On Friday 5th October, Polpetto will launch a fresh menu created by new Head Chef, Anthea Stephenson, along with redesigned interiors and a bold new look for the shopfront.
Stephenson comes to Polpetto from the River Cafe, The Jugged Hare and Sketch and brings with her an entirely new menu of vibrant dishes designed for convivial sharing and feasting. She also brings with her a new selection of suppliers such as Farmison & Co for meat & game, Elias for fish & seafood and Vallebona for Italian cheeses.
Stephenson’s menu will change frequently to reflect the seasons. New dishes include: Thinly sliced ox tongue, salsa verde and pine nuts (£7.50); Red mullet carpaccio, shaved fennel and chilli (£9) ; Roast pumpkin, toasted wet walnuts, sheep ricotta and grumulo (£7). Larger sharing dishes including: Hand cut chestnut tagliatelle, girolle mushroom and thyme (£8.50); Venetian rib chop, marrow, borlotti and cicoria (£7), and dolci such as: Saffron panna cotta (£7); Warm chocolate tart, sea salt and mascarpone (£7).
A new wine list featuring biodynamic, low-intervention and natural wines will support Stephenson’s philosophy at Polpetto, collaborating for the first time with Natural Born Wines and Tutto Wines. These will sit alongside Polpetto’s classic cocktail menu with a vermouth focus.
The restaurant will be restructured into an entirely new layout, with intimate booths lining the walls, whilst the unique bar with fold-away bar stools will remain in the window of this Soho staple. Interiors have taken specific inspiration from co-founder Russell Norman’s favourite city Venice and have been geared towards comfort and space with larger tables and more generous spacing. A carefully curated collection of black and white vintage photos adorn the walls, punctuated by antique wall lamps. Downstairs, the intimate chef’s table will be re-launched, seating up to sixteen guests and affording an immersive view of the feature open kitchen.
Ahead of opening the new Polpetto, Anthea comments:
“I have always loved Italian regional cooking and in particular the food from Venice and the Veneto. It’s my favourite part of the country for ingredients, seasonal dishes, recipes and wine. To be able to showcase the thrilling flavours of northern Italy at such an iconic restaurant as Polpetto is a bit of a dream come true for me.”
Scott Macdonald, POLPO Ltd’s Managing Director, comments:
“It is rare to come across a chef as talented as Anthea and her appointment represents the fulfilment of an ambition of mine: to have world-class cooking at our boutique Soho outpost. I’m so excited.”
The new Polpetto menu launches on the 5th October at Polpetto, 11 Berwick St, Soho, W1F 0PL.
For further information and images, please contact Molly Dodwell on molly@toniccomms.co.uk.
