Little Italy

Parisian restaurant group Big Mamma, who’s behind cheap and cheerful restaurants like East Mamma, Pink Mamma and La Felicita, has opened its first international outpost in London. Located in the trendy Shoreditch area, Gloria stretches across two floors at 550 sq m and sits 160 diners. The team is said to have spent three years exploring and sourcing for ingredients from all over Italy. The Cacio e Pepe (£11) is served in a giant cheese wheel for two to share. Filippo’s Big Balls (£14) are meatballs slow-cooked in San Marzano tomato sauce with spinach and pecorino. Pizzas (from £12) are freshly-baked in a wood-fired oven. Unwind at the Wine Room located on the second level, which features over 1,300 bottles of Italian wines from different regions. 54-56 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3QR bigmammagroup.com

More Italian food is coming to New York City. Tao Group, the team behind Italian restaurant Antica Pesa, has partnered with Moxy Chelsea hotel to open Feroce Ristorante and Bar Feroce. Located on the main floor, Feroce will serve regional Italian dishes, like pappardelle al cinghiale (US$35), served with wild boar shoulder and sausage ragu. Move up to the second floor and that’s where Bar Feroce serves bar snacks, wood-fired pizzas and classic cocktails. (Try the croissant filled with prosciutto di Parma and provola cheese (US$20).) The best bit? Bar Feroce’s massive backyard space houses a half-sized basketball court, skee-ball and a miniature putt-putt course. 105 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel: +1 212-514-6699