Guests including reality TV’s Jordan Davies and Isobel Mills, from Ibiza Weekender, boxer Joe Cordina, and actor Thaer Al-Shayei joined the team at Giovanna Malacrino’s new venture with his actor son, Luca.
Diners enjoyed tasters from the menu including a pesto di rucola e noci (rocket salad, walnuts and virgin olive oil, blended for a zesty variation on the basil classic), ravioli with wild boar, and spaghetti and ‘courghettini’ – served in basket bowls of parmesan or vegan cheese.
Executive chef Giovanni Flore has created the speciality bowls, that are then filled with oodles of pasta and layered with fresh sauce.
For dessert, guests sat under a roof blanket of lights enjoyed pudding pizzas spread with thick Nutella or iced with a topping of berries.
Designer Henry Craven helped Luca create an ultra chic, industrial botanic space and terrace around floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the iconic Wales Millennium Centre and views of the Bay.
Piatto, next to Craft in the Bay, has been designed around a ‘social dining’ concept – where diners are encouraged to stop scrolling through Instagram and talk to each other instead.
Each three-tier table in Piatto faces the WMC, and seating is at a diagonal angle to encourage conversation – there’s even a slot within each table for diners to deposit their phones.
There’ll also be mini Italian lessons for diners who want to learn or practice the language.
Luca said: “There’s already a huge buzz around Piatto and we’re so excited about welcoming a crowd of people who absolutely love proper, Italian pasta.”
Piatto is open now at 339 Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff Bay.
