500 Restaurant had been planned for several years by chef Mario Magli and manager Giorgio Pili but due to work commitments their own restaurant did not open until 2008.

The name was chosen for its individual and quirky qualities something not instantly associated with being the name of a restaurant.

The design incorporates various ways of expressing ‘500’ as a Roman numeral the ‘D’ element, as Arabic numerals, the ‘500’ and the Italian word ‘cinquecento’ meaning 500.

There is also another reason, we both like the old ‘cinquecento’ motor car.