When Bar Caffé Ciao serves a customer Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, it is not quite what it seems. For although the dish looks like a traditional pasta recipe, it's not - because the entire dish is made from ice cream! A special machine is used to produce thin strands of vanilla ice cream which resemble spaghetti. This is covered with raspberry sauce which looks like tomato sauce and covered with flaked white chocolate - to look like Parmesan cheese shavings. The result is truly effective and it tastes delicious.
There are several versions such as Spaghetti Tricolore with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, strawberry and kiwi sauce, as well as Spaghetti Nero Seppia, made from chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce and chopped mix nuts, but Carlo Barbieri, one of the owners, says that's not as popular. "The Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce is one of our top sellers," he adds.
Another house speciality are pizzas - made from ice cream of course. The base comprises vanilla ice cream, which is covered with fresh sliced fruit and sauce, edged with whipped cream and dusted with chocolate flakes. There are two varieties - Pizza Carpaccio with melon and Pizza Pomodoro with strawberries.
Prima points out that as Bar Caffé Ciao makes its own ice cream, using a machine from Germany, they check every single ingredient - so there are no preservatives or artificial colourings and there's a strong, natural flavour "that you don't have with industrial ice cream," she says. "This is because 100 per cent air has been forced into the ice cream mixture to make the volume. With 'artisan' ice cream, which we make, there's only 25 to 40 per cent air so you're buying more ice cream and less air."
There's a giant cornet outside on the pavement, drawing customers to the cafe and the huge ice cream compartment on view, where people can buy scoops of ice cream in a cornet. This succeeds in casual custom from people walking past and seeing the mouth-watering range of ice creams.
The establishment offers different flavours every day, but the most popular are hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate and spearmint with dark chocolate.
One of the star attractions is the ice cream cups like Coppa Frutta, served in a giant-sized, flamboyant, elegant glass. It has a base of different ice creams, then layers of fruit, ice cream and whipped cream, decorated with raspberry coulis and kiwi sauce. It is reminiscent of a Knickerbocker Glory, but has far more style and grandeur.
The cafe has 40 seats, as well as a huge bar. It took three months to renovate the former brewery into this streamlined, modern ice cream parlour, which also has a kitchen, office, storage and ice cream laboratory, where the ice cream is made.
Owners Prima and Carlo have a mission - to change the British perception of ice cream. "We think ice cream should be eaten all year round," she says.
Between them, they have some 30 years experience working in restaurants, but wanted to try something different. They opened several outlets like Bar Caffé Ciao, in Germany, which have been very successful. They can see great potential in the UK and opened the ice cream outlet last November. "There's nothing like it in London. We created the recipes ourselves and have brought Giuseppe over from Germany to train members of staff in making ice cream creations like Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce," she says. "In Germany, people tend to eat ice cream instead of a conventional lunch or dinner."
She thinks the British public need to be educated about the healthy benefits of ice cream. "Ice cream need not be fattening - some of our varieties are made purely from fruit like melon. It's the healthiest alternative to lunch or dinner - one 100g portion (three scoops) is the equivalent of 115 calories."
They are looking at developing a soya ice cream for people with allergies and an ice cream for diabetics.
The outlet is open from 10am to 2am seven days a week, so it appeals to a cross-section of people including tourists, locals and theatre goers, as it is opposite the Garrick Theatre. "We get a lot of regulars," says Prima," and we can sell alcohol up until 11pm. The weekend is by far the busiest."
The idea to start a franchise operation so that other outlets are opened in different parts of the country.
Apart from the ice cream, Bar Caffé Ciao offers an extensive savoury menu offering sandwiches, made from speciality breads like ciabatta, supplied by Delice de France, 278, while paninis are cooked on a special machine by Lincat, 279.
Pasta dishes are also on offer, with pasta supplied from Barilla, 280.
Bar Caffé Ciao also put their own spin on speciality coffees as well. Instead of having a straight cappuccino, customers can have a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the coffee. Coffee and machines are supplied by Brasilia, 281. Hot Waffles, supplied by the Malted Waffle Co, 282, are also served with the option of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with or without cherries.
The outlet sells a wide range of Italian wines and liqueurs such as Prosecco, a light Italian sparkling wine which complements the taste of ice cream and Frangelico liqueur made from wild hazelnuts, best served on ice.
Sample Menu
Savoury
Toasted paninis
Ciabatta bread with chicken escalope, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise £4.80
Rustico - black olive ciabatta bread with wild rocket, Asiago cheese £4
Delizia - croissant filled with parma ham and Asiago cheese, £2.80
Vegetariano - sandwich with cheese and roasted peppers and basil, £2.40
Pasta
Penne Napoli - penne with plum tomato sauce and a touch of garlic, £5.50
Fettucine Verdi con Panna e Gunghi - spinach and egg pasta ribbons with mushroom and fresh cream sauce, £6
Salads
Caprese Salad - mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil drizzled with olive oil, £4.50
Snacks
Hot waffle with scoop vanilla ice cream, £3.20
Ice Cream
Spaghetti, £4.60
Spaghetti Nero Seppia, £4.60
Fried Eggs - dairy ice cream, whipped cream, canned apricots, eggnog, liqueur, chocolate flakes and sauce, £5.60
Pizza Carpaccio, £6.60
Coppa Frutta, £5.30
Beverages
Cappuccino, £1.80 (large £2.20)
Cappuccino with a scoop of ice cream, £2.50, (large £2.90)
Tea - English breakfast, £1.40 cup; pot £2.50
San Pellegrino mineral water, £1.80
Yogurt drinks: Tropical, £5.50 (fruit, ice cream, yogurt and ice cream)
Frappe milk shake with choice of ice cream £2.70
Bar Caffé Ciao
17 Charing Cross Road
London WC2H OEP
Tel: 020 7930 5969