London Food And Drink News: 12 March 2015

Ben O' Norum
By Ben O' Norum Last edited 108 months ago
London Food And Drink News: 12 March 2015

Not dogs: these are meat-free mutts

Welcome to our weekly round-up of all that’s happening in London’s food and drink scene.

Inside this week: dogs, dairies, markets and Mexico

Paradise dairy

The team behind Clapham’s The Dairy and The Manor will open a restaurant in Bethnal Green later this year. Robin Gill — head chef at The Dairy and the driving force behind the restaurant group — will debut 254 Paradise on Paradise Row in June and lead the kitchen in conjunction with an as-yet-unnamed head chef, who will eventually take over. Details are vague, but there will be an open kitchen and an approach that’s “similar but different” to the other two restaurants. Gill told Hot Dinners: "I have always loved the East End… [I was] delighted that the landlord chose us over a huge list of competitors to take the site”.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Serial supperclub hosts and pop-up masters Forza Win have launched a spring event for the first time — supplementing the established runs of summer’s Forza Win and winter’s Forza Winter. Spring Chicken will be held at Forza’s HQ in Peckham and run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from today into May. The centrepiece of a five course feast — which makes the most of British spring produce — is spit roast chicken, while a starter of rabbit terrine and a pud of rhubarb and custard will also feature. Tickets (which include a cocktail on arrival) cost £35.

Craft beer market

Covent Garden’s Startisans — which acts as a launchpad for fledgling food and drink businesses — has created London’s first weekly craft beer market. The Brewers’ Market will run every Friday from 5-9pm, with a rotating selection of six London-based microbreweries who will each run a space in the Shelton Street venue, tap room style.  This week’s brewers include Druid Street’s Southwark Brewery, Crystal Palace-based Inkspot, and Temple’s Essex Street Brewery.

Street minus meat

A new pop-up in London Bridge is showcasing vegetarian street food, a timely antidote to London’s burger and rib stalls. The Moveable Feast — which plans to roam the capital, hence the name — has launched on St Thomas Street opposite Borough Market. It's open Monday-Saturday until the end of September offering a changing array of veggie food including pulled jackfruit and other vegan Mexican dishes from Club Mexicana, substantial salads from The Salad Kitchen and meat-free hot-dogs from Not Dogs.

Hall de la comida

That’s (possibly) what the Mexican’s would call Selfridges Food Hall, which will be showcasing the food of the central American country from now until the middle of May. Features will include a pop-up Mexican kitchen, a taco stall and numerous Mexican-flavoured events and menus at the department store’s restaurants — including a series of modern dinners at The Corner Restaurant & Champagne Bar, hosted by leading Mexican chefs. The store will also be stocking Gringa Dairy’s Mexican-style cheese, made in Peckham. Full details are on the Selfridges website.

New openings

This week has seen the launch of branches of both The Refinery and Vinoteca in King’s Cross, a more food-focused outlet of coffee shop Kaffeine in Fitzrovia, the reopening of long-standing political favourite Shepherd’s in Westminster, and The Woodstock, a Japanese kushiyaki bar near Bond Street specialising in grilled skewers.

Monday sees Jar Kitchen open on Drury Lane, serving an eclectic selection of dishes ranging from home-baked beans on toast with bacon and slow-cooked eggs, to tagliatelle with braised beef, kale, ale, mushrooms and own-made ricotta. The team also has plans to smoke their own meat. It’s open from breakfast through to dinner, though somewhat peculiarly shuts at 9pm.

Friday sees The Richmond open in Haggerston, brought about in part by Brett Redman who runs Elliot’s at Borough Market. It will come with a raw bar serving natural wines and negronis on tap, and will run an early evening oyster happy hour.

On Saturday, Giorgio Locatelli’s Locanda Locatelli reopens in Marylebone following a gas explosion last year.

Coming soon

It’s been announced that Old Street’s On The Bab will open a second branch in Covent Garden later this month, with a slightly larger menu of Korean anju-style dishes (bar food), cocktails made with Korean spirit soju, and draught beer available in 1.7 litre ‘towers’. While in April a second branch of Dalston’s Salvation In Noodles will open in Finsbury Park.

Talk To Us

We still want your help to keep these weekly food & drink news round-ups as relevant, up-to-date, and interesting as possible. Got any top tips, local gems or foodie news? Tried one of the new restaurants we mentioned? Leave a comment below or hit us up at hello@londonist.com. ‘Til next week…

Last Updated 12 March 2015