After three successful years of fine-dining service in the heart of Adelaide, Eleven on Waymouth Street closed its doors in early August, bringing an end to their remarkable journey in Adelaide’s culinary scene. But, the celebrated establishment that first opened amidst the challenging economic conditions of the pandemic in 2020 would not be closing for good.
Instead, the restaurant space has undergone a significant transformation, presenting their exciting rebrand as Roma Restaurant, Deli & Piazza. Roma opens its doors Wednesday September 4th, officially unveiling their striking new space. Co-owners Themis Chryssidis and Callum Hahn dubbed the move “the end of something special, but the start of something exciting”, turning their long-time dream into a reality by transitioning towards “casual, fun, inviting alfresco dining experience”.
As a modern Italian restaurant, Roma pays homage to traditional dishes from one of the world’s most enjoyed cuisines, with a modern and personal twist.
Chryssidis touched on the personal nature and familiarity of Italian food, saying: “We don’t want to compete with Nonna. Every Italian has a memory of an Italian dish or their Italian relative making one. We don’t want to compete with their home.”
Rather, through their menu, the Roma team endeavour to adapt traditional Italian dishes in the context of modern dining, adding “slight twists” to their courses, to create unique dishes that are “playful, but familiar”.
The menu features small to larger plates, with a pasta section, a meat section, tasting menus and an a la carte menu, which has been updated to offer new ingredients to keep the menu fresh and vibrant. With an array of options to select from, the team at Roma believe the tasting menus offer customers the most comprehensive method of experiencing their cuisine.
Chryssidis believes that it is the space they’ve created that truly distinguishes Roma from alternative alfresco dining options.
“Roma plays on the beautiful piazza type environment that we’ve got at this intersection of Franklin, Waymouth, and King William Street. It’s very unique, but perfect for our mediterranean climate.
“We’ve tried to create a venue where people can sit back, relax with friends in the restaurant or head into the piazza upstairs and enjoy the Mediterranean climate and dining experience.”
The outdoor space has been redesigned and painted to create an environment that is “light and bright,” with vibrant splashes of colour that pulls the venue together. Curated by owners who have have young families, the restaurant and piazza area has been designed to mirror the welcoming and intimate experience of an Italian family dinner. Diners are invited to spend time with their friends and family in this new, non-intimidating venue “because Italian cuisine is meant to be welcoming and intimate”.
For a team that is already held in high regard for their excellent food and customer service, the owners of Roma have sought to create an atmosphere and sense of space that people will enjoy inhabiting, and believe they have achieved this aspiration by a unique alfresco dining environment in the inner-city.
“More than anything, people wanna have fun and get out of the house. Something the team is striving to be better at is creating experiences that are unique and special,” Chryssidis says.
Roma will also feature a deli with small bites such as focaccia pizza, arancini balls, salads, Italian pastries, cheese, and cold meats to choose from. Food from the deli can be purchased at any point during the day for customers to either take away or enjoy in the piazza area.
Driven by contextual changes to the dining industry and the Waymouth Street area, this exciting transformation coincides with the recent opening of Adelaide’s Marriott Hotel, and the newly unveiled renovation of Electra.
The completion of the Marriott Hotel is expected to increase pedestrian flow around King William, Franklin, and Waymouth Street, likely bringing lots of new foot traffic to Roma.
Just like Eleven on Waymouth Street, Roma is expected to become one of the busiest and most popular dining destinations in the city, and the team recommend booking tables in advance to avoid disappointment. If a more intimate dining experience is what you’re after, the space is available for private events and functions. Private dining spaces can also be arranged.
Whether it be for a family outing, your next work function, or a solo tasting, make your way into the heart of Adelaide’s CBD to experience Roma Restaurant, Deli & Piazza, open from tomorrow.
What: Roma Restaurant & Deli
Where: 11 Waymouth Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
When: Open for all-day dining, Monday to Saturday
Find out more here.
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