Chef Monica Galetti to open new Primrose Hill restaurant

This week, Chef Monica Galetti will open a new London restaurant: 130 Primrose.

The new restaurant has a noble ethos: to recruit, train and employ people with experience of homelessnesswill occupy the site formerly known as Home Kitchen Diner, a previous incarnation of the social enterprise that operated for a year until August 2025.

Seating 50 covers on Regent’s Park Road, 130 Primrose will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week from 9 am in a relaxed, brasserie-style setting, with additional street-side seating. Its à la carte menu will draw on Mediterranean influences, and later will bring in nods to Monica’s native Samoa. At lunchtime, sandwiches and salads will also be available, while evenings will feature an additional charcuterie and cheese offering. A speakeasy-style cocktail bar is set to open on the lower ground floor later next month.

The restaurant takes its name from the Latin phrase prima rosa, a symbol of spring and new beginnings; 130 Primrose aims to foster renewal, confidence and lasting opportunity. The restaurant will offer employees paid work, accredited training and clear progression within hospitality under the guidance of Monica Galetti and Head Chef Eric Zhang. Eric will lead the kitchen full-time.

Candidates for 130 Primrose are being recruited through referrals from partner charities including The Big Issue, Crisis, Beam, Soup Kitchen London and Only A Pavement Away. Each employee is offered a six-month contract as part of the front of house or kitchen team at 130 Primrose, which includes the opportunity to complete qualifications such as Food Hygiene and Allergen Awareness certifications. Upon completing their time at the restaurant, each employee is supported in progressing to further opportunities within the hospitality industry.

Of the new endeavour, Galletti says: “Too often, people facing homelessness are excluded from work and written off by society – seen only for their circumstances, not their potential.

"At the same time, the hospitality industry, among many other challenges, faces a shortage of committed, qualified staff. We’ve started to close both gaps to prove that talent can flourish anywhere and change perceptions. But we must do more. We must build on what we’ve learned and scale up to provide more opportunities for more people who need them. These are people with an extraordinary life experience doing extraordinary things with the right support. Employment brings dignity, belonging, and a future."