Vieni is a new independent Italian restaurant that has just opened at the Goodsyard in the Jewellery Quarter with chef-founder Angelina Adamo bringing her expertise and Sicilian heritage to the city
Tell us about your cooking?
My cooking style is based on simplicity and respect for ingredients. I don’t overcomplicate dishes – I believe when you start with great produce your job as a chef is to let it speak for itself. Seasonality is very important because using ingredients at their best gives you better flavour, texture and quality.
I’m very passionate about supporting local and independent suppliers. It’s important to know where your food comes from and to build relationships with the people producing it. Through my cooking, I want to show people that Sicilian cuisine is much more than just pizza and pasta. It’s diverse, seasonal, produce-driven and full of history.
How did you become a chef?
Through professional training and deep family roots in food. I trained at UCB and then refined my skills working in several Michelin-star kitchens, most notably Simpsons in Edgbaston. But my true beginning as a chef started much earlier – in the kitchen with my Nonna. My family are from Agrigento in Sicily, and cooking with her is where my passion was really born. There were no written recipes or scales — everything was taught through feel, repetition and instinct. Through her I learned that food is never just food – it’s care, memory, and love. Hospitality was also shaped by my family. Spending time with my grandfather on his ice cream van taught me that looking after people is just as important as cooking for them; making guests feel welcome, valued and remembered.
What do you eat at home?
My partner Tom and I both love cooking over fire, so we spend a lot of time using our Gozney Dome and Green Egg. It’s where we switch off, experiment and cook in a more relaxed way. A favourite is a slow, one-pot roast chicken cooked gently in the Gozney – something unfussy, cooked with care and made to share.
Who’s the best chef in the world, and the best in Brum?
I don’t think there’s ever just one ‘best’ chef in the world, but for me Massimo Bottura stands out. What I admire most is his ability to combine deep respect for Italian tradition with creativity and emotion. In Birmingham, I have a lot of respect for Aktar Islam. He’s done an incredible job of pushing boundaries while maintaining identity and precision. What he’s achieved for the city’s food scene is inspiring, and the level of consistency and standards in his kitchens is something I really respect.
Share a cooking tip
Season as you go – and trust me, it usually needs more garlic.
What was your favourite food as a kid?
Snails or mussels in my Nonna’s sugu. It might not be what most kids would choose, but in our house it was comfort food. Slow-cooked and full of flavour.
Food heaven and food hell?
Heaven for me is any fresh shellfish, smothered in garlic butter. Hell would be faggots and mash… I’ve given it chances, but it’s just not meant to be.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten?
Probably pani câ meusa in Palermo: veal spleen and lung, fried in lard, in a sesame bun. It’s a historic Sicilian classic and the locals absolutely love it, so I felt duty-bound to try it. I’ll be honest, I admire the tradition more than the flavour!
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Probably a glass blower. I did some work experience in glass blowing and thought I’d found my calling… until I realised I’m too clumsy to be trusted around molten glass. So, I chose knives and fire instead – much safer!