Former Le Gavroche chefs launch debut restaurant
Caractère, the eagerly anticipated debut restaurant from husband-and-wife team Emily Roux and Diego Ferrari, has opened its doors. The daughter of Michel Roux Jr is overseeing front of house at the Notting Hill restaurant and ex-Le Gavroche head chef Ferrari is running the kitchen. The menu at Caractère is divided into what Roux calls ‘six character traits’ - ‘Curious’ (small plates/starters), ‘Subtle’ (vegetable-focused small plates/starters), 'Delicate’ (fish mains), ‘Robust’ (meat mains), ‘Strong’ (cheese) and ‘Greedy’ (dessert). Combining the couple’s love of classic French and Italian food, dishes include celeriac ‘cacio e pepe’ with extra-aged balsamic vinegar; roast turbot, smoked cauliflower, seaweed and caper condiment with red wine sauce, and roast rack of Herdwick lamb, grilled aubergine, ras el hanout and lamb jus.
Bristol chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias to open first London restaurant
Peter Sanchez-Iglesias of Bristol’s Casamia will open his first London restaurant in 2019. The chef, who also runs Paco Tapas, will launch a new dining room on the top floor of London hotel The Standard. The former Good Food Guide Chef of the Year said: 'When I first heard about the possibility of coming on board with The Standard, London, I was like "hell, yeah"! I never thought I’d work with a hotel but this is different. The people behind this project are hugely creative and open-minded. It’s completely the right fit.'
Ex-St John chef to head up kitchen at new Hackney arts centre
Former St John executive chef Chris Gillard is to head up the kitchen at a new restaurant in Hackney. Called Earth Kitchen, it’s part of a new arts space in the old Savoy cinema on Stoke Newington Road and will have room for 150 diners. Gillard says the menu will feature simple, seasonal dishes such as griddled mackerel with beetroot, leaves and horseradish, and slow-roast lamb breast with pickled raisins and mint. Desserts will include steamed ginger pudding with marmalade butterscotch and vanilla ice cream. The bar will be run by Toni Castillo, who also worked at St John. Earth Kitchen is expected to open at the end of October.
New Mayfair restaurant with Hawksmoor co-founder at the helm
Hawksmoor co-founder Richard Turner is part of the team opening a new ‘live fire grill’ modern British restaurant on London’s Old Park Lane. Occupying the old Met Bar site in Mayfair, the kitchen at Gridiron will be run by chef Colin McSherry, whose CV includes The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Max and Noel Venning of Dalston cocktail bar Three Sheets will be looking after the drinks side of things, along with journalist Fiona Beckett, who will be the restaurant’s wine consultant. Expect dishes like wood-roast scallops with bone marrow XO and smoked eel with braised shin of Highland beef. Gridiron opens on October 30.
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