30/10/14 - updated with opening offer.
A new cafe specialising in Provençal cuisine is coming to Exmouth Market, with a bar and plenty of outside seating too.
What you need to know about Cafe Pistou
It will specialise in Provençal cuisine serving small plates from breakfast until late. The menu "reinterprets Provençal cuisine for an urban audience, featuring an imaginative range of ‘sunshine food’ full of fresh, bold flavours." And there will of course, given that it's Exmouth Market, be a weekend brunch too featuring ‘Crespeu’ – a warm sunblush tomato, basil, sticky onion and Parmesan omelette.
We've got a few examples of the menu which include:
- Pissaladiere - Puff pastry tart, topped with caramelised onion and a choice of:
- Olives and salted anchovies (£4)
- Chorizo and goats cheese (£4.50)
- Fig, sunblush tomatoes, gorgonzola and herbes de Provence (£4.50)
- Ratatouille with fried egg, Parmesan and Parmesan crisp (£6)
- Lamb cutlets cooked in a charcoal oven with basil pistou and confit tomatoes (£18)
- The Pistou - Charcoal oven roasted plums with blackcurrant, plum & olive oil sauce, vanilla mascarpone, blackcurrant sorbet, caramel pinenut crisps & candied basil sugar.
The people behind it have worked at Gaucho, Raymond Blanc and more. The founder is Charlie McLean, who was with with CAU and Gaucho. The menu has been put together by Alex Mackay, who trained and worked with Raymond Blanc before setting up a cookery school near Saint-Tropez and writing an award-winning book, 'Cooking in Provence'.
Drinks-wise, the wines will focus on the south of France - and Drench cocktail specialist Anthony Bannier and coffee enthusiasts Dunne Frankowski are aiming to produce a cocktail list that is influenced by the region too. So you'll find ‘The French Negroni’ mixed with Grey Goose L’Orange, Suze, Noilly Prat rouge, and pink grapefruit (£8) and their own ‘Bloody Marianne’ – a combination of Romano and Espelette pepper infused vodka, yellow cherry tomato juice, white balsamic vinegar, and homemade pistou.
It's right at the entrance to Exmouth Market (taking the place of Strada). The restaurant will seat 95 and there will also be outside seating for 40. There'll also be a small horseshoe bar where you can sit up and enjoy small plates and drinks.
Where is it? 8 – 10 Exmouth Market EC1 4QA
And when does it open? November 3 - with a 50% off food soft launch from 3-6 November. You can book a table for the soft launch by emailing reservations@cafepistou.co.uk.
For more information, follow them on Twitter @CafePistou
