterContinental Park Lane and from 7th September, the chef will launch ‘Festa in Famiglia’ – a new dining concept which encourages guests to get together and ditch their phones for the chance to win lavish prizes.
We’ve all read the various studies which reveal that family time is on the decline in modern society, with many children (and their parents) instead choosing to spend their time scrolling through Instagram or reading articles on a restaurant bookings website (whoops). To combat this and help families come back together, Theo Randall’s restaurant will urge every member of the family who owns a phone to keep them stashed away for the entirety of their meal.
Those who do choose to ditch their phones will be rewarded by choosing a card from a deck of the classic Italian card game, Briscola. If you happen upon one of the winning cards, you could nab the chance to get a free round of Negronis in the restaurant or a cooking masterclass with Randall himself.
If the chance of winning prizes isn’t tempting enough to make you switch off your phone, the restaurant’s sharing menu should do the trick. The feast kicks off with ‘Theo’s antipasti table’, which includes the likes of fresh burrata served with grilled marinated red peppers, and Tuscan bread salad with capers and anchovies. Following this, you’ll tuck into mixed green ravioli, before choosing from a main course to share between the table – wood-roasted guinea fowl for example, or perhaps a baked Fontina cheese soufflé.
You’ll finish with a selection of sweet treats from the dessert table. The ‘Festa in Famiglia’ menu is available every Saturday and Sunday from 12.30-3.30pm, priced at £49 per person. For the grown-ups, the cost also includes 90 minutes of unlimited Prosecco, Negronis or Aperol Spritzes.
If you can’t get enough of Italian cuisine, check out the best Italian restaurants in London.