New Roman-style Restaurant Planned on Fulham Road
Arianna Trattoria Romana launching at former Gola site
Gola Cucina seems unlikely to reopen. Picture: Google Streetview
February 2, 2026
A new Italian restaurant is preparing to take over the former Gola site on Fulham Road, signalling a shift in regional focus for one of the area’s best-known dining addresses. Arianna Trattoria Romana has applied for a premises licence for 787 Fulham Road, where it intends to operate as a traditional Roman trattoria with both dine-in and takeaway services.
Documents submitted to the council show the applicants are seeking permission to serve alcohol indoors and outdoors from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week, and to play recorded music from 8am to 11pm. The proposed opening hours match the alcohol licence, with the restaurant planning to trade daily from morning through to late evening.
The application marks the next chapter for a site long associated with Italian cooking. Until recently it was home to Gola, a restaurant that specialised in the cuisine of Puglia, the southern region known for orecchiette, burrata and seafood-led dishes. Gola had built a loyal following over the years, leaning into the rustic, sun-soaked flavours of the heel of Italy’s boot. The restaurant closed for renovation earlier this winter, with signage on the door apologising for the disruption.
Arianna Trattoria Romana represents a notable change in direction. Rather than southern cooking, the new operators plan to bring the flavours of Rome to Fulham — a region with a very different culinary identity. Roman trattoria dishes typically centre on simplicity and technique: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, saltimbocca and slow-cooked meats, alongside vegetable dishes such as carciofi alla romana. Where Puglian cuisine is olive-oil rich and coastal, Roman cooking is rooted in the capital’s historic working-class kitchens, with an emphasis on pecorino, guanciale and robust, pared-back flavours.
The shift reflects a broader trend in London’s Italian dining scene, where regional specificity has become increasingly common. While Puglian restaurants flourished over the past decade, Roman trattorias have seen a resurgence in recent years, driven by interest in classic pasta dishes and the city’s distinctive culinary heritage.
For local residents, the licensing application offers the first glimpse of what to expect from the new restaurant. If approved, Arianna Trattoria Romana would be able to operate from early morning, serve alcohol throughout the day and offer recorded music, suggesting a format that blends casual dining with a neighbourhood feel.
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