Tiella London: Wellington Chefs Launch Hot New Italian Restaurant

Tiella, a casarecce-style trattoria on Columbia Road in London, is quickly gaining recognition as one of the city’s hottest new restaurants, despite only opening on January 21.

Tiella’s Wellington Roots

The restaurant has already received glowing reviews, with some claiming it is “firing on all cylinders” and a popular destination. It has been featured in the New York Times’ Style Magazine, the Good Food Guide, and Time Out, where food and drink editor Leonie Cooper called it “exceptional” and “a triumph.”

Despite its Italian cuisine and London location, Tiella’s origins lie in Wellington, New Zealand. Restaurateurs Dara Klein and Ry Jessup first met as children through their sisters’ friendship.

Both Klein and Jessup grew up immersed in the hospitality industry. Klein spent her childhood in her parents’ restaurant, Maria Pia’s, while Jessup’s aunt owned Ministry of Food, a cafe frequented by government workers.

The pair pursued their hospitality careers after moving to London. Jessup founded Homeslice, starting as a food truck and expanding to multiple locations, while Klein worked in the kitchen at Rubedo in Stoke Newington, where they reconnected.

“I was working in the kitchen one day and my boss came in and said, ‘Dara, there’s someone here who knows you’. Next thing I know Ry is sticking his head into the kitchen,” Klein recalled.

Jessup was searching for a new premise when he discovered the former pub at 109 Columbia Rd, believing it would be “perfect for Dara.” Klein shared a similar feeling upon first seeing the location.

“The first time I looked at the site I was on a walk with a friend, and I saw it and I said immediately to my friend, ‘that’s my restaurant. I can feel it’,” Klein said. She described feeling “slapped around the face” when she finally entered the building, realizing it was the right space.

The space reminded both Klein and Jessup of Maria Pia’s, with its warm atmosphere and “good bones.”

Klein’s journey to opening Tiella involved a pop-up residency at The Compton Arms in Islington, which ran for 16 months before she branched out on her own.

While Klein initially hesitated to enter the restaurant industry due to her upbringing, she rediscovered her passion for food after a pop-up with her mother.

The menu at Tiella reflects Klein’s heritage, featuring dishes like passatelli in brodo, ricotta di Romagna, and polpettes. Richard Klein, Dara’s father, is also curating the wine list, drawing on his experience and connections from New Zealand.

“Dara, Ry and I were very much aligned on the concept of sourcing wines which are, to use the slow food maxim, ‘good, clean and fair’,” Richard Klein said.

Richard Klein emphasized the importance of sustainable farming and family-owned wineries, and noted the similarities between Tiella and Maria Pia’s, highlighting the focus on nurturing guests and transforming simple dishes into memorable meals.