Temple and Sons | City Restaurant
NOTE: Sadly, Temple & Sons has now closed.
Introducing Henry John Temple, Third Viscount Palmerston (aka “the Mongoose”, or just “Pam”).
Born 1784, he was a Knight of the Order of the Garter, Fellow of the Royal Society, Prime Minister twice…
…and responsible for Jason Atherton’s latest restaurant & deli. Is there no end to his talents?
Well, yes, as it turns out, because his role in this eatery is restricted to the fact that it’s built on the site of his old house, and takes its name from him. Jason Atherton, however, has been considerably more involved, and has put together a menu of English heritage dishes to be served on two storeys, organised thus…
UPSTAIRS
…is a grill restaurant serving up ‘family-style’ meals, with hefty centrepieces of grilled meat with sides to share, like the wood-fired pork chop, collar, and crackling with a sage and pine nut crumb. Puddings follow an equally traditional route, with classics like trifle and rice pudding given the Atherton treatment with poached rhubarb and home-made jams. There’s also Saturday brunches with dishes ranging from chorizo on confit potatoes and eggs, to maple-cured streaky bacon on French toast. Meanwhile…
DOWNSTAIRS
…is inspired by a Victorian grocers, with timber panelling, flashes of brass and vintage anglepoise lamps. There’s not only a deli counter (featuring cured meats from Cannon & Cannon), but a selection of small plates to enjoy; like Old Spot spiced pork belly sandwich on brioche, with spicy slaw and butter lettuce.
At night, the deli transforms into an intimate cocktail bar, with drinks designed to follow the pantry theme. You’ll find carbonated cocktails canned on site, and drinks in cartons and cans like the Yellow Paint, a heady mix of rum and mustard. They’re even selling their own lager, The Subtle Fox.
And seeing as Temple once wrote, “Beer Shops licensed to have the beer drunk on the Premises are a pest to the community” …it’s probably best he wasn’t too involved in the end.
NOTE: Sadly, Temple & Sons has now closed, and has been replaced by Pizza Pilgrims.
Temple and Sons | Tower 42, 22 Old Broad Street, EC2N 1HQ
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