About Us

As my mother is Italian I grew up with Italian cuisine and also spent many holidays with her family in Italy, so I have always enjoyed the style and simplicity of Italian food.

I opened up Giorgio Armani's first restaurant in England in 1989 where I was first Head Chef and later Manager and worked alongside the next Head Chef, Nicola Parsons, who had trained in classical French cuisine at Le Talbooth (which at the time was considered to be the leading French restaurant outside London) followed by sous chef experience at the Compleat Angler Hotel at Marlow.

Later on I became a consultant and party planner for (among others) The Met Bar and The Great Eastern Hotel and also helped to set up the Blackjack Cafe in Singapore, and the restaurant in the Parrot Cay Hotel in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

I had always wanted to have my own restaurant, and in December 2001, I managed to persuade my ex-colleague Nicola, and my husband Tim, who was an international polo player and coach, to join me in setting up A Cena as a simple family-style Italian restaurant with a modern twist. 

Camilla Healy

Nicola                      Camilla and Zoe    Tim

 

Press Reports

The Guardian “A Cena serving fearsomely good food based on simple raw ingredients, the look is as clean as the flavours”.

Evening Standard

“A Cena , a stylish restaurant, clever combinations of flavour and texture, straight forward Italian dishes.”
- Charles Campion



Time Out London “Sexy bar, excellent cocktails, prices reflect the quality of ingredients and the high level of kitchen craft. “

 


 

The Independant The Ten Best Italian Restaurants. "Like most towns in the UK, Richmond has been crying out for a smart local like A Cena. “




Observer Magazine “Full to bursting point. A Cena has developed a reputation for mixing curious cocktails and yet also cultivates serious culinary ambitions, currently wowing a sophisticated clientele”