Longmartin Properties, a joint venture between Shaftesbury Capital and the Mercers’ Company, has announced that Aqua Restaurant Group has launched its first Italian dining bakery concept, Luci, at The Yards in Covent Garden, London, according to Bdaily News.

Longmartin Properties is the chief investor in The Yards.

The bakery is spread across two floors and covers an area of 9,000ft².

The ground floor features an 18m long ‘bancone’ showcasing an assortment of Italian food items such as thin focaccia Genovese, ciabatta, wood-fired pizza by the slice, homemade gelato, sorbet and cakes.

On the first floor, the restaurant offers a dining space with up to 96 covers, where guests can enjoy Italian classics such as melanzane parmigiana, lasagne and wood-fired pizzas.

Various news agencies quoted the Mercers’ Company property director Simon Taylor on behalf of Longmartin Properties as saying: “This is a significant moment for The Yards as we welcome one of the most acclaimed restaurant groups to our portfolio.

“With a varied and diverse offer of intimate dining and grab-and-go, Luci delivers something new and distinctive to our destination, catering to office workers, families, couples and more.

“As The Yards nears leasing completion, we are proud of how the community has developed and evolved over the last few years and the recent opening of Luci, it highlights how we are continuing to attract the very best of F&B in the industry and provide an unmatched dining offer in the West End.”