Behind the sleek dining bar of Azzurra, Chef Alessandro Bay orchestrates a culinary symphony that celebrates the sea. Hailing from the coastal city of Genoa, Bay has combined his Italian heritage with a deep respect for sustainability and innovation, creating a seafood experience like no other in London. With dishes inspired by the Mediterranean and techniques rooted in tradition yet forward-looking, Azzurra stands as a beacon of boat-to-table excellence.
How has your upbringing in Genoa and your experiences in various kitchens shaped your culinary style and approach to Italian seafood cuisine?
Growing up in a city that stands in front of the sea gave me the opportunity to know a lot about the different types and variations of sea products. Also working in different kitchens gave me a big opportunity to learn different methods of cooking seafood, in order to create my own style.
Azzurra emphasises “boat-to-table” seafood. Can you elaborate on your sourcing practices and how you ensure sustainability in the seafood you offer?
The boat-to-table approach is something very important for us at Azzurra. All our seafood and fish are sourced from British waters and the Mediterranean sea, and then served mere hours after the catch, prepared simply, where the focus is on Italian provenance and seasonality. We also ensure our produce is not only seasonal and local, but also sustainable. Throughout my career this has always been a key focus and something I’m very proud of. In the kitchen, I try to have as little waste as possible. Another way to be sustainable is to make sure the suppliers we work with are equally as sustainable. This way, we can make a difference, not only for the quality of our dishes but also to preserve our planet.
How do you incorporate local and seasonal produce into your menu, and how does this change throughout the year?
The base of all my dishes is fresh and seasonal ingredients. Not only are they cheaper, but also more delicious and healthy. That being said, there are quite a few packaged options that respect our planet and champion sustainability. I’m open to mix and match, but fresh is always better for me. This is why our menus change with the seasons, to make sure we use the most of each season’s best ingredients.
What are some signature dishes you’ve created for Azzurra, and what inspired them?
I have just crafted three specials, now available at Azzurra: Risotto alla Crema di Patate e Cozze with potato cream and fresh mussels; Tagliolini alla Triglia with red mullet, Taggiasca olives and topped with white wine sauce; and Merluzzo Arrosto – oven-roasted cod with stewed lentils and rocket pesto. I wanted to create something simple but flavourful. I think those three dishes can in their simplicity let the ingredients speak for themselves. Inspiration for the tagliolini came from the olives Taggiasca, which are from Liguria, my own land. The risotto is very typical from the Campania region, especially Costiera Amalfitana, where they often mix potato and mussels. Cod is a fish that is very popular in the United KIngdom and I wanted to pay homage to this wonderful fish.
Azzurra features a unique dining bar and immersive décor. How do the restaurant’s design and ambiance enhance the dining experience for your guests?
These are good selling points for us. Our dining bar is 16 metres long, which is very rare for London, and our interiors recently won the Best Restaurant Design award. Both are also very Instagrammable!
With your background in wine and the focus on cocktails prepared at the table, how do you curate the drink menu to complement the food?
I had the opportunity to study and pass level one and two of the WSET wine course. I'm not a sommelier though, far from it. This gave me the opportunity to study the wonderful and complicated wine world, but also gave me a chance to learn how to pair wine and food. This is something that comes out of reading and trying different food and tasting wine, which is never a bad thing.
Are there any specific cooking techniques or traditions from your Italian heritage that you apply to your dishes at Azzurra?
Traditionally in my region fish is cooked very simply, and can be boiled, pan fried, grilled or cooked with other ingredients together in the oven. That is my style, but obviously there are more modern methods like sous vide nowadays that can be used to cook the fish to retain more moisture. What I try to do is to mix and match the both to be traditional but contemporary at the same time.
How do you engage with customers at Azzurra, especially when it comes to showcasing your dishes or educating them about the ingredients?
I believe talking is a powerful method when it comes to describing a typical dish or ingredients. Talking through the prep and the execution of a dish is crucial to make them understand the characteristics and taste of a particular product.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an Executive Chef in a competitive city like London, and how do you overcome them?
In terms of food, I believe the biggest challenge is price increase. Since Brexit we have seen an increase on basically all the ingredients. I believe to overcome this is to choose a menu that incorporates a lot of seasonal products. When there is an abundance of food in season obviously the price goes down, so we have to be smart on that. The other one, and I'm sure many chefs will agree with me, is staffing. Again after Brexit a lot of people don't have the chance to come to London freely like before. This in my opinion has created a gap. Of course there is a lot that we can do with schools and universities to fill this gap and hopefully we will see a new generation of chefs.
What are your future aspirations for Azzurra, both in terms of menu innovation and overall restaurant experience?
In Azzurra we want to create a restaurant where guests can come and enjoy excellent simple seafood cooked with the freshest ingredients with a nice busy atmosphere.
How do you approach training and mentoring your kitchen staff, especially in terms of instilling a passion for Italian cuisine?
Mentoring and teaching are very powerful tools to create the right environment to facilitate the development of the new chef's professional and personal goals.
How do you balance traditional Italian culinary techniques with current food trends, and do you foresee any emerging trends that could influence your menu?
Traditional cooking methods have been used for centuries in Italy, so they are part of my heritage. At the same time, as a chef I understand the necessity to be innovative, especially in a fast paced market like London. Here at Azzurra I'm trying to get a little bit of both, in order to respect our big tradition but with an eye for the future influences. I like Middle Eastern and Brazilian cuisine. I know they are very popular, especially here in London where you have a variety of different cultures. I will try to adopt some of those techniques in my future menus.