They say today’s news is tomorrow’s fish & chip paper.
But in a strange twist of fate, tomorrow’s fish & chip paper is actually today’s news.
Because the team behind The Plimsoll have just announced that they’re taking over a Finsbury Park chippie for their next project. Tollington’s will be made over as an Iberian seafood bar, serving regional Spanish dishes alongside charcuterie, wine and vermouth.
Co-owners Ed McIlroy and Jamie Allan made their names as Four Legs, the vastly popular kitchen residency at The Compton Arms in Islington. Since then, they’ve been cooking up a storm at their own pub, The Plimsoll, and while staying local to Finsbury Park, their new venture’s going to be a step away in terms of the cooking.
Tollington’s will be styled around Spanish dining, with a drop-in culture and an unfussy, laid-back atmosphere. And aside from keeping the name, they’re keeping a lot of the restaurant’s original features, from the decorative tiling to the formica countertops and even the chip fryers. But you’ll see flashes of the Spanish coastline in a revamped colour scheme and little details here and there.
The seafood-led menu will see the day’s haul cured, fried or sliced into a variety of dishes, changing regularly with what the boats bring in. The idea is to be able to stand at the bar and pick at a couple of smaller dishes, or settle in for a banquet by ordering a couple of the larger, and meatier dishes, in the more formal back dining room. And to encourage lingering, there’ll be a great drinks menu spanning beers, wine, port and vermouth.
We’ll update this as and when we get more details on the menu…
…but it already sounds like this concept has legs.
NOTE: Tollington’s is set to open at the start of June. We’ll be back with the full scoop then.
Tollington’s | 172 Tollington Park, Finsbury Park, London N4 3AJ
Like staying on top of the latest news? See the other restaurants and bars opening in London soon