Circolo Popolare, Soho London

Who knew your Nonna’s rustic furniture could look so glitzy… Big Mamma group did.

Ever been to the Sicilian coast? Well, if not, Big Mamma group just saved you a ticket. Bottled up in 9,000 square feet of London’s Fitzrovia district, Circolo Popolare offers you your own Sicilian dreamscape to immerse into and experience le dolce vita.

RATING 4.6 / 5 *’s

View Scorecard

Have you heard the one about the two French-men in an Italian kitchen?...

While somewhat quirky, there’s nothing funny about the success Big Mamma group founders Tigrane Seydoux and Victor Lugger have cooked up. Starting in 2013 with a passion-led vision, the duo has since set out to share the grassroots experience of Italian food and hospitality with the world; and they aren’t thinking small. This group isn’t looking to open a few outposts for local fare… they’re building a global empire driven by demand.

So what’s the hype built on?

What builds the line out front of their doors day after day isn’t the food or the finishes, it’s the experience. Big Mamma group innately understands and engages their market, creating vibrant dining experiences that stay true to their origin and people while also remaining widely accessible and repeatable. From model to market to message, this group has crafted a scalable recipe for success.

So, what goes on in there? Drop us into the experience...

The sound of Circolo is lively; almost communal in feel. Cheerful calls carry across the room from chefs in the open kitchen to energetic servers on the dining floor; upbeat music overlays lively conversations from groups nearby. Generous drinks and dishes arrive at tables like clockwork creating a timely yet leisurely pace for indulging in house-made pastas and imported Italian delicacies such as Puglian burrata and fresh black truffle. You can feel a chemistry here, a kind of effortless flow.

The aroma of table-side carbonara being mixed and carved out of pecorino wheels fills the air as arriving groups fill with F.O.M.O from across the room, excitedly sending in orders for their own taste of food theatre. For a simple “staple” dish, Circolo’s carbonara commands attention and serious demand, with guests craving more than perfect pasta but a personal, interactive experience to share with their friends and Circolo’s staff.

Sensory and chemistry elements are thoughtfully designed here to deliver an approachable and playful journey through Italian cuisine without a major element of kitsch or cliche. Big Mamma doesn’t merely craft menus of crowd-pleasing dishes and drinks, they thoughtfully design and program seamless experiences intended to transport guests into new narratives and places.

Set the scene, what’s the space like?

If there’s one thing Big Mamma group is known for and remarkably good at, it’s their ability to create an Instagrammable space; but it’s what’s beyond the lens that continues to line people up at their doors.

Circolo Popolare’s allure stems from the immersive experience it holds within its walls. Beyond its notable 20,000 bottles of liquor and lush pergola ceiling, is an experience you didn’t think you could get outside of Italy or your mediterranean daydream. From the moment I sat down I felt immersed into a new narrative far away from Soho’s bustling, tourist filled streets. Quirky plateware with hand-painted lemons, painted saints in vintage mix and match frames and the warm hue of light emulating through the various colorful bottles of Italian liquor alongside me, it didn’t feel like London anymore.

Circolo Popolare tells its Sicilian story effortlessly throughout the space to create a new experience narrative for its guests to participate in once they walk through their doors.

Tell us about the human element, how are the people?

Beyond the space, the most surprising element of the Circolo experience to me was its people. Pulling together a talented team rooted in Italian culture, Circolo purposefully recruits the majority of its staff from Italy (Brexit be damned). Big Mamma inserts cultural stewards into their restaurants who extend beyond service; a real Italian team of experience guides who connect you deeper into the storyline.

My server, a younger girl, brightly greets me in Italian on arrival, in which I happily replied “buona sera”. As if I’d spoken a secret password, she stands back, smiles and excitedly asks (in Italian) if I was from Italy. Hitting my limits in Italian, we switch to English. For the next 10 minutes we conversed as if new friends, discussing her family’s home town, my favorite spots from my stint in Puglia and the small winery she makes a pilgrimage to every year with friends. From that point on, it felt as if I was back at my friend Davide’s table in Rome, the rest of the world melting away with a feeling of welcomeness and connection to this new place.

This group understands the value of bringing together the right people (Italian of not) to make its experience come to life, and even more so, the importance of passion in the process.

Inside Scoop… How to steal a last minute seat.

If you haven’t heard yet, the secret to getting into Circolo Popolare isn’t about who you know, but knowing when to show up. Just like shopping on Black Friday, being the first one at their doors (~4:30pm) can change your luck. Despite being fully booked for weeks out, their team always saves seats for its unexpected guests. A simple yet strategic act of hospitality that leaves those fortunate few walk-ins feeling a little extra lucky before they even sit down.

It’s simple things like having flexible community table seats for walk-ins like me that not only show their understanding of experience design, but the art of hospitality.

Experience Takeaways. What do you walk away with?

Vibrant, fun, approachable, sharable…

For dining out in a city like London, Circolo Popolare is reasonable, keeping its promise of accessibility and authenticity with sharable plates and sizable drinks that don’t break the bank.

There’s a magic to finding the balance of quality, affordability and remarkability … and Big Mamma has it - repeatability; the desire you feel to return to a place or experience, the likelihood of a “repeat visit”.

While the dishes and drinks are satisfyingly authentic and simple, they’re ultimately not the attraction drawing customers back time and time again… Want the real secret?...