New Tuscan restaurant to open in Norwich

Inside the new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

The Bridge will open on Saturday in 19 Fye Bridge Street, which was previously home to the Spanish Torero Tapas Bar, which closed during lockdown after owner Jose Garcia decided to retire.

It has been taken over by Stefano Lucchesi, who moved to Norwich from Lucca, a city in Italy’s Tuscany region, roughly two years ago, Alessandro Frediani and Nicholas Bosi.

“This plan started about three years ago in Italy,” Mr Lucchesi said. “Norwich is a really nice city so we decided to open here and I moved here about two years ago.

“I struggled a lot to find the right building.”

Rope lights inside the new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

But once they found The Bridge’s home, which is opposite the junction with Colegate and a stone’s throw from the river, work began to transform it, as the country eased out of lockdown.

Mr Lucchesi said the restaurant would pay homage to Tuscany, with dishes including wild boar ragù with pasta and wild boar slow-cooked in tomato sauce, with herbs, olives and potato served with polenta croutons.

“We are bringing everything from Tuscany,” he said, “food, drink, flowers. We have a supplier in my village and we are very happy to bring it here.”

The restaurant will focus on sous vide cooking, which involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a temperature controlled water bath.

A cup of sugar in the new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

Manager Mr Lucchesi said: “It protects the taste and makes it really, really nice because you keep the flavour in there.

“That way even the vegetables come out really colourful and really fresh.”

The 28-year-old said he’d never visited the fine city when he arrived two years ago, and had decided to take a leap of faith.

“It could have been a problem,” he said, “but Norwich is really nice so it’s worked out well.”

Owners, Alessandro Frediani, left, and Nicholas Bosi, centre, with manager Stefano Lucchesi in their new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

The restaurant will first open on Saturday, October 17, and will only serve dinner for its first week. It closes on Sundays and Mondays.

Mr Lucchesi said they hoped to introduce lunch from the following Saturday.

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The new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)

Inside the new Tuscan restaurant, The Bridge, in Fye Bridge Street. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2020)