Emile | A long term pop up from a Petersham Nurseries chef
It was a sad day when Swedish restaurant Rök was officially beaten by paper. Specifically money. And the lack thereof.
But the good news is that something pretty solid has taken its place. It’s called Emile, and it’s a long-term pop up – planned to stick around until mid-2020-ish – that comes to us from a lauded chef (Damian Clisby, the former Restaurant Director of Petersham Nurseries and head chef at HIX Soho) and an equally lauded wine man (Nick Gibson, landlord of The Drapers Arms).
They’ve updated the classically white minimalistic Scandi-chic sleeve space on Hackney’s Curtain Road with some considerably warmer deep blue tones, richly varnished wood furnishings, and vintage candlesticks on every table to add yet more ambiance.
The menu is a (UK-leaning) European affair that changes literally every day, although you can expect to find the likes of Lincolnshire poacher croquettes with pickled walnut ketchup; some pappardelle with chanterelle mushroom; a Red leg partridge with barley & red kalibos cabbage; and some honey & thyme roasted figs with Madagascan vanilla ice cream.
The other half of the bargain – the wine – starts at a reasonable £4.50 a glass and spans a pretty well-curated list that sticks mostly to Old World vintages, but nevertheless includes orange & skin contact numbers. There’s even a section at the back of the list dedicated to “One Offs”, featuring a few bottles that are a little too electric to make the main list.
And last but not least, there’s the Sunday Series – a roast with 3 courses for £35 – that will rotate each weekend, and includes the likes of Moroccan-style roast goat with figs & almonds; a slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with 40 cloves of garlic; and roast goose with Armagnac.
NOTE: Emile has now finished its residency here.
Emile | 26 Curtain Road, EC2A 3NY
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