"You have to give people a reason to come back." A motto that Francesco Messinas, born in 1979 from Villacidro, continually repeats to the staff of the restaurant who, together with his friend Leonardo, opened in London: the Cafè Amisha, awarded by Open Table Uk as the best Italian restaurant in the British capital.
Leaving Sardinia when he was very young, "there was still the lira", he traveled to Europe to improve his professional level every time. The first stop, immediately after graduation, was Germany, “and I didn't speak a word of German, I got along in English, the restaurant was owned by a Sardinian, so I used a little Italian and gradually learned other languages”. His dream was precisely this: “To be in contact with the public, to welcome customers, to make them feel at ease”.
Back in Italy just in time to get his driving license, he left for tourist villages and hotels, profession: barman, but not only. Over the years the qualifications have grown: "I took courses after working hours in hotels, even if I started early in the morning, but I wanted to reach certain goals and to do that you have to work hard, you have to give everything".
Among the clients he has served in his career - in the structures of Ventaclub, Hilton, Jolly - there are many VIPs: the Spice Girls, Mike Tyson, Mick Jagger, Gwen Stefani. Tips? "None. They did not pay, there were those who took care of it, the most generous were the Russians ”.
London, in reality, was supposed to be just a stage to improve your English, a month to study. Years have passed but Francesco Messinas has never left. On the contrary, he met Paola Loriga, from Osilo, and married her: “He worked with me at the restaurant, then love at first sight”.
Where does the name of the place come from, “Cafè Amisha”?
“My partner, Leonardo Mastrofilippo, who is from Bari and is 47 years old, and I have created a company called 'Franco e Ciccio'. We had to choose a name, but all the Italians that came to mind were not available. In the end, 'Franco e Ciccio' was the only one possible and so it was. Then Amisha because it is located in Amisha Court, a building with dozens of apartments, so everyone knows us as Cafè Amisha, and we also have a small shop, which we started before Covid, right next door ”.
How many people work with you?
“Besides me and Leonardo there are 12 other people. He is in the kitchen, an open area so customers can see everything, I am the manager, the maître, I take care of the reception, management of the room, reception of customers, around the tables, I talk to everyone, I make you feel Italian. ".
What were the main difficulties in opening your shop?
"I always say: if you don't love the work you do, don't do it, especially if it's in contact with people, if you don't convince them, leave them alone, you have to create a reason to make people come back, give them excellent service, great food, they must be amazed, and feel a pleasant family environment. This is one of my key elements, which I wanted to achieve from the beginning and which I always want to maintain ”.
Are there any dishes in particular demand?
“The pasta, the pizza that we cook with an electric oven but which is excellent, in fact we hosted the 'Italian Pizza in London' competition in 2019, and again meat, fish, with vegan and vegetarian alternatives. In addition to the menu, every day there are specialties that we point out on a giant blackboard ”.
Something Sardinian?
“Fregola, or fregula, is often one of the special dishes”.
What do Londoners and tourists want to eat?
“The Valdostana chicken goes a lot: breaded chicken breast, passed in the oven, halfway through cooking we add the taleggio cheese, the cooked ham and a mushroom sauce that we prepare ourselves. Or linguina allo scoglio, carbonara, bolognese, with homemade tagliatelle ”.
Are Italian restaurants generally more successful?
“Yes, in London there are about 20,000 restaurants, and 3,500 are Italian. But it is not easy to reach certain levels. We have been rewarded by Open Table thanks to customer reviews, the ranking is obviously periodic and changes, but for the 'Cafè Amisha' it was one of the great results ”.
How to beat the competition?
“Don't let the customer miss anything, pamper him, if the food is good and fresh, people come back. One day a gentleman came to us: 'I landed in Heathrow - he explained - and I saw your lobster pasta on Instagram and I told myself that I absolutely had to taste it'. These are things that give great satisfaction ”.
What relationship do you have with Sardinia today?
“I come back every now and then, but I am aware that it is a land that does not offer opportunities, there is work, but if you want to do anything else you do not have many possibilities and you have to leave, there are many countries in which to create a career and a future. After all, I'm happy to have left, traveling was my dream, one day I could come back, maybe for a few months a year ".
What do you think of the controversy arising from Alessandro Borghese's sentence about young people who do not want to get involved in work?
“I absolutely agree. In fact, I have problems finding staff with a certain profile. The staff, in my day and myself included, was even afraid to make requests perhaps for an extra day of rest, today it is the employees who have, in other words, the knife on the side of the handle. If before Brexit I received hundreds of requests with an attached resume, this year perhaps I have received one. It is true that in the past restaurateurs took advantage of it: they did not pay wages and workers were treated as 'slaves'. Now everything is different, in the meantime I can't find a dishwasher ”.
What do you do in your free time in London?
“What little I have I dedicate to volunteering in prison. Once a week I follow a group of 10 inmates who are close to leaving the institution and teach them to cook and serve in the dining room. A way to introduce them to the working world thanks to a non-profit organization ".
Is there a phrase that is repeated often?
"You must always share your luck and your happiness".