Father and son Donato Cillo and Antonio Cillo open new Italian eatery in south Liverpool, creating 25 jobs, after establishing several outlets in the city centre. Tony McDonough reports

New Italian eatery Botanico has opened its doors in Woolton Village in south Liverpool, creating 25 jobs.

Father and son Donato Cillo and Antonio Cillo are behind the venture. It is located on the site of the former  Il Ristorante by Crust and will offer a brunch menu, afternoon tea and a bistro evening menu.

Over the past few years the Cillo family have opened a number of Italian food outlets in Liverpool city centre. They include Brunchin, P&D Gran Caffe, Antonietta Cakes, Gelato and Hey Farina which opened in January this year.

Seating 90 people across its restaurant, Botanico will also be home to a 30-person tea room terrace reserved for afternoon tea guests in a fully covered and heated space. This space is available for private hire.

Botanico’s breakfast and brunch menu offers fry-ups, benedicts, pancakes, French toast and a selection of the venue’s specials including steak and eggs, breakfast burger, avocado toast and chicken and waffles.

From 12pm, Botanico’s all day wood-fired pizza menu is available, as well as pasta dishes, sandwiches, burgers and salads.

From 5pm the bistro menu offers starters including burrata with heritage tomato salad, slow cooked pulled beef with potato puree, beetroot hummus with warm, homemade focaccia and chicken wings with sweet chilli and honey glaze.

Main dishes include the confit duck leg with charred chicory and green lentils served with a ruby cherry sauce and beetroot gel, the crispy sea bass fillet served with winter squash risotto and safe creme fraiche and the classic pollo Milanese.

Its menu caters for all dietary requirements with a selection of vegan dishes available such as their vegan penne arrabbiata, vegan pizzas and a vegan plant-based burger.

There is also a  takeaway bakery option where there will be 10 to 12 different kinds of sourdough croissants with various fillings, doughnuts, cakes and a selection of sourdough breads all baked fresh.

Donato said: “We’re very excited to be opening Botanico; a venue that is ideal for families, groups of friends or couples.

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“We’ve created an extensive menu that caters for all so that our guests can choose dishes according to how they feel on the day.

“All of our dishes have been carefully created to ensure we offer a variety of flavours, textures and have something for all dietary requirements.”