Who is chef Aktar Islam and where will his new restaurant be located?

Aktar Islam set to launch his new Italian restaurant, Legna, in Birmingham.

Next month, chef Aktar Islam will open Legna, his new Italian restaurant in Birmingham city centre.

Named after the Italian word for firewood, Legna is set to blaze a trail for Italian cooking, championing the finest ingredients and market-fresh produce.

Aktar’s love affair with Italian cuisine started over 20 years ago when worked at the former Quod restaurant in Birmingham.

He said:

"This is the culmination of a dream for me and I am so excited about welcoming guests to Legna. It truly will be like no other Italian restaurant in the city, both in its vision and its delivery. We’ll stay true to traditional Italian cooking techniques; however, our dishes will have the flair and innovation that diners have experienced at Opheem.”

He continued:

“Our chefs will focus on a relatively small number of great dishes to ensure customers’ expectations are always matched and hopefully exceeded. Gone are the days of over-long menus. Customers now want authenticity and quality, not overload.

“It was while working with Italian food that I learned about the beautiful simplicity of ingredients like ripe tomatoes, single estate olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar and the finest buffalo mozzarella. Great Italian food is all about letting the ingredients speak for themselves, and this will be the philosophy at Legna.”

With a strong focus on authenticity and freshness, Legna will offer just two varieties of homemade pasta, which Aktar and his team will change on a regular basis to take advantage of the best seasonal produce.

Rustic bread such as focaccia and ciabatta will also feature on the menu alongside three choices of pizzas, including a classic Margherita, will be cooked in a wood-fired oven. Other dishes will include slow-cooked meat dishes and seafood specials such as salt-baked sea bream.

The restaurant will also provide a hot and cold snack offering which will include dishes like salt cod fritters, cured meats and olives which can be eaten at the bar or in the dining room.

The main menu at the 70-cover restaurant will focus on eight starters and eight main dishes. The luxurious decor, punctuated with warm timber and copper design motifs, will create an intimate space with a unique sense of place.

Legna occupies the site of the former FSK restaurant, which was previously operated by Aktar and is the latest addition to Aktar’s expanding collection of restaurants which includes Opheem in Summer Row, Birmingham.

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