Ancient modern: Stevie Parle's Palatino

Palatino is a new Italian restaurant from Stevie Parle, set to open in London's Clerkenwell on 23 January. Parle is the charming and extraordinarily talented young chef behind Dalston's Rotorino, Ladbroke Grove's elegant Dock Kitchen and Greenwich Peninsula's creative Craft London, as well as a number of successful books and TV shows.

The culinary focus at Palatino is Italian, but more specifically Roman food. "It's not a 100 per cent authentic recreation of Rome," says Parle. "It's also a modern London restaurant, but it's a way of looking at key ingredients and the way to cook them." The restaurant is anchored by a fresh pasta machine, wood-burning stove and stone oven, each of which helps to recreate the diverse flavours of Rome. Parle discovered London during his first job working at the River Cafe, when he was sent by its founders, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, with pockets full of recommendations to discover the city. "It was one of the first places I went as a young chef when I discovered my love of travel and eating local cuisines," Parle says, and his affection for the city shines through in the restaurant's menu.

Parle has tried to incorporate the city's many influences in Palatino's menu – including dishes inspired by the Jewish quarter such as chicken and pistachio meatballs with polenta and squash, or puntarelle, a chicory shoot that is served at Palatino with an anchovy vinaigrette. Ancient Rome has also inspired a number of dishes and ingredients including garum, a fermented fish sauce that Parle describes as being a little like Thai fish sauce, and a dish of fried sage leaves to dip in honey and vinegar.

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"I'm excited about the whole menu, from the niche dishes to ones that are more mainstream, but that we're doing in a different way," Parle says. On the more familiar end is a thick pork chop served with anchovies, capers, olives and creme fraiche. Which might seem pretty straightforward, but Parle reveals the pork is aged by the restaurant's butcher in the same way as a cut of beef in order to enhance the "deep, savoury flavours".

One of the more unusual dishes is pajata, an offal pasta dish made from the small intestine of a suckling calf with the milk still in the gut forming part of the sauce. It's a traditional and truly delicious Roman recipe, but might be a challenge for more conservative diners. Its natural audience, however, should be those in the Clerkenwell area, the same crowd who embraced and continue to enjoy nose-to-tail eating at St John. It's a part of London already rich in good restaurants and offices filled with creatives: "Great people who know how to live", as Parle puts it.

The wine list is wholly Italian, with a combination of benchmark Italian wines and old or rare bottles, many bought from auction. All wine is available by glass, even the more unusual bottles, which makes it perfect for those who want to taste something truly special without having to purchase the whole bottle. "We use a system called Coravin, which allows you to pour a glass from a bottle without opening it. This means one bottle can be poured glass by glass over weeks, or years, without any detriment to the wine."

With each restaurant he aims to create not just a place to eat, but also a fully rounded, enjoyable experience. "I want everyone to have a great time," he says, "whether they're coming for a four-course feast, or a plate of pasta and a glass of wine."

This is something Parle has achieved with all of his previous endeavours, and it sounds like Palatino will be no different. From the beautiful restaurant complete with concrete bar and handsome yellow leather seats, to the all-day dining that ranges from a casual pizza bianca to a four-course feast. But the most important thing of all to the experience is people. "Eighty per cent of the team at Palatino are people we've worked with before, so it feels like family and old friends," Parle says. "We know they'll make sure customers have a great night."

With its menu, location, design and Parle's experience, it's easy to see how Palatino is going to be a great night for a lot of people.

Palatino officially opens Monday 23 January and from 16-21 January is in soft launch, with 50 per cent off food at lunch and dinner; palatino.london