20/4/17: Updated with more about the food.
What: Coupette
In a nutshell: Ex-Beaufort Bar head bartender heads east
Summing it all up: Top bartender Chris Moore has gathered together a stellar team to open his first bar. Coupette will have a distinctly French accent, focusing on regional liqueurs
The low-down
London's booming bar scene has another hot new opening on the way. Coupette sees Chris Moore, former head bartender at the Savoy's Beaufort Bar, branch out on his own. Moore's gathered together a top team to help him - head bartender Franck Dedieu, formerly of Redwood, and assistant manager Dan Schofield, formerly head bartender at 69 Colebrooke Row.
The bar, which is taking over the former Albion pub on Bethnal Green Road, is going to showcase all manner of artisanal regional French gems. So that means drinks like:
- Apples - Calvados mixed with cold-pressed apple juice, the variety changing regularly, that will be carbonated in-house daily
- Truffled White Negroni, made with seasonal truffles in season at the time
- Champagne Pina Colada
In addition to cocktails there'll be a fully french wine list, including a small selection of champagnes and they'll have a bi-monthly Calvados Club with lots of French producers coming over for tastings.
For food, expect a similarly Francophile treatment including a whole section dedicated to croque monsieurs - including one with truffled creamed leeks and confit salmon and another with Merguez sausage & piperade.Also on that list is:
- Whole roasted lamb shoulder served with wild garlic & baby gem
- Confit duck leg with orange glazed salsify
- Chicken liver parfait with crispy skin & seasonal chutney.
Alongside those, there will be charcuterie, terrines, salmon rillettes and beef tartare as well as regional cheese, sourced from producers in the local London area and imported from France. If you pop by during the day there'll be coffee and fresh pastries and they're also planning to serve a brunch menu on the weekends. That brunch adds the epic-sounding "Full French" breakfast with local sausages, oven-baked eggs, confit tomato, Lyonnaise onions, boudin noir as well as truffle scrambled eggs with smoked eel.
More about Coupette
Where is it? 423 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AN
When does it open? June 2017. Opening hours will be Monday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm; Friday – Saturday: 11am – 1am; Sunday: 11am – 11pm
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @coupettelondon
