Canto73

Coming to you from Portuguese chef João Ferreira Pinto, Canto73 is the reborn phoenix of Highbury Arts Club, set on the corner (or ‘canto’) of Highbury Park and Lucerne Road.

Still bearing the battered 1920s sign of its former life as a shoe shop, Canto73 is a relaxed café-restaurant whose low-key interiors encourage ambient conviviality. It’s a cosy, slow-paced setting, with rustic wooden furnishings, mismatched chairs and original artwork on the walls. The communal tables create an inclusive, shared dining experience but there is space for privacy if you should so wish.

On weekends, you can stop by for brunch dishes, Monmouth coffee and freshly baked cakes… but it’s the Friday & Saturday night supperclubs where Chef Pinto’s Michelin-star training and time spent leading Stoke Newington’s Moio really come to the fore.

Candlelit, casual and lively, these supper clubs offer you seven courses from a monthly changing seasonal tasting menu. Chef Pinto values a personal touch and will enthusiastically guide you through each dish as he serves it, like you’ve dropped off and woken up in an episode of Chef’s Table.

Recent dishes have included scallop ceviche with locally-picked elderflower vinegar; grilled octopus brioche buns; smoked pork tenderloin with pickled peaches; and a mesmeric coffee tart, served with a strawberry & balsamic granita. And at £50 per head, your buck will be truly banged, your ounce truly bounced.

Chef Pinto also puts together a suggested wine pairing, supplied by the hooch connoisseurs at Graft Wine. At £22, this is another steal in the honourable name of accessible, high-quality food and drink.

Not bad for that little place on the corner.

NOTE: Canto73 is open for brunch & lunch on weekends, and supperclubs on Friday & Saturday evenings. You’ll need to book tickets in advance for those, which you can do HERE.

Canto73 | 73 Highbury Park, London, N5 1UA

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