2 weeks Ago
It is always a risk to rebrand a beloved culinary institution. But at Tavola Di Famiglia in Worthing, the balance between a fresh injection of modernity while maintaining the old welcoming feel and great food has been struck just right. Walking into the restaurant, which was formerly Casa Ciro, you can tell that Jamie and Sam Haworth have taken their inspiration from the Amalfi Coast.
The atmosphere is warm as you walk in, cosy lighting illuminating the colourful mosaic accents on the walls of the restaurant and the excellent staff, who are the same as before, winding their way between tables carrying brightly painted crockery. The interior is lighter and brighter (Image: The Argus) The restaurant, which is well positioned on the town’s Marine Parade, is lighter, brighter and yet still homely. It is a subtle, cohesive revamp and the food is utterly scrumptious.
Personal highlights from the new menu include nonna’s homemade meatballs (£9) – perfectly seasoned and succulent in a tangy tomato sauce – Sicilian orange stuffed olives (£4) that were the biggest olives I had ever seen, deep fried mozzarella sticks (£9), the garlic butter, stracciatella and black pepper pizzetta (£5) and the tiramisu, which was a more subtle version of the dessert but equally as good. Nonna's meatballs were delicious (Image: The Argus) Jamie and Sam, who grew up in Worthing, took over the restaurant in 2022 after former owners Ciro and Elizabeth De Silvo retired after 23 years running the business . Sam and Jamie Haworth (Image: Sam and Jamie Haworth) Sam said it was time for the restaurant to get a make over and that the brothers had wanted to first earn the trust of their existing clientele before diving into the rebrand.
“It was always our intention to modernise it,” said Sam. The bread and olives were very tasty (Image: The Argus) “We didn’t want to steam roller in. “But after two years it felt right to push on.
” The tiramisu was a great way to end the meal (Image: The Argus) The brothers worked closely with Brighton based designers DLSM, who are also behind the design of Hove’s Rockwater. “We wanted to leverage the location of the sea and we’ve been to the Amalfi Coast and wanted the colours and the food inspiration from those trips,” said Sam. Tavola Di Famiglia means family table in Italian and that is the vibe Sam wanted to bring to the restaurant.
The carbonara was a little too cheesy (Image: The Argus) “We wanted to create something special where memories can be made with close friends and family around the table,” he said. He said he could not be happier with the response to the relaunch and the restaurant has been “super busy” since it reopened in March. “We can’t wait to share the new experience with diners,” said Sam.
Tavola Di Famiglia reopened in March (Image: The Argus).
