Rosa Mitchell to open Rosa's Canteen in legal district

Sicily isn't big enough for Rosa Mitchell. The Italian chef and co-owner of Sicilian restaurant Rosa's Kitchen, which opened on Punch Lane in the city in March last year, has announced that she and business partners David Mackintosh and Peter Bartholomew will open a second venue under the Rosa moniker later this year, serving an Italian menu with a broader regional scope.

Rosa's Canteen will be at 500 Bourke Street, just by MoVida Aqui and Paco's Tacos, also owned by Bartholomew and Mackintosh. Mackintosh says the location, overlooking the law courts between Queen and William streets, has a ''unique view of Melbourne''.

Rosa's Canteen is based on a ''desire to build a broader Italian option'', says Mackintosh. Mitchell recently returned from travels through Italy with a desire to ''resurrect the carbonara''. ''I love northern Italian food and the food of Rome," says the chef, whose new menu will draw on dishes from all over Italy.

The 70-seater is being designed by Collingwood-based HA Architects and is due to open in late October or early November.

Mackintosh also confirmed that plans to move his and Bartholomew's Collingwood-based Chinese diner Lee Ho Fook to the city have been moved from later this year to February 2015.