Enzo Medaglia, who runs Umberto’s with his wife Gina, recently celebrated 31 years of serving traditional Italian food to the Hornchurch community.
Enzo told the Recorder how, as a small, family-run restaurant, they pride themselves on their homemade dishes and putting customers first.
The restaurant owner said: “Everything we do is homemade – it’s something that no one does around in Hornchurch and that’s what gets people coming back.
“It’s not your run of the mill chain restaurant. It’s really unique, and there’s not many of us left unfortunately.”
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Enzo, 51, bought the restaurant in 1993 when he was just 20 and said he “never looked back”.
Enzo Medaglia outside Umberto’s (Image: Gina Medaglia)
Gina, 46, joined him in running the restaurant later on, and their daughter Tia now helps out with front-of-house duties.
The couple even named their son Umberto after the restaurant, which was in turn named after Enzo’s father.
Some staff members have been working at the Hornchurch restaurant for 15 years or more, while Enzo said several regular customers still return after 30 years.
“As a family-run business we look after our staff – they stay with us for years and years and years,” Enzo told the Recorder.
“It’s very important for customers when they come in, they want to see faces that they have seen before and that’s worked in our favour as well.”
The family is well-known in the area, and Enzo joked that “we see our customers no matter where we go” – even on holiday.
He added: “You almost feel like you’re talking to friends because you have that rapport with them.”
Despite long-standing regulars, Enzo said Umberto’s is now also attracting a younger crowd who find the venue through TripAdvisor – the restaurant gets 4.5 stars on the review platform.
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Some favourite dishes, according to Enzo, include carbonara, pancetta and fish dishes using fresh fish from the market.
But the restaurant mixes up its specials so customers will “always find something different”.
The 15th-century building’s low ceilings and centre-piece chimney makes it feel like “you’re sitting in your own front room”.
“You’ve almost got your own little space no matter where you sit,” Enzo said.
“We have people always when they phone up asking for a specific table, because they feel at home there.”
