A new pasta restaurant in Oxford has been welcoming a string of new customers.

100% Pasta has opened on the site of the former Kaspars dessert shop at Gloucester Green, next door to BBuona Pinsa Bar.

The restaurant is owned and managed by staff from BBuona, led by co-owner Andi Bershini.

READ MORE: Rare Harry Potter book could raise £371k

BBuona, formerly Buona Sera, has been serving pizza and other Italian food since 2016.

Now managers have decided to expand by opening a pasta restaurant in the neighbouring unit.

The restaurant opened on Friday (June 21) and Mr Bershini said there have been a steady stream of customers.

He added: "The launch has gone very well - customers have been enjoying our classic pasta dishes, particularly the carbonara and the cacio e pepe - and our homemade tiramisu has also been very popular."

READ MORE: City pub closes as Tap Social hands over to new managers 

Pasta is made on the premises and head chef Mark Superable is in charge.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) "Mark has worked in hospitality since he was 16 - we are delighted to have him working for us," added Mr Bershini.

"He is very skilled and very talented - our menu is created in Rome and he is bringing it to life.

"It's been a great start for the new restaurant and we are getting some very positive feedback from our customers."

The owners invested thousands of pounds refurbishing the unit and have taken out a 10-year lease.

Mr Bershini said earlier: "I hope Gloucester Green can become a food hub, alongside the restaurants in George Street.

"100% Pasta offers fresh homemade pasta, with traditional as well as innovative sauces, paired with the perfect wine to enhance the dish.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) "Our warm welcome and friendly atmosphere, like the one you can find at BBuona Pinsa Bar, will do the rest."

The restaurant owner said about 10 to 12 new staff have been hired and promised dishes would be competitively priced.

He said it was not his intention to go into direct competition with Gino's, another pasta restaurant in Gloucester Green, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Co-owner Alessandro Bianchetti added earlier: “Pasta might seem simple, but it demands meticulous care in selecting ingredients and preparing the dish, and a few rules and a deep understanding of tradition make a significant difference.

(Image: Andy Ffrench) "Each pasta shape is designed to complement certain types of sauces, the variety of shapes and sauces may differ significantly, and how to pair them is rooted in tradition.”

For a number of years BBuona has been one of the city’s most highly rated pizzerias, and it has a five-star rating on reviews site Tripadvisor.

In 2021, the menu was relaunched and the menu now focuses on Pinsa-style pizzas.

Pinsa was originally a recipe to use left-over cereals and flours that could not be sold in the markets and the farmers used them to make a crunchy and light focaccia.

Gloucester Green hosts an outdoor market four days a week and food stalls offering different cuisine from around the globe are particularly busy during the summer.

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe 

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  •       
  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  •       
  • Advert-light access       
  •       
  • Reader rewards       
  •       
  • Full access to our app 

About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.