There was an air of confusion on Twitter yesterday when news broke of the opening of another offering from Polpo owner Russell Norman. We'd been aware for a while that Polpo would be opening a second restaurant, Spuntino, at an undisclosed location in Soho - that's being blogged about here.
However it was a bit of surprise to learn that before Spuntino opens, another, smaller Polpo will be launched, in the space over The French House on Dean Street. Polpetto - the billed little sibling of Polpo, will open its doors on 23 August. Described by Norman as 'a tiny jewel-box version of Polpo' Polpetto will have just 28 seats. Presiding over the menu here is Polpo's Head Chef Tom Oldroyd and in addition to favourite dishes from its older sibling, Polpetto's menu will feature dishes such as Venetian-style soft-shell crab in Parmesan batter and pigeon saltimbocca.
Norman explains how this seemingly cloak-and-dagger opening came about; 'We were expecting to open Spuntino next month, also in Soho, but the project has been delayed. The opportunity for Polpetto came along unexpectedly and we jumped at the chance to take on this legendary venue. It sounds odd, but we are opening our third restaurant before our second.'
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