THE Rocca Group – the independent restaurant group with venues in Edinburgh and St Andrews – is bringing a taste of Tuscany to Edinburgh with the introduction of Ciao, a new cicchetti and cocktail bar concept at Rico’s Ristorante on North Castle Street.
Cicchetti are Italian small plates and at Ciao they will be served all day while the drinks offer champions popular Italian cocktail the Negroni.
Set to open in November, the 26-seat cocktail and cicchetti bar will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, aiming to attract city centre workers, the New Town community, and international visitors.
The lunch and light bites menu is designed to be casual and affordable, with two courses for £15 and three courses for £20. There will also be a full bar menu available all day, giving diners more options while Rico’s serves more formal refined fine-dining Italian cuisine.
As well as Rico’s, the Rocco group includes The Broughton on Edinburgh’s Broughton Street and The Seafood Ristorante in St Andrews. All three of Rocca’s restaurants are included in this year’s Michelin Guide.
Group owner, Stefano Pieraccini, said: “Rico’s will benefit from Ciao’s distinct identity.
“The bar has always been a lovely space, but it hasn’t been used to its full potential since Rico’s opened last year.
“With the decision and investment to give the bar area its own identity, I believe it will add value to the space and offer something unique to the city.”
