When Chef Max Rocha opened Cafe Cecilia in August 2021, he was diving into a whirlwind of excitement and challenge. Located next to the Regent’s Canal in east London, the restaurant quickly became the talk of the town. With its white-walled charm and delicious dishes, it attracted rave reviews and a star-studded clientele, including food critic Nigella Lawson, who couldn’t get enough of the deep-fried bread and butter pudding.
For Rocha, the success was both thrilling and overwhelming. “It was all too much,” he says about that incredible first year. “It felt like the place everyone wanted to be, but I was putting myself through hell.” Despite his impressive background cooking at top London restaurants like Spring and St John Bread & Wine, Rocha was not prepared for the demands of running his own kitchen. At just 32, he felt the pressure to live up to his family’s high standards. His father, designer John Rocha, and his sister, fashion designer Simone Rocha, had set the bar high. “My dad started out with nothing and he smashed it,” Rocha reflects. “I wanted to do the same.”
The intense workload took its toll. Rocha worked long hours and found himself relying on alcohol to cope. “I wasn’t like, a crazy person having loads of parties or anything, but I couldn’t cope at work, and then after work I was isolating a bit. It all went to my head,” he admits. After a year of this exhausting routine, he realized he needed a break. Rocha took some time off, which allowed him to return with a new outlook. He stopped drinking and focused on self-improvement, both personally and as a boss. “I stopped drinking and taking any sort of substances – two years ago,” he shares proudly. “It was just a choice for me to make, and I don’t want to make this all about that, but I’m not nervous of people knowing that I stopped drinking to make my life better, make my staff’s lives better, and make things better for everyone around me.”
Alongside this transformation, Rocha embraced a healthier lifestyle, including regular exercise and running half-marathons. These changes helped him shift his focus from proving himself to enjoying the success of Cafe Cecilia and its loyal patrons. Today, the restaurant remains a popular spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On a recent visit, diners enjoyed onglet and chips, or poached cod with summer vegetables, surrounded by the stylish ambiance that has made Cafe Cecilia a favorite among London’s fashion crowd.
This month, Rocha is celebrating another milestone with the release of his Cafe Cecilia cookbook. The book features some of the restaurant’s standout dishes, starting with a chapter dedicated to Guinness bread. This bread can be paired with mackerel pâté or used in tarts and ice cream. The recipe for the Guinness bread comes from Rocha’s mother, Odette, who inspired his love for cooking during his childhood in Dublin. Odette now helps with the menu at Cafe Cecilia.
The cookbook also includes a chapter on pasta, which Rocha learned to make during his time at a trattoria in Copenhagen. One of the most popular recipes in the book is for sage and anchovy fritti, a dish that regulars eagerly await. Rocha’s influence from his time at St John is evident in his dishes, which combine robust British and French classics. Examples include chicken and leek pie and pig’s head croquettes, all made with Rocha’s signature simplicity, often using fewer than 10 ingredients.
Despite his success, Rocha remains humble and focused on his restaurant’s identity rather than seeking personal fame. The cookbook’s design reflects the clean, understated aesthetic of Cafe Cecilia. Rocha has kept the focus on the restaurant and his family’s influence, especially highlighting his Irish and Hong Kong grandmothers. Cecilia, his Hong Kong grandmother, is particularly honored, as she saved money to send Rocha’s father to London when he was 16. “Without her taking the punt on him, he wouldn’t be where he is today, and I wouldn’t be either,” Rocha says. This deep family connection is reflected in the restaurant’s name, Cafe Cecilia.
Looking to the future, Rocha is open to the idea of expanding but remains focused on Cafe Cecilia. He muses about possibilities, like opening a fine-dining restaurant, a diner with a rock’n’roll tuna melt, or even a new location in Dublin or New York. However, he is in no rush. “A lot of opportunities have come in but it doesn’t feel right to do anything just yet. I want to get to five years here first and then see where we’re at,” he says thoughtfully.
Rocha’s journey from an overwhelmed first-time restaurateur to a celebrated chef with a cookbook showcases his growth and resilience. Cafe Cecilia’s continued popularity and Rocha’s personal transformation are testaments to his dedication and passion for his craft.
